La Adelita

Mezcal is quickly becoming a very popular drink here in Mexico and the U.S.. Although Mezcal is available at most other bars,  La Adelita is the first Mezcal bar in Loreto. It was opened by Orlando, of Orlando's Restaurant fame. The bar features about a dozen different varieties of Mezcal with more on the way. Along with Mezcal, they serve many fine tequilas, beer, wine and all your favorite cocktails and soft drinks.
Most Mezcals come from Oaxaca, where it is served with worm salt, sal de gusano, and accompanied with chapulines, fried grasshoppers, and limes or oranges.  I always say "don't knock it til you try it"   DeeDee and I have both had Mezcal before, the smokey flavor takes some getting used to, I like it, she's not a fan. I ordered the '400 Conejos' that Orlando recommended,  smooth and not too smokey, DeeDee ordered a Mezcal Margarita. Our drinks came with a plate of Chapulines, yup grasshoppers. We each tried one, one was enough for DeeDee, but I ate the whole order. They were crunchy and tasty, and full of protien!  The Mezcal was nice and smooth with just the right smoke flavor. DeeDee was quite surprised at the nice flavor the Mezcal lent to the Margarita, so much so that she ordered a second! The menu has a nice selection of empanadas, quesedillas, enchiladas, tacos and soups for a nice lunch or light dinner.
Orlando is planning a trip to Oaxaca to learn more about Mezcal and bring back some Oaxacan food ideas, so look for some more new offerings coming soon. La Adelita is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 12:30-10:00, happy hour is 4:00-6:00. You'll probably see us there, DeeDee sipping on a margarita, me sipping on Mezcal and crunching away on Chapulines!

Crepas!

What a treat! After our dinner the other night, the four of us went to get dessert- crepes, yes you heard me right, Crepes in Loreto! Two ladies, Leticia and Georgina, operate a food cart named "Crepas",  offering well crafted crepes with a variety of fillings. Sweet ones with fresh fruits or jams, or savory ones  with ham and cheese. They were sinfully delicious!

My husband asked if they learned this craft in Paris-  amused, Leticia scoffed and replied "No, on the Internet" which got a laugh from the group. But do not let that dissuade you, she is a pro! Their cart is located on Calle Independencia, near the intersection of Padre Kino, in the parking lot of  Sud California Ferreteria. They are open Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, evenings only. They are inexpensive and of course freshly prepared. This was my first visit, but definitely not my last!

Alebrijes

Four of us dined at Restaurante Alebrijes last Friday. A little research showed that Alebrijes are whimsical carvings or paper mache figures depicting animals, people, objects, and imaginary creatures painted with intense colors and intricate patterns. Lovely name and lovely restaurant! The ambiance was pleasant and comfotable, the  staff was incredibly friendly and the food was good.
The menu had a good variety, including lots of seafood, salads, meats and Mexican. Our table's choices included shrimp enchiladas, lobster chili relleno, fresh fish and chicken cordon bleu. All our meals were prepared well. They  have a full bar, but still allowed our party to supply its own wine, without a corkage fee! Prices were moderate-high, with 3 of our entrees below $200 pesos each. While it was not noticed so much at our table (due to our lively conversation),the meal took a while to arrive, but was definitely all cooked to order and  hot. Our only minor complaint would be the amount of tequila poured, it was definitely on the small side. I, and my companions, will certainly visit Restaurante Alebrijes again.

It is located on the north side of Hidalgo, about 500 yards from the Malecon and about 250 yards east of the stop light is Restaurante Alebrijes, 

A Gringo's Guide to Dining in Loreto

We are not food critics, but we do love to eat and drink. And Loreto has plenty of places to do just that! A lot has changed in Loreto over the fifteen years we have been coming here. It wasn’t that long

ago that is was a challenge to find breakfast and a real cup of coffee. Now we have great coffee shops, fine dining, sushi, pizza and a wonderful assortment of eating options. We have always been adventurous and love trying new places. Our intent with our Dining Guide Book is not to critique the many eating establishments, but to entice you to get out of your comfort zone and explore the many great places Loreto has to offer. You will meet lots of friendly folks, always happy to see you and you will help support our local economy. As you probably have realized, eating out in Mexico is very economical, a spectacular dinner at the finest restaurants here will cost you a fraction of what is would cost up North, and a dinner at a small Economica will cost a fraction of that!  Even better, the smaller places, without liquor licenses will gladly allow you to bring your own beer, wine or cocktail.

With this blog, however, we will give our opinions of the restaurants we visit, ambiance, service, food and drink quality and quantity and value. Our good friends and excellent cooks Ron and Peter will be doing the write ups with us along with our other eating and drinking buddies! We will post reviews whenever we get the chance, so check back regularly.
Our New Dining in Loreto Guidebook is available now in Loreto at The Rick Jackson Gallery on the Plaza, El Caballo Blanco bookstore on Hidalgo, The Delicatessen on Benito Juaez, Gecko's Curios on Salvatierra and Pedro's Place in Loreto Bay, for $300 pesos.

Growing up in New England, my first experience with "Mexican Food" was the yellow El Paso Taco Kit. Of course, we loved them, factory fried, taco shaped, giant corn chips, and a packet of "Authentic" Taco Seasoning. Cook up some ground beef, add the seasoning, chop up some lettuce, tomatoes, onions and dump on some shredded cheese and that's what Mexicans eat! Then came the Mexican restaurants, and Taco Bell, nachos, chimichungas, enchiladas, rice, beans, and sizzling fajita platters, and of course blended, sweet Margaritas.
Then we went to Mexico.… Hmmm...  Tortillas are not taco shells, but were soft, and freshly made, Tacos are made with many different types of meat and fish, rarely ground beef… Nachos, as we gringos know them, barely exist, Burritos are not giant,  Fajitas are not a theatrical presentation,  Margaritas are not blended with sugar and frozen strawberries, and Cuervo Gold is not top shelf Tequila!

Mexico is a large and diverse country, and like other countries, cuisine varies from area to area and state to state. Every year here in Loreto we see more restaurants and more variety, and no chains, and hopefully we never will. We have early morning taco stands, gringo breakfasts, coffee shops, lunchtime “Economicas", Taco Trucks, quaint cafes, evening restaurants and late night taco stands.   
What we have tried to do in this guide is describe each establishment as best we could so you have an idea of what is on the menu, the approximate prices, location and hours. Although, we have placed an asterisk * next to the places that we personally like.   
As many of you know, smaller places tend to come and go and change locations on a regular basis. The smaller places may not have the selection or atmosphere of some of the larger more established restaurants, but the owners will always be happy to see you and do whatever they can to accommodate your requests, and the food is almost always fresh and home cooked.