Rodrigo Lomeli

The term campechana, translating to “mixed” or “mixture” in Spanish, refers to a number of things: a mixed seafood cocktail, a person from the city of Campache, Mexico, and a popular layered-pastry dessert served at special occasions throughout Latin America. The latter definition hits the sweet spot at The Mexican, a modern restaurant inspired by Northern Mexican cuisine. Although the campechana is typically filled with a mixture of cream or custard plus fruit, the decadent variation menued at The Mexican features an unusual ice cream cake base. It was born of Chef de Cuisine Rodrigo Lomeli’s passion for culinary experimentation—especially with sweet profiles.

The Mexican’s Campechana is a stunning build of five layers of premium vanilla ice cream, handmade flaky campechanas (referring to the puff pastry in this instance), pistachio and creamy cajeta quemada (aka dulce de leche). “Ice cream cakes aren’t really done in this sector, so it all came together out of a goal to do something original that ties to the flavors of Mexico,” Lomeli explains. “It’s visually impressive, so the overall experience of eating it begins before it even hits your table, and it tastes great.”