MexConnect.com Forums: Areas: Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region: Good Places to Eat: Page 2

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Gringal

Oct 21, 2009, 9:09 AM

Post #26 of 54 (5118 views)

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Re: [PamelaDelafield] Good Places to Eat

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Indoor clothes drying rack, salad spinner, terry cloth pot holders, soft sheets, a tall-person (anyone over 5' )ironing board..........and enough underwear to last until the next trip.

(This post was edited by Gringal on Oct 21, 2009, 9:15 AM)

Gringal

Oct 21, 2009, 11:33 AM

Post #27 of 54 (5101 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Good Places to Eat

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Hound Dog

Oct 21, 2009, 2:31 PM

Post #28 of 54 (5081 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Good Places to Eat

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Tabarka is our luncheon destination tomorrow. You mentioned that they do the salmon stark a la newfangled, being cooked on the outside: raw on the inside. Not for me, thanks. Raw fish is raw fish, regardless of the chef's skills. So, since you have been there often, what would you recommend in their other dishes...the cooked-through variety? I love scallops. What style do they do? What other things?

Gringal:

It is the tuna that is served raw on the inside not the salmon. As far as I know they do not serve salmon or at least not when we have dined there. According to the chef on duty when we have been there, the fish and shellfish come from the Sea of Cortez and the fish we have seen served there has been limited to swordfish, grouper, monkfish, tuna and, perhaps, seabass. The selection probably changes with the catch delivered to the Mercado del Mar in Zapopan. They often feature scallops as well which they tend to slice into thin rounds and broil and often serve on a bed of greens.

The Monkfish served at Tabarka is outstanding as are their other fish selections. We share your concern for raw fish in Mexico and understand that tuna is a delicate fish requiring special care in storage and shipping before being served to the consumer but feel so comfortable with the kitchen staff at Tabarka that we will trust them to serve us rare tuna of excellent quality but , of course, we did not get to be in our 60s still breathing without making a few mistakes along the way.

This restaurant features excellent salads but I have a feeling that the salads change with what is available as one would expect. Their fig salad with candied almonds and bitter greens is outstanding if they featrure it while you are there.

The menu at Tabarka is a chalkboard menu subject to daily change so it´s hard to recommend what to order on any given day unless one is there. What is consistent is that they always serve fresh bread with aioli and the fish dishes come with some traditional Spanish sauces based on fennel, garlic or almonds.

I hope you enjoy this place which I have stated serves fish and shellfish in a style you would expect on the Spanish or French Mediterranean but I have no dog in this hunt beyond my desire to see a restaurant I thoroughly enjoy succeed.

Whatever. Let us know what you think. Dawg has been married for 38 years so there is no insult you can throw my way of which I have not already been the recipient.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Oct 21, 2009, 2:40 PM)

Axixic

Oct 21, 2009, 3:17 PM

Post #29 of 54 (5065 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Good Places to Eat

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Gringal, I'm a size 9 and almost 6' tall so buying jeans and pants that are long enough and fit were the first items I bought online at Amazon and surprisingly, Wal-Mart had jeans with a 35" inseam. I'm tired of wearing short pants that are geek length (at or above the ankle) or passing them off as long capris. Shoes are the same problem. No narrow widths here. For the first time I bought shoes online. My fingers are crossed.

I think I've seen indoor drying stands someplace here, maybe Wal-Mart. You can get excellent quality high thread count sheets at the "discount"? mall going into Guadalajara from Joco. There is a store that sells nothing but bedding. You should look at it if you haven't tried it but you've probably tried it and now know that I know nothing about sheets, except if they are 100% cotton.

Gringal

Oct 21, 2009, 3:52 PM

Post #30 of 54 (5060 views)

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Re: [PamelaDelafield] Good Places to Eat

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A bit off topic, we are..........but I have to agree that semi short pants sux. They have the rare gift of looking awful on everyone...short, tall, fat or skinny. Whoever invented "capris" should be subjected to biting bugs that favor the lower leg. Have a good trip to Texas.

Gringal

Oct 21, 2009, 3:56 PM

Post #31 of 54 (5059 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Good Places to Eat

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I'm salivating already. Can't wait to try the scallops. I shall report on lunch. The friends we're going with are also from the Bay Area......and appreciate good eats. Let's hope it's a bit warmer tomorrow.

tashby

Oct 21, 2009, 5:57 PM

Post #32 of 54 (5046 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Good Places to Eat

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I apologize for initially steering people onto the "rare tuna" tangent, by the way. It was just a nod/joke based on a post somewhere else by.....

Anyway.....Tabarka! They do a lot more than rare Tuna!

One thing he often has on the menu, and my partner and I order, is the "Parillada for Two". Three types of magnificent fish, COOKED perfectly, They arrive on a cast iron platter, sizzling at the table. Plus, of course, the sides/accompaniments.

Frankly, when I go there I ask THEM what I want to eat. They're pro's.

Hound Dog

Oct 22, 2009, 7:50 AM

Post #33 of 54 (4996 views)

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Re: [tashby] Good Places to Eat

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Godawlmighty, Tashby, you have a way with words. Now I have to go to Tabarka for lunch and order that parillada for two. I also recommend that, as you suggested, the diner(s) ask the chef´s recommendation as to what is best that day since the people at Takarka are highly professional and amicable.

Just for the record, as I stated earlier, my wife ordered the sea bass at Hacienda Ajijic just up the street in West Ajijic the other night grilled and served with a garlic sauce and better sea bass we have never eaten and I say we because I stole some of it to enjoy beween bites of my order of the best woodsmoke grilled, rare and tender vacio beefsteak I have ever been served in Mexico.

chinagringo

Oct 22, 2009, 10:32 AM

Post #34 of 54 (4970 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Good Places to Eat

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Careful HD: if you keep eating like that, your jeans will get tighter and your opportunities for telling personal stories about having your wallet picked will go away!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Hound Dog

Oct 22, 2009, 10:41 AM

Post #35 of 54 (4968 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Good Places to Eat

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Careful HD: if you keep eating like that, your jeans will get tighter and your opportunities for telling personal stories about having your wallet picked will go away!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Neil:

Finally, a practical reason to overindulge.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Oct 22, 2009, 11:47 AM)

chinagringo

Oct 22, 2009, 10:43 AM

Post #36 of 54 (4965 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Good Places to Eat

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You are welcome!

Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Gringal

Oct 22, 2009, 1:31 PM

Post #37 of 54 (4941 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Good Places to Eat

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Peter

Oct 22, 2009, 3:03 PM

Post #38 of 54 (4931 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Good Places to Eat

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In Reply To

My grandmother used to do that, call tuna salmon. I remember her always saying she was going to open a can of salmon to make sandwiches for lunch, and what she had left-over she was going to put in the ice box. I could never find a can of salmon in the house.

Sounds good though. I need to make a trip over to the lake for some gringo food someday. I'll check previous posts for the name and location of that artery-clogging place. It's bound to remind me of dear ol' granny's cooking.

Gringal

Oct 22, 2009, 3:10 PM

Post #39 of 54 (4929 views)

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Re: [Peter] Good Places to Eat

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Sounds like your granny liked to look on the bright side. lol. My mistake was a simple memory fart.

There is more than one artery clogging eatery you don't want to miss. Bubba's, where it's all home made and deep fried. East end of town on the way to Chapala, on the left., next to Puritan poultry....the healthy chicken place, for irony. I haven't eaten at Bubba's, but I've seen those piled high plates. Have at it.

Peter

Oct 22, 2009, 3:26 PM

Post #40 of 54 (4925 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Good Places to Eat

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In Reply To

Thanks. I might even try some of the healthy stuff too. I recall I was the first in my family to state a preference for Roman Meal bread on those salmon sandwiches. It seems about that time is when the neighbors started asking if I was adopted. I was born in California to a family of Arkansas transplants. Turns out clogged arteries was not a genetic condition. I really liked that food. The best biscuits and gravy looked chicken and dumplings, where you had to go fishing in the gravy to find the biscuits.

Gringal

Oct 22, 2009, 3:47 PM

Post #41 of 54 (4915 views)

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Re: [Peter] Good Places to Eat

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Another good place to try is Panino's, a couple of blocks past Superlake, in a white building on the right heading East. Very popular gringo food. The owner is smart: There is generally a choice of specials that include a slice of white bread with some meat covered in gravy as well as some very good sandwiches and soups. On Fridays, they have a generous shrimp louie with big shrimp and it's up to you to put on the "louie". They give you a cup big enough to clog any artery. Good, though. Spaghetti and meatballs on Thursdays.

Peter

Oct 22, 2009, 3:53 PM

Post #42 of 54 (4914 views)

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Re: [Peter] Good Places to Eat

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It seems to be catching on, I need to take my Mexican family to the Lake now that they heard about the artery-clogging cuisine available there, a gastronomical Disneyland. I neglected to mention in my last post about our shopping trip to Costco today. I was encouraged to buy TWO industrial-sized boxes of Bisquik, porque hace biskits como Kentucky.

Clogged artery medical alert in Michoacán, and spreading.

Hound Dog

Oct 22, 2009, 4:34 PM

Post #43 of 54 (4899 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Good Places to Eat

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Here's the promised Tabarka review:
Ordered the Paradilla for two. Absolutely delighted. Our friends ordered the tuna (lightly seared) and the dorado.
They had a thick lentil soup as well. They had been there before and were again smiling happily. We are all going back next week.

This place is about flavors, and very fresh fish. Don't go there looking for fish 'n chips with fries.
Also, it ain't cheap. Be ready to pay over $100 pesos for your fish, plus extras.
Worth every peso, IMO.

Gringal:

I am pleased that you enjoyed your food at Tabarka and we just had lunch there as well with two friends who are also West Ajijic restaurateurs and among the four of us we enjoyed the paradilla for two and monkfish and grouper and outstanding salads comprised of bitter greens and slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds and a fabulous salad dressing to die for all accompanied by fresh bread and aioli and romesco sauce and a fine fennel dressing and these folks are serving outstanding food one would normally find in a town way on the other side of tomorrow from Ajijic. Use it or lose it.

cristalhombre

Oct 28, 2009, 6:52 PM

Post #44 of 54 (4818 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Good Places to Eat

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tashby

Oct 29, 2009, 6:38 PM

Post #45 of 54 (4762 views)

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Re: [cristalhombre] Good Places to Eat

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Sorry your Paella sucked!

Is it on the regular (laminated) menu, or was it on the Specials Board? I'm curious.

Anyway, I wouldn't give up on the place just yet. Paella is a big roll of the dice anywhere.....I've never ordered it at Tabarka myself. Nor would I, unless they were really pimping it as a dish.

Again, sorry your meal was lousy. I haven't worked in a lot of restauarants, but I did work at a fresh seafood place in college. First rule: keep it simple.

Gringal

Oct 30, 2009, 9:33 AM

Post #46 of 54 (4722 views)

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Re: [tashby] Good Places to Eat

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We went back to Tabarka with some friends yesterday, based on our good meal the previous week.
Two of them order the fish plates and were happy.

Several varieties of paella were on the daily chalkboard.

We, alas, ordered the spinach and monkfish paella for two, which was a disaster. There was a pile of red rice, a little spinach and the equivalent of a half a somewhat tired monkfish in little pieces as a garnish. We took some home and after serious seasoning including spicy sausage, it made an edible dinnerlet.

Another of our group ordered the paella with shrimp for two. Another failure, which she didn't bother taking home.

I think they should bring the chef back from wherever he has been imprisoned. IMO, the prices are high enough to provide better food.

Hound Dog

Oct 30, 2009, 6:30 PM

Post #47 of 54 (4680 views)

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Re: [cristalhombre] Good Places to Eat

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We attempted to celebrate our anniversary lunch at Tabarka today.

Seafood paella for two looked appealing.

Sorry to spoil the fun with all the "praises" of Tabarka....... and I was certainly disappointed, after building this place up to my Sweetie as a "sure-thing"!

My wife thinks that the Chef was likely out for the afternoon and the dishwasher filled in at the helm.

Now, Cristalhombre, since Dawg was perhaps the catalyst for the praises of Takarka´s style of Spanish Mediterranean seafood cooking, let me remind you that in no instance have I ever even remotely suggested that you or anyone else try that restaurant´s paella or, for that matter, paella in Mexico - period. I and some friends ordered paella for three the first we went there some time ago and it was bland, insipid, uninspired and came with rice inconsistent with the specifications required in a good paella. I since returned and had wonderful fish and shellfish preprared simply and deliciously in the style of the Spanish Mediterannean. We have also found their green salads to be innovative and excellent.

Paella was a peasant´s and fisherman´s stew of leftovers after market and took on a certain cachet as did bouillabasse in Marseilles and Cioppino in San Francisco but most of these concoctions are mediocre at best unless you identify public places with extraordinary talent in the kitchen.

Paella is what the chef wishes it to be and, of course, Dawg´s personal paella, which includes no seafood, is superior to some and inferior to others so here goes:

DAWG´S PAELLA
A fine long grain rice such as bazmati
Skinless/boneless chicken breasts chopped according to your tastes
Homemade (and only homemade) chicken stock
Spanish (never Mexican) chorizo sausages sliced into bite sized pìeces
Chopped yellow or white onions
Abundant chopped garlic
Saffron to taste (in other words a pinch to quite a bit but it´s very expensive)
Optional: Some medium shrimp but Dawg never uses this

Saute those onions and garlic and then add chicken breast pieces and after that has browned add the rice and stir it for awhile and then add the choriza sausage and pour in the chicken stock and the saffron and cook all this until you have a paella.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Oct 30, 2009, 6:33 PM)

cristalhombre

Oct 31, 2009, 7:54 AM

Post #48 of 54 (4635 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Good Places to Eat

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Sorry Gringal that you had a similar experience at the famous Tabarka.

We've made many versions of Paella at home (team effort - I chop stuff - Kate has the gourmet touch) and it's my experience to offer this statement.......Paella is really hard to "screw up" even if you have limited culinary talent and vocab. Of course good a good paella pan, fish stock and sausages help! I'll even do it on the Weber Grill (indirect heat) at home. It ain't rocket science.....

One of you regulars should tell Senor Tabarka to "pull" his paella OFF the menu. It will ONLY hurt his business to continue to offer a sub-standard mush meal pile of uninteresting tastes. Damn pathetic! After two bites we "walked".......

YES we did pay (not sure why??)

However....... I must say that my hike to the Chupanaya (THE TIPPY TOP of the mountain behind Ajijic) and other events here overshadowed the one lousy meal at Tabarka.

"NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST...."

(This post was edited by cristalhombre on Oct 31, 2009, 9:24 AM)

Gringal

Oct 31, 2009, 8:13 AM

Post #49 of 54 (4628 views)

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Re: [cristalhombre] Good Places to Eat

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My sentiments exactly re the paella. If the "chef" can screw up that dish.......

Sorry Dawg.........I've lost the Faith on this one. I had one good meal, and one bad one. My biggest problem with Tabarka is the one I always have when a restaurant has few patrons. Turn. I know "use it or lose it", but it's not my job to keep a place going unless I'm more than just okay with the food. I was very, very sad to see the Creperie go and I talked it up to everyone I knew.......because everything on the menu, from the crepes to the pizza, was absolutely outstanding.

I can't very well recommend a place and then say...."but don't order the paella" when it should be an excellent example of the dish. Would a French chef offer a badly made stew?

Schap

Oct 31, 2009, 8:32 AM

Post #50 of 54 (4616 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Good Places to Eat

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To add to Good Places to Eat, I'd highly recommend Pedro's new restaurant, GO. I went with a group of four other people last night. With the exception of one person who ordered a dinner, the rest of us chose from the eight cold appetizers and eight hot appetizers. I had fusilli which was an appetizer served with EVOO, garlic, small very tender sea scallops and a light sprinkling of cheese. The other appetizer I had was a cold Thai noodle salad which was delicious. Both appetizers were generous in size and taste. I also had a chocolate mousse pudding with ice cream and whipped cream - over the top delicious. All that with an excellent margarita came to just over 200 pesos. Very well worth it!! My new favourite restaurant. Almost forgot to mention the outstanding view of the lake. Just one caution, it is a rooftop restaurant and bar and there is no elevator but if you can do stairs, it is so worth the climb. I'll be back to celebrate a significant birthday next week!!

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