Tipping Tequila at Tres Hombres

It's all about the tequila at Tres Hombres Long Bar and Grill in Petaluma.

While most of America drinks its tequila mixed with lime juice, triple sec

and ice as margaritas, aficionados of the drink sip it neat and slowly while

contemplating its merits, lest it sneak up on them and whack them in the head,

which it is known to do.

Tres Hombres is an excellent place to contemplate the merits. Sixteen

stools are available at the long bar. And there's plenty of seating at tables

and booths, where you can eat Cabo-style Mexican fare to prevent your empty

stomach from inviting one of those head whacks.

Flights of various tequilas are offered, but you can also organize your own

tasting. Choose among 28 ''plata'' tequilas -- also called ''silver'' or

''blanco'' -- at prices ranging from $6 to $9 a shot, with one outlier: Patron

Gran Platinum at $30. Like all tequilas, these must contain at least 51

percent blue agave distillate, although the better tequilas are usually 100

percent agave. Plata is aged for two months or less -- some isn't aged at all

-- and has a clear color, a pure taste, and a long, clean finish.

Besides plata, the bar carries 31 ''reposado'' (rested) tequilas, which are

aged in wood for from two to 12 months. One tequilista said a good reposado

''grabs you by the throat and then gently lets go.''

The highest quality tequilas are called ''anejo'' (mature) aged one to

three years in white oak barrels, and ''extra anejo,'' barrel-aged three years

or more. Tres Hombres carries 35 anejos and seven extra anejos. Four of the

extra anejo tequilas cost $40 a shot: the Don Julio Real, Herradura Seleccion,

Suprema and Partida Elegante. These whack you in the pocketbook, then you

whack yourself in the head for spending $40 on a shot of tequila.

The original Tres Hombres was launched at Tahoe's North Shore in the 1970s.

In the mid-80s, the owners opened a second restaurant in Chico (which is still

going strong), then closed the Tahoe location. Last year, they opened this one

in Petaluma's Theater Square.

It faces the square's central fountain made of tiles and ceramic faces, and

offers outside seating under umbrellas. Inside is a large, pleasant room

touched here and there with bright Mexican colors and artful weavings on the

walls. To the left is the long bar with two flat-screen TVs tuned to sports,

and to the right a display kitchen is open to the main kitchen in back.

The food is typical Americanized Mexican fare, rather coarsely prepared,

but of quality ingredients and fresh flavor. As usual, tortilla chips and

salsa arrive as soon as you sit down. The salsa was spicy but watery, almost

like soup. Since the

Caesar Salad (small $5.45 **) was invented in Tijuana, one might expect a

real Caesar salad at Tres Hombres, but this salad bore little resemblance to

its namesake. The hearts of romaine are chopped, and the creamy dressing that

liberally coats the lettuce is spiced up with chipotle peppers. Blue corn

tortilla chips and crumbled cotija cheese topped the salad. Cotija is a

Mexican cow's milk cheese similar to Greek feta in texture, but not as

strongly flavored. While not a bad salad by any means, it sure isn't a Caesar.

The menu advises you to approach the Chingalinga ($9.45 **1/2 ) with

caution, as it may be too spicy for some. But the dish -- a long pastry roll

filled with chopped chicken breast and sliced crosswise into pieces -- seemed

barely spicy enough for the warning. It was a mild and tasty treat, originally

whipped up at the Tres Hombres cantina in Lake Tahoe, according to the menu.

The Maple-Glazed Wings ($8.95 ***) were much spicier, sweet and delicious.

Perfect fare to pair with a margarita. Coconut Shrimp ($9.45 ) were small and

a trifle overdone, but came with a winning pepper marmalade. The Crispy

Calamari ($9.45 **) were crispy when hot from their bath of cooking oil, but

relaxed as they cooled off, which says that the oil wasn't quite hot enough.

All these appetizers were decent fare, as were the dipping sauces -- some

spicy, some sweet and spicy, some cool and creamy -- that came with them. If

you're up for sampling, the Tres Cuatro ($14.95 **1/2 ) includes all four of

the appetizers mentioned here.

Two Chicken Soft Tacos ($9.45 ** were vague renditions of what great pollo

soft tacos can be. Stale and leathery corn tortillas held chicken cut into

large chunks. Guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo finished the tacos. It's

like the kitchen kind of got it right, but not quite. The chef should stop in

at Taqueria El Cactus in Boyes Hot Springs to see how to make great pollo soft

tacos.

The kitchen can turn out satisfying Mexican dishes. Witness the Chile Verde

($12.95 ***) featuring pork shoulder cooked long and slow in a spicy poblano