| Restaurant Review |
La Fonda - A Flavor of Traditional Vallarta |
By The Editor - September 2005
|
Approximately some fifteen years ago a certain type of creamy cuisine became popular, seasoned with such a special taste that it generates the desire to continue eating until everything has disappeared from the plate. In those days some small restaurants took a chance to propose that style and they became favorite places for visitors and locals.
 Along these lines, la Fonda is also a small, comfortable and well conditioned restaurant, which recently opened its doors in order to offer the flavor of a traditional Vallarta in a refreshing, slightly contemporary atmosphere, decorated with artistic tropical Vallarta details and where the owner Marcelo Covarrubias personally attends to his clientele as if everybody were already old acquaintances.
Marcelo received us with a great smile while the chef Rachel, who is also our acquaintance, peeked out to welcome us, too. Immediately I was transported to the Vallarta of the eighties when in the few restaurants that existed on Basilio Badillo street, known today as "la calle de los cafés", the priority was to show that the arrival of friends for eating was truly a reason for joy.
 We started with an order of crab enchiladas which turned out to be a delicious appetizer. They were bathed in a ranchero sauce having this home-made taste which while blending with the melted cheese, delights the palate of the most demanding client.
 Marcelo described the specials of the day to us and they sounded very attractive. However having read the menu a few minutes before we determined that as a main dish Claudia would ask for shrimps in a bed of spaghetti bathed with a lobster sauce and I would order shrimps with a chipotle sauce. Both creamy dishes had a strong flavor and were accompanied by vegetables cooked "al dente" and my dish included rice. The taste evoked in me again those times when life in Vallarta for the locals seemed to pass much calmer. Not one bite of the luscious portions was left on the plates!
Even though my stomach indicated that there was no room for more, when I found out that the dessert was the famous home-made caramel custard, I convinced myself to end the evening with one and to accompany it with a good café. Our bill for two people including non alcoholic beverages is $485.00 Pesos. Credit cards are not accepted.
 The front part of the restaurant has an area with large windows permitting the view of the movements on the street while enjoying dinner, and for those who prefer more intimacy the back part offers a small open patio surrounded by plants and decorated with a colorful mural showing scenes from the twon.
In addition to our dishes you may also start with melted cheese, mussels Rockefeller, fresh guacamole or avocado filled with shrimp salad amongst other entrees. As soups they offer tortilla, seafood, 'la Fonda", mushroom soup with garlic or crème of shrimp. You can enjoy the following salads: mixed green, spinach and mushrooms or "la Fonda" with shrimps on lettuce with avocado and red pepper. One of their specialties is shrimp which can be tasted with basil, stuffed, with ginger or with seafood spaghetti. The fresh fish is offered as mignon, "la Fonda" filet rapped in aluminum foil, Veracruz or parmesan style. From the grill you can order arrachera, porterhouse, t-bone, prime rib, new york, rib eye or chicken breast filled with spinach and cheese and bathed with a mushroom sauce. As if this variety would not be sufficient, the traditional chicken, beef or shrimp fajitas are prepared, too.
You may ask for any type of beverage from the bar. In addition the restaurant has a good variety of national and Chilean table wines.
For those who are looking for a place where the taste of Vallarta blends with the comradeship and joy of the locals, enjoying a dinner in La Fonda restaurant is definitely an excellent alternative in the romantic zone of the city. This is an excellent place to have a good time in the company of friends.
Thank you very much!
La Fonda Steak & Sea Food
310 Basilio Badillo Col. E. Zapata
Open evryday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
and from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m.
Phone: [322] 223-9447
E-mail: mcovarrubias12@hotmail.com
The Editor
editor@pvmirror.com
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