You might agree or disagree with my opinions, but that's life, isn't it? And no, I get no commissions or kickbacks from any of the places favorably reviewed - I do this entirely for my own amusement and your information.
Sunday Brunch at El Castellano Hotel
June, 2000
The Casual Restaurant Critic enjoys a good Sunday Brunch. The Hyatt and the Fiesta Americana have been tried and the Hyatt is the hands-down winner every single time. Both service and food are superior, and that's only the Sunday Brunch. The Hyatt gets bonus points for their always-interesting national and international themed events, such as the time the critic ate grilled grasshoppers during the Oaxaca gastronomic event, stuffed himself with turkey and all the trimmings at the American Thanksgiving dinner, or ate feta cheese and black olives at the Greek culinary festival.
But, at last, there appears a serious contender in the Sunday Brunch department.
The newly renovated El Castellano Hotel offers a Sunday seafood brunch that is worth visiting. The price is right, the seafood varied and delicious, and the service excellent.
Start with a slightly spicy seafood broth made with crabs (stick the ladle down far enough and you will haul out some pretty authentic looking specimens!) chile guajillo, tomato, etc and then move on through ceviches, stuffed crab shells, fried and condimented calamari, coconut breaded shrimp, fried hueva, and many other seafood delicacies. There is also a small selection of foods for those less inclined to partake in the general fishiness, such as a creamy cheesy fettucine, a very tasty pepper steak, and grilled sausages and pork chops.
Service is very surprisingly attentive and friendly without backslapping camaraderie. No one called the Casual Critic "amigo" so that in itself was refreshing. Perhaps the service personnel from the Fiesta Americana could pop down for quick refresher course in how to treat their paying guests. Lord knows they need it...
Of course not everything can be 100%, so here are some
minor quibbles that affect the overall rating:
- The general appearance one gets from this brunch, is that of a buffet in the process of being evaluated for profitability; there are some details to be worked out. It's kind of like they F&B department is waiting to see what the reaction will be before going all out with the buffet.
- There is not an overabundance of food of each kind. While this means that the food is perhaps a little fresher and doesn't dry out as in some other buffets, it looks a little sparse at times.
- The air conditioner is killer! This is one place where you can wear that long-sleeved shirt, or a tie, or even a jacket. Finally, somewhere where you can dress up without dying a slow sauna-like death. Unfortunately, the air is SO cold that it is making the hot foods on the buffet chill rather quickly.
- The hot foods are in stainless steel steam table pans that have no hinged lids. This means that one must lift the heavy lids off and place them somewhere (there is no particular place to put them - so they go on top of the next pan beside it) in order to serve oneself from the food therein. Also, the pans are clearly marked, in that left-foot writing style so common here, Alquiladora Fiesta. So they're renting the pans while the F&B department makes that decision.
In the Critics humble opinion, the hotel should splurge
and go all out - it's a good buffet - take that extra step and make it
perfect! As for the 10 readers of this critique, give the Castellano a
try - it's worth the trip downtown, especially combined with some cultural
event at the Olimpo in the morning.
