Las Cazuelas is back | | by
Anna Reisman - December 8, 2002. |
 Following
its annual extended "summer vacation", this jewel of a restaurant has
reopened for the winter, making its regular customers extremely happy… Las
Cazuelas is located a few steps beyond the beaten path, on Basilio Badillo (a.k.a.
"Restaurant Row") just before the entrance to the little tunnel. But
don't let the location deter you: once inside, you forget where you are. This
dining establishment has been around for over thirty years and that fact alone
should give you a good idea of the type of food it serves. As
you step through the delicately wrought iron doors, you can sense the ambience
- homey, yet elegant. Old world comfort. You are entering somebody's house, a
place filled with love, caring and dedication to the smallest details, immaculately
clean, imbued with warmth and serenity... the walls dappled in a pale cream color,
the peach, black & white table décor, and the black and white wrought
iron chairs, all enhanced by stained glass panels, big, heavy carved wood furniture
pieces, brass light sconces on the walls and old-style fans on the ceilings. The
pièce de résistance is the little garden section of the restaurant
where the fountains add their music to the subdued background tunes emanating
from the other side of the restaurant. Above you, the stars in the sky. The
menu is probably the biggest surprise to first-time customers at Las Cazuelas.
All the full-course meals ranged between U.S.$ 20. and U.S.$30. Period. It's one
beautifully decorated page from which you choose an appetizer and a main course.
Whatever drinks, wine or desserts you order are extra. The back of the menu explains
the policy/philosophy of the owners... "formal Mexican cooking, the kind
you would find in a Mexican home, cooked for a special occasion." Owners
Edith and Isidoro Zams have chosen the seven best (main) dishes from the volumes
of Mexican cuisine originating in the gastronomically-renowned state of Puebla
and those are their specialties. There are also daily "specials" whose
prices vary, always within the same range. The portions are so generous that one
often ends up taking half home for the next day... One
of the times I went, my friend and I settled on the fried cheese and the beef
crêpe to start, and we also asked for an order of mussels to share between
us ("on special" that day). The cheese appeared to have been more baked
than fried, resembling what the French call "fondue". With the fresh
garlic bread, we finished it off in a wink. The beef crêpe consisted of
a light, delicate dough folded over like an empanada, stuffed with deliciously-seasoned
chopped beef and veggies, bathed in a superb cilantro-based sauce. There were
a dozen mussels, in a wine, garlic and herbs sauce reminiscent of a Bourguignone.
Wisely, we didn't finish them all, knowing what was yet to come. My companion
ordered the special-of-the-day mahi-mahi and I had the cazuela of lamb. The latter
is served in an earthenware casserole dish, covered with a maize tortilla, then
baked in the oven. The tortilla "cover" keeps the juices and tenderness
of the stewing meat sealed inside. As it is cut open and the aromatic steam emerges,
Sr. Zams likes to tell his lady customers, "The facial is on the house!"
By the way, the mocha layer cake, with nuts and butter icing, bathed in Kahlua,
was light, and better than any I had had in years. Ever
since my first experience there, I have recommended Las Cazuelas to anyone who
asks, "Is there such thing as really good Mexican cuisine?" All who
followed my recommendations came back delighted and I have returned many times.
As there are no more than 16 tables or so, reservations are highly recommended.
Open for dinner only, at 479 Basilio Badillo. Tels.: 222-2498 and 222-1658 pvmomto3@hotmail.com |
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