I think this is the first time I’ve ever blogged and bragged about one particular restaurant twice. My last post about El Quetzal De Laura in Villa Obregon was for their excellent breakfasts, and now Cathryn and I can rant about their dinners.
Diners have a choice of seating inside and out, the restaurant being shaded by trees, foliage, and an awning out front. Chairs are padded and comfortable, and tables are adorned with real tablecloths.
While waiting on our dinners we heard diners around us raving about their crepes and salad. Cathryn ordered the special-coconut shrimp and I asked for the Popeye crepe that included spinach to make me big and strong. It was also filled with large plump shrimp, onions and cream cheese – a creamy, chewy mixture, wrapped in a light and fluffy piece of heaven. My entree included their house salad, a mixture of greens and shredded carrots and alfalfa sprouts, with a light balsamic dressing.
Cathryn’s shrimp were huge but the only gave her six and I was afraid I wouldn’t get a sample. Her plate came with a salad and rice but she opted for veggies, getting a nice assortment and steamed and tender goodies. We both agreed the coconut shrimp was the best we’ve had yet in Barra or Melaque.
I overheard another table raving about the deserts, but I wasn’t fussy about their pie selection. Instead, we indulged in a full-blown banana split, complete with the neapolitan ice cream flavours I remembered from my childhood, and fresh local bananas and strawberries. If I had to complain about anything it would be the lack of hot fudge on the split.
We each had two drinks with our meal and desert. The bill came to $570 Pesos or a hair under 40 Loonies. A steal, considering Cathryn and I think it’s the best restaurant we’ve tried this year in Melaque. We both rated it 10 out of 10.
I literally stumbled across this hidden gem while exploring the back streets running parallel to the blurred Melaque/Villa Obregon border. I saw the words Chavakiah and Desayuno scribbled on a chalkboard near Esmerelda’s and ambled over the cobblestone to see what I could see, and maybe eat.
It’s not often that I rave about a great breakfast restaurant, you’d probably find only two or three if you searched my archived blogs. And if my memory serves me correctly, I’ve only wrote about one in Melaque, Mexico.
It seems Cathryn and I don’t get out for dinner as much these days, mostly because we like to cook, and that we expect good food and service for the price we pay. We’ve also been slacking in visits across the border to Detroit, where exciting things have been happening in the restaurant and entertainment scene.
Cathryn and I have eaten in both places and John hasn’t missed a beat. We were able to get a table on Friday night without reservations and were welcomed as if we were extended family. We started with the scallop appetizer special. They were plump, seared to perfection and served with a tasty reduction and veggie slivers.
For dessert we had cheesecake that was made inhouse. It was not your normal triangle slab cut from a pie tin. It resembled a large scoop of ice cream, light and creamy, with no gram crust, and topped with blueberry sauce. OMG good.
Cathryn had dropped a few hints that we were over due for a mystery date (an overnight at an undisclosed destination), the comments directed in my direction for her birthday month. It had been a whole two months since our return from Egypt and Africa so I almost felt sorry for her and decided to surf the web for an idea to satisfy her wanderlust itch.
After retiring I worked for Niagara Wine Tours, a company who was trying to expand into the Lake Erie North Shore region. They were already tapped into the Toronto market and thought the wine industry in Essex County was ripe for the picking. Unfortunately the company couldn’t garner enough interest to keep them afloat. The main complaint from out-of-town tourists was our lack of places to stay.
Life Written and Reviewed 