Chili Verde

Heading up Federal Boulevard, you might drive past the demure entrance to Chili Verde, an elegant (for this neighborhood) but still relaxing Pueblan eatery. But once you make your way inside, you'll find more on the menu than the tacos and Colorado-style, starch-thickened green chile so popular on this stretch. Exposed-brick walls and an espresso-dark bar may be chic and modern, but the service and style are warm and inviting -- from the complimentary chips with salsas and frijoles refritos to the knowledgeable staff eager to be your tour guides through the menu's more obscure corners. Before it left its original home in late 2012, Chili Verde had made a name for itself with its rich, complex moles -- available in chocolate-hued mole Poblano and tangy mole verde -- but the entrees featuring crepes (a traditional alternative to corn tortillas in Puebla) and stuffed poblano chiles also deserve their stellar reputations. A full bar tempts with beers and wines, but a margarita made with tepache (fermented pineapple juice) may be the perfect pairing.