Black and white

Eastside Road, January 20, 2011—

WHEN IT ARRIVED it took me quite aback: stark contrast of black and white, the familiar rice submissive, almost cowering, next to the glossy impassive bulk that dominated the plate.

This is truly a mole negro, and the words are Spanish, not English. An authentic Mexican mole — pronounced MO-lay, without that final "y" — is a deep and obscure thing; the extensive article at Wikipedia will give you some idea of its history and complexities. I made a mole once, years ago, and may again one day: but the recipe — I think it was from Rick Bayless's book — was extremely complicated and time-consuming.

I don't know how authentic today's was, but it was good. The owner of this unassuming, friendly, spotless,shopping-center Healdsburg restaurant is from Oaxaca, a center of the mole tradition (Puebla and Tlaxcala are its two rivals, for mole like cassoulet has three birthplaces), so perhaps this is close to truth.

The menu description is reticent: "…sauce made of many dried chiles, herbs, spices, almonds, chocolate and other secret ingredients." The chicken breast is meaty and, to my taste, a bit overcooked. But the sauce is deep, dark, secret, rich, with chile and chocolate in balance, with lots of body, and I'm glad to promote it to the Hundred Plates, and I'll be back for more.

House red wine

• Agave Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar, 1063 Vine Street, Healdsburg; tel. 707-433-2411

ONCE HOME, for supper later on, nothing needed but a dish of broccoli and chili flakes, a good tossed salad, and a slice of delicious devil's food cake. Well, a small glass of Scotch whisky afterward doesn't hurt.