I love that All Saints Day and/or Day of the Dead falls right after Halloween.  In celebration, I decided to try Maya Cafe, a quaint restaurant in Maplewood that serves Mexican- and Latin-infused dishes. 

I was not disappointed with my decision.  To begin, the waitress freely provided one of my favorite vegetables…salsa. The salsa was more like a pico de gallo, and it was evident that the seasonings had the necessary time to marry resulting in a flavorful topping for my fresh warm tortilla chips.

My boyfriend ordered a succulent pork dish creatively seasoned with chilies, coffee, cumin and other spices, and I ordered the Day of the Dead Special: black bean tamales with spanish rice. It was excellent.

Maya Cafe does a pretty good job of offering a wide array of dishes appealing to meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. My dish happened to be vegan with no meat products, dairy or eggs. The tamales were presented in a large banana leaf, and the black beans were both spicy and a little sweet. As a consequence, I ate too much.

Although Maya Cafe has been in Maplewood a while, new restaurants, such as the restaurant Acero continue to take me back to Maplewood for great food.  One of the best scallop dishes I have had in St. Louis came out of the Acero kitchen.

If you are in the mood for some good food, check out the Maplewood restaurants! No celebration necessary.