Friday, November 18, 2005
A Fancy Lunch, Mexico
Today, Quang and I had an important date. We were going to lunch at El Cardenal, an upscale restaurant in Mexico City.
A month ago, when we first arrived in Mexico City, I met David, a co-manager of El Cardenal, while hanging out my hotel window. He was hanging out of his window also. We were watching the filming of a Ricardo Arjona music video on the street below. Later that evening, David invited us to his restaurant. Today we took him up on his offer.
We headed over to El Cardenal where David met us at the door and ushered us upstairs in a slick, glass elevator. We were promptly seated in an airy dining room enclosed in pretty stained glass windows. Nearby, business people conducted meetings, a handsome fifty-something couple rendezvoused, and a family of six chatted over coffee. This was by far the nicest restaurant we´d set foot in since landing in Mexico. We felt underdressed. I longed for my closet of clothes back home.
Yet David didn´t seem to mind our backpacker gear. Instead, he gracefully handed us menus and pointed out his favorite dishes. I chose a soup starter and a main course of grilled fish. As a starter, Quang was content with the fresh salsa and warm tortillas brought to our table. For his main course, he chose a spicy, saucy steak. We polished it all off with a peach crepe and a dollop of ice cream. Just when we thought we were done, David brought over a bottle of tequila liquor. We accepted short shots and drank it down. It was slightly sweet and warmed us immediately.
We were stuffed. We lingered a bit longer, soaking up the atmosphere, before thanking David for a very memorable meal. Then we rolled out the door and into the street where Quang, who only a week ago proclaimed he would never go on a walk again, actually suggested we take a stroll to settle our lunch.
A month ago, when we first arrived in Mexico City, I met David, a co-manager of El Cardenal, while hanging out my hotel window. He was hanging out of his window also. We were watching the filming of a Ricardo Arjona music video on the street below. Later that evening, David invited us to his restaurant. Today we took him up on his offer.
We headed over to El Cardenal where David met us at the door and ushered us upstairs in a slick, glass elevator. We were promptly seated in an airy dining room enclosed in pretty stained glass windows. Nearby, business people conducted meetings, a handsome fifty-something couple rendezvoused, and a family of six chatted over coffee. This was by far the nicest restaurant we´d set foot in since landing in Mexico. We felt underdressed. I longed for my closet of clothes back home.
Yet David didn´t seem to mind our backpacker gear. Instead, he gracefully handed us menus and pointed out his favorite dishes. I chose a soup starter and a main course of grilled fish. As a starter, Quang was content with the fresh salsa and warm tortillas brought to our table. For his main course, he chose a spicy, saucy steak. We polished it all off with a peach crepe and a dollop of ice cream. Just when we thought we were done, David brought over a bottle of tequila liquor. We accepted short shots and drank it down. It was slightly sweet and warmed us immediately.
We were stuffed. We lingered a bit longer, soaking up the atmosphere, before thanking David for a very memorable meal. Then we rolled out the door and into the street where Quang, who only a week ago proclaimed he would never go on a walk again, actually suggested we take a stroll to settle our lunch.
