This exotic vision aptly describes the theme of El Fogon Mexican Grill. Where else in the Willamette Valley can you find a menu that offers alligator, frog and rattlesnake alongside chicken, pork and beef? The answer is in Keizer tucked away in a strip mall next to Gold's Gym. The appetizer menu includes items such as a las brasas, which is rattlesnake or shrimp and smoked cheese fondue with bacon served with flour tortillas. Chapulin Chips come with fresh guacamole mixed with grasshoppers and parmesan cheese.

On my visit I chose the a las brasas shrimp appetizer. It came with eight skewered and grilled shrimp served with cucumbers and chipotle cream dip for $6.99. It was delicately seasoned but the chipotle cream lacked exuberance. I also had the grilled alligator marinated in lemon juice served with seasoned rice and steamed veggies. A word to the wise: Alligator has wonderful flavor but is possibly the toughest meat on the planet -- and rather pricy. I should have stuck to the rattlesnake.

For dessert I enjoyed strawberry plantain cappayali for $2.95. It came with a scoop of strawberry ice cream covered with fresh strawberries, sliced almonds, decorated with fried plantains and drizzled with a creme and caramel sauce.

The menu is very diverse and perhaps just a bit too exotic for Keizer's residents. El Fogon has been open 18 months and business so far is slow. The venue also lacks ambiance, although the service is quite attentive. I appreciate what the owners are attempting to create with their adventurous menu. It is a very bold move in a relatively conservative area. El Fogon Mexican Grill will certainly satisfy one's taste for the exotic but may not resonate with Salem/Keizer's unique demographics. Only time will tell.