Sometimes when we’re out scouring the Cape for an interesting and different food or drink item for this page, we stumble upon a vibe – the cool and fun feeling you get by just walking into a place. When that place is called Las Chidas, you know you’ve arrived at the right place.
The literal translation of “Las Chidas” means the coolness, the awesomeness, the “grooviness”. It may not be grammatically correct, but it is certainly on point when it comes to the feel of this place that’s a corn cob’s throw from the Orleans Rotary on Route 6A. Now in its third year, Las Chidas has been offering southern California Baja-style fare, which changes up twice yearly. Entries like upscale street tacos and Caribbean jerk flavors are peppered around the menu. One shareable item on the menu to stay is the Street Corn.
Las Chidas embraces the “street” aspect of street corn. You’d be right at home strolling along, taking in the sights, and munching on this tasty treat served on the cob. The ear is cut in half and pierced with a sturdy bamboo skewer, allowing it to be enjoyed one-handed. Las Chidas’ owner Meredith Gallant has sold the street corn at the Wellfleet Oyster Fest for the last two years for those seeking a non-oyster food item. “We went through five hundred ears last year,” she remembers. “I was up to my eyeballs in corn that morning.”
Each order of street corn at Las Chidas is two and a half ears. The corn is charred over an open flame and roasted in the oven. Once the bamboo skewer is in place, the cob is dunked in elote sauce – a blend of mayonnaise, Cotija cheese and spices – then topped with more Cotija cheese, Tajín seasoning (a mix of chili, garlic, onion and citrus), and cilantro. (The same Tajín seasoning is used on the rim of the spicy margarita.) Roasted corn nuts are sprinkled on top to provide a little crunch. “We blend them [the corn nuts] up a little so they’re a little bit smaller and easier to bite on,” Gallant explains. The charred sweetness of the corn, the saltiness of the Cotija cheese, the nip of Tajín seasoning, along with a crunch all work perfectly together, making it a great way to start either lunch or dinner at Las Chidas.
Owner Meredith Gallant has a long history in the food and beverage industry. She and her husband Mac originally opened The Local Break in Eastham and were part of the original ownership team of Hog Island Beer Company. They’ve since sold The Local Break and divested in Hog Island, and now Meredith focuses on Las Chidas, a bit of Baja on the Cape. The décor is truly unique: a mural featuring Gandalf the Grey from Lord of the Rings surfing a monster wave on a surfboard like the one Keanu Reeves’ character Johnny Utah used in 1991’s Point Break. In fact, Point Break’s final scene’s dialogue is inscribed on the wall over the windows looking out onto the covered front patio. Even the funky bathrooms have abstract walls illuminated by black light.
With street corn as tasty as the waves of southern California, and a vibe all its own, Las Chidas is just a great place to hang loose and chill, brah.
Las Chidas
34 Route 6A, Orleans
LasChidasCapeCod.com
