Keeping Things Fresh

Exciting menu makes Verde the perfect spot for an adventurous first date

Lake Norman Currents | August 2019

By Aaron Garcia

Sitting down and choosing a meal from Verde Mexican Nuevo Latin Fusion for the first time can feel a lot like going on a great first date: you may have a general idea of what to expect when you crack the menu, but it's the pleasant surprises along the way that make you want to see it again.

Incidentally, it's that same sense of adventure that has made Alex Soto's Huntersville Restaurant one of the top date night locales in the area, and especially in chain-choked Huntersville.

Even if that wasn't his plan.

"Sometimes things work out differently than how you think they will," says Soto.

Keeping it verde

Initially, when he opened Verde in 2013, Soto was planning to serve authentic Mexican cuisine in a family-friendly atmosphere, and that influence is easy to spot when the sunlight is pouring through the glazed glass walls of the end unit near the corner of Gilead Rd. and Reese Blvd. The guacamole-green and pepper-red paint scheme combine with the dark floors and open concept to create an airy, inviting dining room. It's a modern departure from typical Mexican restaurants that often favor taller booths and darker paint schemes.

"We believe simplicity is the key," says Soto, who adds that the décor matches the eatery's name, which means "green" in Spanish. "We wanted a fresh look."

A few years after opening, Soto and his ownership team decided to freshen up the menu, as well. He says he and his uncle (and part owner) began to figure out that, while the Lake Norman region is home to people from throughout South America, there weren't any restaurants catering to the different cultures represented in our area.

In 2017, Verde began offering its Latin fusion concept, combining elements from different South American dishes to create unique offerings. For example, the Mar Y Tierra, or "Latino surf and turf" combines steak and shrimp on fire-roasted vegetables and a white corn arepa, combining Mexican, Venezuelan and Columbian influences. The Ropa Vieja pairs Cuban shredded beef with a sweet corn arepa, pico de gallo, avocado, jalapeno crema and mixed greens. The standard menu also includes influences from other Latin countries, including Spain and Brazil.

Soto started also offering a rotating special menu with even more creations, and the owner says patrons can expect to see new dishes within the next few months. Verde's head chef, Cuban-born Rene Garcia Mayor, has already experimented with Peruvian, Puerto Rican, Columbian and Argentinian menus. Soto says each dish usually takes about two months to perfect.

"It's like a laboratory in the back," says Soto. "It's fun because you get to learn a lot of things. It's very interesting to see what we can offer our customers."

"We always saw it as a fun challenge to be different," says Soto. "In order to be on top of the game, you have to evolve, you have to try to make things different."

Love at first bite

Soto says he loves seeing his patrons try a new meal for the first time, especially when they need to ask how to pronounce the dish. In many ways, it's no different than getting to know a new person — perhaps that's what has made Verde one of Huntersville's top date-night restaurants.

That characterization isn't lost on Soto, who says he's seen several of his patrons bring a first date to Verde before eventually marrying and having kids.

For Soto, the benefits of trying a new dish can end up being pretty similar to meeting someone for a first date.

"I think that's the fun part," says Soto. "It's cool because you're exposing yourself to something new. You're getting out of your comfort zone to try something new."