Tips to Choosing a Restaurant When Vacationing
Amy E Nutt asked:
One of the most loved activities when on a vacation is dining at restaurants. Most people enjoy trying new food at the local cuisines. When on vacation, it can often be a bit of a chore to find the most popular and high-quality restaurants. Not every place has a high standard of restaurant health laws, so one has to make sure they do not eat somewhere and end up getting very ill. Not only would it be a miserable experience, but it would ruin the vacation. It is important to have a good idea of what type of restaurant you will be dining at before you actually sit down and order.
Below is a list of tips that will help you choose a quality restaurant on your next vacation:
1. The Hotel staff is usually made up of local residents so they can provide you with information about the best restaurants in the area. They will also know of the various types of restaurants such as Mexican, Italian-etc.
2. Hotels usually carry local tourist guide books that are filled with valuable information about restaurants. If they do not have a guidebook, check the local tourist bureau. Guidebooks will often contain restaurant reviews.
3. If you ask the locals in the area, they will know all of the best restaurants to eat. You can ask store staff, local bar staff, taxi driver-etc. They can also let you know about the costs and if it is a formal or informal restaurant.
4. You can also walk or drive around to find restaurants. Many restaurants post their menus in the front so you can browse to see if there is anything you like. Avoid restaurants with unattractive and unprofessional menus. If you are concerned about the cleanliness of the restaurant, check out the washrooms. If they are dirty, then that may be a reflection of the quality of the restaurant. If the restaurant has tables outside, walk near the tables and steal a peek at what people are eating. Do the customers look happy? Does their food look tempting? If the restaurant is full of tourists or quite expensive, then it will most likely cater to tourists. You should also note how many people are actually dining at the restaurant. If there are not that many people dining, you may want to keep looking.
5. You can also do some online research. There are many websites and blogs that contain information about restaurants. Some sites even post restaurant reviews. As well, some sites will have pictures of the inside of the restaurant.
6. When you enter a restaurant, look for grimy walls, dirty floors, and anything else that may appear unsanitary. As well, look at the wait staff’s uniforms. Are they clean and pressed?
When on vacation, people want to relax, take in the sights, and enjoy quality food. By taking the time to learn how to find a great restaurant, you will spend much less of your vacation wandering around looking for a good place to eat.
One of the most loved activities when on a vacation is dining at restaurants. Most people enjoy trying new food at the local cuisines. When on vacation, it can often be a bit of a chore to find the most popular and high-quality restaurants. Not every place has a high standard of restaurant health laws, so one has to make sure they do not eat somewhere and end up getting very ill. Not only would it be a miserable experience, but it would ruin the vacation. It is important to have a good idea of what type of restaurant you will be dining at before you actually sit down and order.
Below is a list of tips that will help you choose a quality restaurant on your next vacation:
1. The Hotel staff is usually made up of local residents so they can provide you with information about the best restaurants in the area. They will also know of the various types of restaurants such as Mexican, Italian-etc.
2. Hotels usually carry local tourist guide books that are filled with valuable information about restaurants. If they do not have a guidebook, check the local tourist bureau. Guidebooks will often contain restaurant reviews.
3. If you ask the locals in the area, they will know all of the best restaurants to eat. You can ask store staff, local bar staff, taxi driver-etc. They can also let you know about the costs and if it is a formal or informal restaurant.
4. You can also walk or drive around to find restaurants. Many restaurants post their menus in the front so you can browse to see if there is anything you like. Avoid restaurants with unattractive and unprofessional menus. If you are concerned about the cleanliness of the restaurant, check out the washrooms. If they are dirty, then that may be a reflection of the quality of the restaurant. If the restaurant has tables outside, walk near the tables and steal a peek at what people are eating. Do the customers look happy? Does their food look tempting? If the restaurant is full of tourists or quite expensive, then it will most likely cater to tourists. You should also note how many people are actually dining at the restaurant. If there are not that many people dining, you may want to keep looking.
5. You can also do some online research. There are many websites and blogs that contain information about restaurants. Some sites even post restaurant reviews. As well, some sites will have pictures of the inside of the restaurant.
6. When you enter a restaurant, look for grimy walls, dirty floors, and anything else that may appear unsanitary. As well, look at the wait staff’s uniforms. Are they clean and pressed?
When on vacation, people want to relax, take in the sights, and enjoy quality food. By taking the time to learn how to find a great restaurant, you will spend much less of your vacation wandering around looking for a good place to eat.
La Catrina de Alcalá: Oaxaca restaurant review
October 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Restaurant Reviews
Alvin Starkman asked:
Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
La Catrina de Alcalá ranks amongst the city’s finest restaurants, rather unsual since most other restaurants within two blocks of the Oaxaca’s zócalo manage to get by with cafeteria-style atmosphere, mariachis and marimbas, and mediocre food. But owner / artist Rolando Rojas took the plunge, and the gamble has paid off: both quality Oaxacan, and unique continental fare in a tasteful courtyard setting, in the heart of the Centro Histórico.
The establishment is actually three businesses combined in a two-story piece of prime real estate, along Oaxaca’s famed pedestrian walkway, Macedonia Alcalá: an upper level boutique style hotel; an art gallery featuring the works of Rojas and several other respected local artists; and the adjoining eatery, managed by chef Juan Carlos Guzmán Toledo.
The experience begins with an attractive young woman clad in regional dress, smiling and welcoming at the restaurant’s entranceway, ushering you to your table. The focal point is a large, cantera stone fountain. Otherwise the décor is minimalist, white walls adorned with sparsely placed art and a series of gilt stars. Yet the ambiance somehow exudes comfort and warmth, perhaps facilitated by the lone strumming troubadour, half hidden behind a strategically placed cluster of plants.
Waiters are eager to show off their English proficiency, whether needed or not, as bowls of salsa, one smoky tomato-based, and the other with a hint of shrimp are placed alongside totopos (crispy, toasted corn-flour crackers).
The restaurant prides itself in its use of seasonal, locally produced ingredients, and boasts that when you patronize La Catrina you’re helping local economies. Vegetarian dishes, “slow food,” and plates from the Isthmus region of the state are noted. However, occasionally the odd import sneaks in as a special, such as kobe beef.
The menu otherwise covers all the bases: soups, salads and appetizers; meat, poultry and pasta; fish and seafood, and regional specialties such as a selection of three Oaxacan moles. But even those dishes in the continental genre are often presented with local flare.
Particularly noteworthy as starters are the poblano pepper soup with mushrooms, squash blossom and bacon, and hierba santa leaves stuffed with Oaxacan string and goat cheeses in a green tomato and mecco chili sauce. The salads range from the traditional to the unique (jícama, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, wheat quenelle, fried hibiscus flowers and fresh cheese with hibiscus dressing). The staff is extremely accommodating in terms of sensitivity to those with dietary restrictions or a purist palate. For example, at our most recent evening out, chef Juan Carlos was happy to comply with my wife’s request for a simple small green salad.
.
The seared tuna with mango and habanero sauce, alongside white beans in coconut milk is prepared to perfection, with the flavor of each ingredient easily discernable. The sliced duck and fresh fig is served on a bed of julienne of zucchini “spaghetti,” smothered with a dark purée of honey-fig. And beef lovers are able to experiment with the non-traditional, be it a rib eye served with guacamole and creamy garlic-stuffed chili, or go for something more Oaxacan, steak marinated with mezcal, pineapple and apple, served with garlic purée stuffed chilito.
All of the after-dinner non-alcoholic hot beverages are available high-test, or decaffeinated, so extend your evening without concern, perhaps concluding with a martini glass brimming with a selection of three tropical fruit sorbets.
Also noteworthy: La Catrina has developed a dedicated breakfast and lunch crowd, often comprised of predominantly local residents. Coffee or tea is suggested upon arrival, with warm, freshly baked breads and an assortment of sweet rolls for the asking. Dishes include an assortment of eggs and omelets, traditional Oaxacan breakfast fare such as enchiladas, tamales, chilaquiles and typical Oaxacan grilled meats with garnishes, both unique and traditional salads, and sandwiches featuring spinach, goat cheese, pecan, apple, basil, mushroom and squash blossom.
La Catrina de Alcalá (www.casacatrina.com.mx). M. Alcalá 102, a couple of blocks north of the zócalo. Oaxacan cuisine with an international flare. Locals and tourists.
Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
La Catrina de Alcalá ranks amongst the city’s finest restaurants, rather unsual since most other restaurants within two blocks of the Oaxaca’s zócalo manage to get by with cafeteria-style atmosphere, mariachis and marimbas, and mediocre food. But owner / artist Rolando Rojas took the plunge, and the gamble has paid off: both quality Oaxacan, and unique continental fare in a tasteful courtyard setting, in the heart of the Centro Histórico.
The establishment is actually three businesses combined in a two-story piece of prime real estate, along Oaxaca’s famed pedestrian walkway, Macedonia Alcalá: an upper level boutique style hotel; an art gallery featuring the works of Rojas and several other respected local artists; and the adjoining eatery, managed by chef Juan Carlos Guzmán Toledo.
The experience begins with an attractive young woman clad in regional dress, smiling and welcoming at the restaurant’s entranceway, ushering you to your table. The focal point is a large, cantera stone fountain. Otherwise the décor is minimalist, white walls adorned with sparsely placed art and a series of gilt stars. Yet the ambiance somehow exudes comfort and warmth, perhaps facilitated by the lone strumming troubadour, half hidden behind a strategically placed cluster of plants.
Waiters are eager to show off their English proficiency, whether needed or not, as bowls of salsa, one smoky tomato-based, and the other with a hint of shrimp are placed alongside totopos (crispy, toasted corn-flour crackers).
The restaurant prides itself in its use of seasonal, locally produced ingredients, and boasts that when you patronize La Catrina you’re helping local economies. Vegetarian dishes, “slow food,” and plates from the Isthmus region of the state are noted. However, occasionally the odd import sneaks in as a special, such as kobe beef.
The menu otherwise covers all the bases: soups, salads and appetizers; meat, poultry and pasta; fish and seafood, and regional specialties such as a selection of three Oaxacan moles. But even those dishes in the continental genre are often presented with local flare.
Particularly noteworthy as starters are the poblano pepper soup with mushrooms, squash blossom and bacon, and hierba santa leaves stuffed with Oaxacan string and goat cheeses in a green tomato and mecco chili sauce. The salads range from the traditional to the unique (jícama, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, wheat quenelle, fried hibiscus flowers and fresh cheese with hibiscus dressing). The staff is extremely accommodating in terms of sensitivity to those with dietary restrictions or a purist palate. For example, at our most recent evening out, chef Juan Carlos was happy to comply with my wife’s request for a simple small green salad.
.
The seared tuna with mango and habanero sauce, alongside white beans in coconut milk is prepared to perfection, with the flavor of each ingredient easily discernable. The sliced duck and fresh fig is served on a bed of julienne of zucchini “spaghetti,” smothered with a dark purée of honey-fig. And beef lovers are able to experiment with the non-traditional, be it a rib eye served with guacamole and creamy garlic-stuffed chili, or go for something more Oaxacan, steak marinated with mezcal, pineapple and apple, served with garlic purée stuffed chilito.
All of the after-dinner non-alcoholic hot beverages are available high-test, or decaffeinated, so extend your evening without concern, perhaps concluding with a martini glass brimming with a selection of three tropical fruit sorbets.
Also noteworthy: La Catrina has developed a dedicated breakfast and lunch crowd, often comprised of predominantly local residents. Coffee or tea is suggested upon arrival, with warm, freshly baked breads and an assortment of sweet rolls for the asking. Dishes include an assortment of eggs and omelets, traditional Oaxacan breakfast fare such as enchiladas, tamales, chilaquiles and typical Oaxacan grilled meats with garnishes, both unique and traditional salads, and sandwiches featuring spinach, goat cheese, pecan, apple, basil, mushroom and squash blossom.
La Catrina de Alcalá (www.casacatrina.com.mx). M. Alcalá 102, a couple of blocks north of the zócalo. Oaxacan cuisine with an international flare. Locals and tourists.
How to Pick a New Restaurant
Andrew Cho asked:
Trying a new restaurant is one of my favorite things to do. Many people I know, however, stick with the same places because of the familiarity factor and they think finding a new restaurant is a daunting task.
With so many choices, where do you start? Here are a few tips to help you expand your dining choices.
1. If you’re starting a restaurant search from scratch, the best way to start is to pick a kind of restaurant. Are you in the mood for pizza, Greek, Chinese, pasta, or tapas? Once you pick this decision, it’s all downhill from here.
2. Use a restaurant review site (Yelp.com, CitySearch.com, Fodors.com, and Zagat.com). These sites will list restaurants by type and offer user reviews to help make your decision.
3. Narrow the search results to account for your price range and location. Review the choices given and pick a restaurant that you think you would enjoy. If you are having a hard time narrowing down your choice to just one place, the best thing to do is just choose once and try the other choices next time!
Notes:
• You can still find some great restaurants even on a budget. Some of my best dining experiences has been at a self-serve restaurant spending $6.50 on a meal.
• Try something new! That’s the whole point of trying a new restaurant. Don’t always order the same menu item at different restaurants. Ask the server what their most popular dishes are.
• If you drink wine, ask for wine recommendations to ensure a great pairing.
Trying a new restaurant is one of my favorite things to do. Many people I know, however, stick with the same places because of the familiarity factor and they think finding a new restaurant is a daunting task.
With so many choices, where do you start? Here are a few tips to help you expand your dining choices.
1. If you’re starting a restaurant search from scratch, the best way to start is to pick a kind of restaurant. Are you in the mood for pizza, Greek, Chinese, pasta, or tapas? Once you pick this decision, it’s all downhill from here.
2. Use a restaurant review site (Yelp.com, CitySearch.com, Fodors.com, and Zagat.com). These sites will list restaurants by type and offer user reviews to help make your decision.
3. Narrow the search results to account for your price range and location. Review the choices given and pick a restaurant that you think you would enjoy. If you are having a hard time narrowing down your choice to just one place, the best thing to do is just choose once and try the other choices next time!
Notes:
• You can still find some great restaurants even on a budget. Some of my best dining experiences has been at a self-serve restaurant spending $6.50 on a meal.
• Try something new! That’s the whole point of trying a new restaurant. Don’t always order the same menu item at different restaurants. Ask the server what their most popular dishes are.
• If you drink wine, ask for wine recommendations to ensure a great pairing.
