El Nopal

I go to "Mexican" restaurants from time to time, hoping that I will find something original or authentic, and I am generally disappointed. As such, this review is not really specific to El Nopal... rather, it is an indictment of the whole "genre" of restaurants. I had a plate of seafood tacos, which was disappointing. I so wish that US consumers of Mexican food could understand that rice, beans, and melted cheese are not served with every Mexican dish... rather, Mexican food is nuanced and subtle. Certainly, rice and beans are frequent, but not with everything. Cheese is melted generally only on enchiladas suizas. I get it that US consumers drive uniformity in the menus of these restaurants, but I would encourage the restaurants to let their cooks "be free" and cook something authentic... something from their native region, and something that their moms and dads would be proud of. Maybe, just maybe, the US market can (slowly) come to appreciate real Mexican food?