Fonda del Mar

Back in March, I ate at Fonda del Mar. It was Lent and a Friday, and my mom and I needed somewhere meat-free to eat. I'd read a couple of good reviews of this restaurant and was intrigued.

When we parked across the street, we were less than impressed - the block is not a very attractive one, with somewhat dingy storefronts. You walk into Fonda del Mar, however, and it's a different story; the decor is warm, cozy, and inviting.

I looked at the drink menu, and the Rustica maragarita jumped out at me immediately. Described as "a rustic, smoky and toasty margarita made with Chacmol mezcal from San Luis Potosi, Gran Gala orange liqueur and fresh squeeze limonada," it sounded too good to pass up. And it was as good as it sounded - with just a hint of smokiness beneath the typical, bright flavors of a margarita, it seemed like a more sophisticated and sultry twist on the usual.

For my entree, I got the Pescado Tikin Xic: "Achiote marinated mahi mahi cooked in banana leaf served with room temperature chunky roasted tomato-jumiles sauce , pickled onion and garlic mashed potato." It was delicious. The sauce was incredibly flavorful, perfect for the mild-flavored mahi mahi. The mashed potatos were also tasty, although (amazingly) I abandoned the idea of finishing them off in favor of eating all of my fish - and I love my potatoes, so you know the fish was good!!!!

My mom got the Tilapia En Crema Poblana: "Garlic marinated sautéed Tilapia in a cream of poblano pepper served with white rice." She was somewhat disappointed with the dish, as it wasn't as flavorful as she expected. The cream of poblano pepper lacked any punch, and paired with the tilapia, it made for a fairly bland combination. The rice, however, was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious.

The dessert menu was fairly large and varied (not to mention tempting). Unfortunately, we were too full to order anything. Another time....

I would definitely recommend Fonda del Mar. The ambience was fantastic, and my entree was unbelievably good. I'd like to try a couple more dishes on the menu that look very tasty - if I do, I'll report back!