Carnaval is open for lunch and dinner during the week and offers brunch on the weekends.

With so many Mexican restaurants in Redmond, a new eatery would need to be unique to hold its own. Carnaval (343 SW 6th St. in Redmond) opened in November. Crowded on a Tuesday night, it appears to be succeeding by offering traditional Mexican fare in a modern setting on 6th street in downtown Redmond.

Owner Yadira Medina grew up making hand-pressed homemade tortillas for her four older brothers. Born in Mexico City, she moved to the U.S. when she was young and has lived most of her life in Central Oregon. She met her husband, Emmanuel (now the chef at Carnaval) while working at the nearby Madaline’s Grill Mexican American Bistro. Carnaval’s menu reflects the Latin American Cuisine of both Mexico City and Emmanuel’s home in Jalisco, Mexico.

Carnaval is open for lunch and dinner during the week and offers brunch on the weekends. My dining companion and I opted to try an authentic Mexican breakfast beyond Huevos Rancheros or breakfast burritos.

We shared the Huevos a La Mexicanah ($9)- scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onion, and Serrano peppers. Drizzled with sour cream and topped with avocado slices, it’s served with handmade tortillas. Breakfast comes with a choice of beans or breakfast potatoes. We tried both. The refried beans were a light, perfect combination of smashed and small whole beans. The breakfast potatoes were a dry, undercooked version of country potatoes.

We also shared Chilaquiles (pronounced “chee-la-kee-lehs”) ($11). It is made from fried tortilla chips soaked in red sauce (or green sauce) and mixed with onions, queso fresco (Mexican cheese), cilantro and sour cream. We added the optional eggs. The scrambled eggs on both dishes were light and fluffy, and mixed with fresh ingredients. Medina explained that Chilaquiles are traditionally crispier than what was served. I preferred the softened chips in this recipe as they had good tortilla flavor without being mushy.

Medina later told me that we missed out on the Molletes ($9), which is a breakfast favorite in Mexico. Molletes is a sandwich made with soft, thick Mexican bread layered with refried beans and jack cheese then baked. It’s topped with chorizo and Pico de Gallo with fresh tomatillo.

A few nights later, another dining companion and I returned for dinner. Instead of the typical chips and salsa, small fresh corn tortillas and red salsa were brought to the table. We opted for a bowl of Pico de Gallo (raw chopped onion and tomatoes in lime) and guacamole fresco ($12) that was made fresh at the table and served with fried tortilla chips.

All week I’d been looking forward to the Grilled Octopus appetizer($11). When I first had octopus, I was not a fan as it was often chewy and dry. But during a recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, I tried several recipes with fresh, grilled octopus. Fresh octopus has firm, moist meat with a sumptuous seafood flavor reminiscent of crab legs. Of course, we don’t get fresh octopus in Central Oregon. Carnaval’s Grilled Octopus had been previously frozen. Purple Spanish octopus was lightly grilled in a marinade of salsa ranchera, fresh citrus and sea salt. Dollops of cilantro chili lime sauce and chipotle mayo accompanied the small tendrils. While it was well-prepared, it did not make up for the octopus’ chewy consistency.

Medina said that it was one of the most popular appetizers, but I won’t be trying it again unless they receive a special batch of fresh octopus.

My companion had the Carnaval Mar y Tierra salad ($21). The translation is Sea and Earth, the salad had generous portions of camarones (large shrimp) and wonderfully seasoned flat iron steak. A variety of greens were tossed with heirloom grape tomatoes, goat horn chiles, cucumber, red onion, queso fresco, avocados and strips of grilled nopales (cactus that is traditional in many Mexican dishes). It was topped with a Poblano Avocado Ranch dressing that complemented the ingredients. The poblano chile added a mild zing to the avocado ranch dressing.

I chose the Pollo Chipotle entree ($18). It is described on the menu as “chicken breast deglazed with white wine in a creamy chipotle sauce with mushrooms.” While I expected it to be a light preparation, it wasn’t as described. What arrived was chicken and mushrooms smothered in a heavy, chipotle-flavored cheesy cream sauce. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable in a comfort-food way. The accompanying Spanish rice had only a few carrots and peppers in white rice. Still, it was properly cooked and could soak up the copious amount of cheesy cream sauce.

The meals were satisfying, but the desserts were divine. My companion had the Coffee Tequila Flan. A large portion of molded custard served in the traditional manner with caramel sauce made with Patron Cafe. It was a beautiful specimen of flan—creamy and not too sweet.

My slice of Pastel de Chocolate was one of the best chocolate desserts in Central Oregon. Chocolate cake was layered with chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache on a chocolate cookie crust. The plate was drizzled with chocolate and a dollop of whipped cream. It was a chocolate lovers dream and not as rich as it sounds.

It was refreshing to have authentic Mexican food beyond the typical fare of enchiladas, tostadas and chimichangas. You can get them at Carnaval, but with a lighter touch. Overall, Carnaval is a top choice for Mexican food in Redmond.