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As the reviews for Napa’s newest Mexican restaurant, The Border, have begun to surface, I have been both amazed and disappointed by how many people have issued a judgment based upon their Cinco de Mayo experiences. I mean, really? Cinco de Mayo? Just who in their right mind goes to a brand new Mexican restaurant on Cinco de Mayo and expects anything more than an average visit? Do these same people visit Irish pubs on St. Patrick’s Day and complain about the drunken crowds?

From what I’ve heard, The Border churned out about 400 covers last Tuesday, which is an outrageously large number for a new restaurant of that size. Of course, I don’t have any particular complaint with the scads of people who were actually there to enjoy all of the festivities. But to write a review the next day — complaining that you had to ask your waiter for a water refill — really smacks of petty nitpicking. This sort of “hack” reviewing is exactly why sites like Yelp are completely hollow at the core: lots of opinion, but very little integrity or common sense.

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All ranting aside, I made my first visit to The Border this week, and discovered their admirable version of the mole negro enchilada, which delivers the depth of flavor inherent in the finest Oaxacan sauces. For me, the key to any great mole negro is the presence of chocolate, which can shine as a secondary flavor, but which is typically off-putting and heavy-handed when in the spotlight. At The Border, the mole negro is quite elegant in its subtlety, just whispering of bitter Mexican chocolate.

At the expense of appearing gluttonous, I also ordered the sliced pork torta during the same visit, proving once and for all that there’s always room for a pork sandwich, no matter what your conscience may try to tell you. Of course, within the realm of Mexican food, I’m usually more of a burrito person at heart, but I have dabbled with plenty of tortas over the years.

I will say that the torta at The Border is not nearly as “adventurous” as its taco-truck counterparts, which can typically feature hot dogs and every single condiment within reach. In contrast, the torta at The Border is a sandwich with relative pedigree: it features tender slices of adobo pork, a generous shmear of fresh guacamole, and a couple thick slices of Oaxacan cheese. It’s simple, but good (although for me, it screams for an adobo au jus).