Nicolás Cocina de Herencia

Name: Nicolás Cocina de Herencia
Address: Carmel Plaza, Ocean Avenue & Mission Street, Suite 111, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, 93921, US

Mexican

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Carmel Plaza, Ocean Avenue & Mission Street, Suite 111, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921
Last verified: November 2026
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Dishes to know on this menu

Birria: A richly seasoned meat stew associated with Jalisco, traditionally made with goat but now frequently prepared with beef as well. The meat is braised with dried chiles and spices and may be served in a bowl with broth or used as a taco filling. Modern birria tacos are often griddled after the tortillas are dipped in the cooking fat. Add cheese and you'll commonly see the name quesabirria. A cup of consomé for dipping often comes alongside. On this menu as: Birria Fundido.
Gorditas: Thick masa cakes that are cooked, split and filled, somewhat like a pocket. Fillings might include chicharrón in salsa, beans and cheese, picadillo or other guisados. Depending on the region and restaurant, gorditas may be griddled or fried and can differ considerably in thickness and texture. The item sold as a "gordita" by U.S. fast-food chains is a separate Mexican-American interpretation. On this menu as: Huitlacoche Gorditas.
Mole: Not one sauce but an enormous family of sauces built from combinations of chiles, spices, seeds, nuts, fruits, herbs and other ingredients. Some contain chocolate; many do not. Puebla is famous for mole poblano. Oaxaca is particularly celebrated for its variety of moles, including dark mole negro and green mole verde. Mole is commonly served with poultry or other meat, accompanied by rice and tortillas, but both recipes and uses vary widely. On this menu as: Chicken in Mole Negro with green apple pico de gallo.
Arroz, frijoles & sides: The supporting cast of a Mexican restaurant plate deserves its own vocabulary. Arroz rojo is rice cooked with tomato and seasonings. Frijoles refritos are cooked beans mashed and fried or reheated with fat. Despite the English translation "refried," the Spanish refritos does not mean they must literally be fried twice. Frijoles de la olla are whole beans served in their cooking broth. Frijoles charros are pinto beans cooked with ingredients that can include bacon, chorizo, tomato and chiles. Rajas are strips of roasted chile, commonly poblano. Nopales are cactus paddles. Elote means corn on the cob and on restaurant menus often refers to Mexican-style dressed corn. Esquites are corn kernels served in a cup with various seasonings and toppings. On this menu as: Bone Marrow Esquites.
Pico de gallo: A fresh, uncooked mixture typically made with chopped tomato, white onion, cilantro, fresh chile and lime. It is also commonly called salsa mexicana, with the green, white and red ingredients recalling the colors of Mexico's flag. "Pico de gallo" literally means "rooster's beak." There are several stories about why, and none has managed to end the argument. On this menu as: Chicken in Mole Negro with green apple pico de gallo.
Queso fundido & chile con queso: Queso fundido is melted cheese served hot, often in a small skillet and sometimes mixed with chorizo, rajas, mushrooms or other ingredients. Tortillas are commonly used to scoop it up. Chile con queso, usually shortened to simply queso in Tex-Mex restaurants, is a pourable cheese-and-chile dip eaten with tortilla chips. They occupy similar territory on a menu but are distinct dishes with different traditions. On this menu as: Birria Fundido.

Nicolás Cocina de Herencia

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