Hollie and I settled in after escaping a particularly violent thunderstorm, rain pellets pounding our umbrellas as we stepped carefully along the slippery paving stones from the Zocalo to the restaurant two blocks away. It was impossible to hurry despite the weather.
First, Isaias welcomed and escorted us to a table, brought fresh baked rolls, butter, two glasses of Mexican Baja Tempranillo-Cabernet house wine (yummy), and an amuse de bouche of spicy, hearty red-broth with
chicharrones.
Then, we got into the serious ordering: fresh fish in casserole (cazuela) with garlic and butter. Simple, succulent. I think it was sea bass. Cooked to glossy perfection. We shared this and the ribeye steak (this is beef country), seasoned with just a bit of heat, grilled medium-rare (more on the rare side) to perfection, then topped with grilled, crunchy garlic slices. The dish was accompanied by a skewer of roasted, grilled baby potatoes and baby onions. The sprout salad with walnuts and avocado was big enough to share and a great interlude to entree bites.
After dinner, we ordered the almond tart with a small scoop of housemade vanilla ice cream to share. It was a perfect ending to the meal. But, we brought our own
Talavera de las Americas mezcal cups, so topped it all off by sharing a shot glass of El Cortijo Añejo — a smokey, aged mezcal that is one of my favorites.
Total cost of all this, including two entrees, salad, two glasses of wine each, dessert and mezcal was $1,195 pesos for two, not including tip (we left 15 percent). Translated to the current exchange rate of 13.8 pesos to the dollar, we spent $43.00USD each.
Chef Lisette Galicia Solis is offering cooking classes Monday-Saturday with 2-day notice, 1,000 pesos per person, no minimum.
Service by Isaias and Enrique was attentive, not overbearing.
It’s still my favorite Puebla restaurant. We ate there twice during this trip. I would choose dining here before La Conjura or the restaurants at La Purificadora and Casa Reyna any day.
P.S. I pay full price for every meal I eat, take no discounts or complimentary giveaways, FYI.
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Puebla in the Rain
Puebla, Mexico, is my regular stopover between Oaxaca and Mexico City, D.F. Benito Juarez International Airport and my return to the United States, where I am now for the next ten days. I love the magic of this Spanish-Moorish inspired city, its Talavera ceramics, mole poblano, the season of Chiles en Nogada (available fresh only mid-July through September), huaxmole (October) and reunion with friends Antonio and Alfonso.
Summer is rainy season in Puebla and you can depend upon the clouds to burst open during the late afternoon and continue with a steady downpour through the evening. If you aren’t careful, you’ll get soaking wet!
Sometimes the rain continues through the night, providing me with a lulling backdrop for sleep at my favorite little resting spot, Hotel Real Santander, which is right across the street from La Quinta de San Antonio Antiguedades y Arte Popular.
I’m in Santa Cruz, California now with my sister for the next ten days to help care for my 96 year old mother who gave us a scare last month. We were afraid we were going to lose her! Even though the crisis has passed, she is frail and needing our love and attending to. Plus, my sister primary caregiver needs a break! So, here I am before returning to Mexico on July 27, when I will go next to Guanajuato for a week and then return to Santa Cruz and then Los Angeles to continue to help and visit with my family.
Meanwhile, Puebla in the rain is beautiful, isn’t it?
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Photography, Travel & Tourism
Tagged blogsherpa, Mexico, Oaxaca, Puebla