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Restaurants & Bars

Oaxaca: La Toscana review (long)

Anonimo | Jan 12, 200903:25 AM    

(I decided to post this separately from the Oaxaca For Dummies thread, as this review is so long.)

Yesterday afternoon, we joined two visiting American friends for a splurge meal at La Toscana. It's a beautiful restaurant located on cobbled Calle 5 de Mayo at Calle La Alianza, in Colonia Jalatlaco. It was our woman friend's birthday, and she had first pick of where to dine. The pillared, white interior is focused on a covered patio with a goldfish pool. Sunday afternoon featured a duet of excellent musician singers who played guitar and drums, to lend a very mellow background to our dinner. (Unfortunately, we were seated at a table close to the stage, and it was difficult to converse over the music. We should have asked for another table, but immersed in the occasion, we didn't. This seems to be our fate in upscale restaurants in Mexico. —See my blog on El Cardenal.—

The table was set with two ramekins of butter and two salsas, one of which was what I know as "salsa macha", an oily infusion of chile flakes, and a green, fresh salsa verde that amusingly resembled sweet pickle relish but fortunately, didn't taste like it. There was a basket of interesting looking small breads per couple, but upon trying them, I thought them purely industrial quality. They weren't bad, but they were undistinguished. Admittedly, I didn't try the focaccia, but our friend, Mrs. C. liked it. "Servicio de pan" later turned up on our check at $20 MXN.

Although the menu has a short list of both pizze (baked in an impressive wood-fired oven) and pastas, the majority of dishes offered might be more accurately described as European Modern. Once I got past the somewhat daunting psychological price barrier, the only difficulty was selecting courses from the temptations on the menu. That was further stimulated by the sight of beautifully presented platings coursing their way to other tables, in the hands of the very competent waiters.

We finally settled on the following dishes:
Mrs. C ordered a filet steak in a balsamic vinegar reduction, I think accompanied by some nicely prepared vegetables.

Mr. M, her husband, ordered Camarones al Ajo Rostisado acompañado con Ali-oli de Hierbas Finas.
He also had a baked potato (unfortunately, wrapped in aluminum foil), embellished with shredded parmesan (?) cheese. The shrimps were large and redolent of herbs ad toasty garlic, and the plating was impressive. He reported they were excellent, although the ali-oli, served in a pastry cup, was somewhat less flavorsome than hoped for. The plate also held baby vegetables and very small potatoes.

Our friends drank a small bottle of Chianti Ruffino 2007 with their meal ($350 MXN the bottle.)

My wife, "S", was not very hungry, but she still ordered more than she could finish. She had a starter of a very good fresh spinach soup, garnished with grilled shrimp. The soup was sprinkled with chile flakes, a bit excessive, she said. She also ordered an Ensalada César, which came with grilled strips of chicken breast. (Why has this increasingly become the custom, at least in Mexico? Caesar Salads shouldn't have chicken on them, unless ordered thus.)

After eating her soup, a baked potato, and a slice of my pizza (which see), she had to have the salad packaged to go.

I was irresistibly tempted by the Pizza con Pato Al Pesto for a starter. ($120 MXN). It was a nice pizza, with a good balance of sauce and cheese, but I found the crust too crunchy-crackery and the duck was added after the pizza was baked, I think,with a wet aspect which disappointed me. Not that it was *bad*, mind you, but it didn't meld as a pizza should. We ate half the pizza and asked for the rest to be wrapped to go.

My main course choice turned out oddly. It's listed on the menu as "Lomito de Cerdo al Miel y Pimienta Negra". (I'd joked earlier that we should ask what the staff meal was. I bet it was meatloaf, mashed potatoes and brown gravy.) That joke was slightly premonitory. The dish, when delivered, turned out to be a nice piece of pork pot roast, smothered in brown gravy! Not the prettiest presentation of the evening, but it was tasty, and its richness offset by the half portion Caesar Salad that flanked it. (Gracias a Dios, no chicken!) It was like home style cooking, and although I enjoyed it, I could have done the same in my own kitchen, for a fraction of the cost. ($165 MXN)

With my dinner, I drank a couple of glasses of the decent house white wine, at $70 MXN each.

Only Mrs. C and I wanted dessert. She chose a "Napoleon de Merengue con Crema de Limón y Zarzamoras" I ordered "Fresas en Caramelo de Naranja con Helado de Vainilla". Desserts, $70 MXN.

Both were very attractive, although different. The "Napoleon" was constructed of three layers of crisp meringue, held up by small scoops of tangy lime ice cream. The best part, IMO, were the fresh blackberries surrounding it.

My dessert was a large soup bowl with plump, fresh strawberries swimming in a warm orange soup, and a fast melting scoop of good vanilla ice cream. The "Caramel" part was elusive. I suppose that was the orange "soup". Nevertheless, it was enjoyable, although perhaps poorly executed.

With a limonada and three cafés Americanos to finish, the check came to about $1780 MX. My wife's coffee arrived in a cup with a very badly chipped lip. I indicated it to the waiter, and murmured, "inexcusable", and he quickly removed it and returned with an intact cup. But in a restaurant of this caliber, it should have been spotted before coming out in the first place.

In restaurants at this price level (to which we rarely go), I have stricter standards of judging than in more economical places. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a perfect score, I'd rate La Toscana with a 7.5. Although very good, it lost points on the bread, the chipped cup, and the peculiar system of wine service, which is too much to go into here); aluminum foiled baked potatoes, and minor defects with my dessert.

On the whole, it's worth a visit when you are in Oaxaca and in a splurge mood.

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