Once you enjoy the privilege of munching on cheerful, yellow tortillas cooked to order from fresh masa, it's hard to even recognize their bagged relatives as actual food matter. Very few Mexican eateries around town offer the former delight, and Verde Cocina numbers among their finest. Now grilling up healthy, farm-to-table meals on NW 14th (where Kin unfortunately shuttered about two months ago) Verde Cocina quietly opened this past weekend (their second brick and mortar to their Hillsdale home) in a more colorful but otherwise unchanged room, offering Mexican food and cocktails without hype or pretension. Still training their front of house, (this is what soft openings are for, guys) minor kinks are more than tolerable for the genuine and generous cuisine being served, all of which is thoughtfully sourced and lovingly prepared. A towering order of guacamole is mashed to order and served with fresh tortillas, while quesadillas are virtually unrecognizable from the greasy version I generally expect. Everything is served with a heaping pile of seasonal and organic veggies. This is nutrition-driven rather than regionally-inspired cuisine, and while your gastronomic world will not be rocked by any particular menu item, it's healthy, well-executed nourishment that has incredible integrity. Weekend brunch and happy hour are in the works, so stay tuned.

• Clare Gordon
• Verde Cocina's new home.