RESTAURANTE PARA DOS

We were looking forward to going out to dinner on Saturday night. We tend to eat dinner earlier than most Mexicans. That seems to be the norm for Americans and Canadian. So last night after a five minute walk in our barrio, we got to the restaurant, Fuego y Sazon, (fire and flavor) just before 7:00 p.m. The restaurant has about 9 tables. We were the first guests to arrive so we could select any table. Bob selected a nice table so we could see out at the beautifully decorated courtyard, the water fountain and the decorated Christmas tree.  The restaurant’s architecture is partially open and allows you to enjoy the many stars in the sky.

Our mesero, Carlos, seated us and asked if we wanted something to drink. We asked for a wine list but one wasn’t available. He told us to follow him. He took us over to a wine rack and proceeded to tell us about the selection of wines and prices. This was done in Spanish. We selected another Malbec wine from Argentina. It was a 2007 by Las Moras. It was very smooth.

We told Carlos that we were not in a hurry. The lighting was a little dark so it was a good thing that Sam brought a small flashlight so she could read the menu (she learned her lesson from the night before). We were reviewing the menu and asked Carlos for some suggestions. We decided on an appetizer, Nido de Chapulines. You are correct. We had a “nest of grasshoppers”. Sam was upset that we didn’t bring our camera. The presentation was great and so were the chapulines. The plate was covered with a piece of red leaf lettuce. On top of that was guacamole and then a tortilla shell shaped like a nest. The nest was filled with the chopped and seasoned chapulines. Around the nest was a circle of totopos (tortilla chips).

We were still debating about ordering a main course. We decided that we would not and try a few different things on the menu. The next course was Rollos de Pimiento con Queso de Cabra y Flor de Calabaza con vinegreta al Pesto. It was a roasted red bell pepper with goat cheese served with a pesto vinaigrette that included the flower from the zucchini squash plant. Once again, the presentation and flavors were fantastic.

Our next course was sopa de Crema de Tomate con Queso Fresco y nopales y hojas de epazote. The soup was flavorful and beautiful. As they say, “one eats with their eyes first”. It was cream of tomato soup with fresh cheese, chopped cactus and fried epazote leaves. Epazote is an ubiquitous herb in Mexico and used in a lot of Oaxacan cooking.

Lastly we had dessert. Once again we took Carlos’s recommendation of Flan del la Casa. It was cubed flan served in a double highball glass with vanilla ice cream, chopped nuts, kaluha, and one maraschino cherry on top. It was wonderful.

Now it was time for the “la cuenta”, the bill. How much was the bill you ask? It was $43.72 including a 15% tip. We enjoyed our two hour dining experience, and the time we chatted with Carlos about Mexico, Oaxaca, and his family. When we left at 9:00 p.m. the restaurant was empty. We had had the entire restaurant to ourselves the whole evening….RESTAURANTE PARA DOS!

Did we mention that we love this country?