The Casual
Restaurant Critic
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.
It seems that the Casual Restaurant Critic and his trustworthy
Fussy Crew has had nothing better to do than to explore restaurants; the
result is more completely biased critiques for you and the other six readers
of NotTheNews to enjoy and/or disagree with! Here are some short
reviews of some of the places visited during the past few weeks:
Casa del Paseo
Casa del Paseo is an elegant restaurant in a elegant old
mansion on Montejo, run by the fine folks who own Graps in the Gran Plaza.
It is probably one of Merida's very few really elegant restaurants with
knowledgable, friendly service, great decor and background music, lighting,
table settings and even has valet parking for those too lazy to park their
own car. The one detail that the Critic found less than outstanding was
a rather important one... the food! All that effort in creating a really
classy ambience and the food is only average. While the Fussy Crew was,
for the most part, satisfied with their menu choices, which included a
Chateaubriand cooked exactly as ordered, the Critic, who, against better
judgement, ordered a potato soup as an entree and spaghetti carbonara as
a main course, found the former to be a rather insipid corn-starch thickened
white paste and the spaghetti soggy, with little cream or butter or bacon,
and lots of chicken flavored liquid and ham. A simple browse through a
decent recipe book would be a good idea to improve on these and one or
two other menu items which are not that difficult to get right.
Rodizio
It used to be that Rodizio was one of those few places in
Merida where you knew what you were getting and it was consistently decent,
but the last visit by this Critic left him wondering what on earth happened!
The service was only fair, the different cuts of meat were so tough that
the dental floss had trouble removing those chewy bits, and that great
and imaginative selection of salads was replaced by soggy vegetables, a
cheap macaroni and ham salad and another, even less appetizing salad featuring
mayonnaise and miniature hot dog wieners - ugh! This place needs some work
to get it back to what it was before...
Jazz y Mas
An interesting little cave underneath what used to be that
horrendous mattress store "La Pulga' in the San Fernando glorieta,
just across from the Fiesta Americana hotel. Apparently run by an American
ex-pat with a strong inclination for serious jazz, this bar is the kind
of place that makes you feel anywhere but Merida. It's cool, laid back
and the live piano is really good. Every once in a while the owner will
join the pianist on the small stage and whack the drums which makes the
whole thing feel 'live' and spontaneous. If the Critic had any talent,
he would have felt comfortable getting up on stage to jam, but alas, musical
talent and musical appreciation are two separate fields, and the Critic
has a degree only in the latter.
You will remember you are in Merida when the next table
features a group of local ladies, out for a little chat and a drink, who
argue with the waiter that the Campechano they ordered is not a real Campechano
(it's a drink, folks, not a little man from Campeche) and proceed to gossip
loudly. My recommendation is to send them to the Impala, where they can
enjoy foods and beverages more to their liking.
Pizzeria Bologna
While the Pizzeria is still on the Critics List of Consistently
Good Restaurants, it is his solemnly sworn duty to remind the general public
and the seven readers of NotTheNews, as well as the restaurant itself,
that the service is getting pretty slack. The waiters all seem to be a
little pissed off; kind of like there is a competition to see who will
be the least friendly and most stone-faced. Knowing the owners, who run
an extremely tight ship and have so far only given Merida quality (Due
Torri) this is completely unlike them and either a) they are off in Italy
and don't know what's happening; or b) there is some other problem that
needs to be worked out. The place is still beautiful and the food is as
excellent as ever, but the waiters need to have their faces stretched or
butts kicked to get them to show some interest and enthusiasm again.
The Casual Restaurant
Critic's appetite knows no bounds.
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