|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
La Morentita and La Morena seem to share common owners, as the restaurants are located just across a paved lot from one another, and the staff seem to mingle back and forth, and someone always seems to be running from one restaurant to another.
Photo: The nearly deserted La Morentita on Wednesday, October 1, 2008. The locals told me that it was a very slow evening in San Felipe. I had just finished enjoying a meal of a couple of delicious fish tacos at La Morena, and had just turned down the "additional" services of one of their servers, when I decided to take the plunge and walk across the lot and sample the fine wares of their sibling, La Morentita. The guy that was attempting to fix me up with a girl for the evening quickly changed his tune and helped me choose a shady table, dashed into the kitchen, and returned with a chips and salsa, which he placed on my table, and then rushed back into the kitchen and had a word with the gal that was doing the cooking. Like their sibling across the parking lot, La Moretita specializes in seafood dishes, and they have their painted menu posted near the kitchen, and the menu is quite extensive. Except for the kitchen, the restaurant is outdoor, and offers outdoor dining protected from the elements by a shade. The floor is attractively paved in red, and the dining area is cooled by large fans, that keep the hot air moving. On this late Wednesday afternoon in October, 2008, the temperature was 104 degrees, so any cooking was appreciated.
Photo: This gal was on the sidewalk, in front of the restaurant, showing the menu to pedestrians, and attempting to lure them into the restaurant, by describing how delicious their food is. The waitress will come around to your table, but I just walked up to the kitchen and placed my order of two fish tacos, and a Pacifico beer. When the waitress brought my beer to the table, she also brought a basket of tortilla chips, and a bowl of runny, red salsa, which represents a better value than Morena, across the parking lot. As I was sipping my beer and waiting for my tacos to arrive, the guy from the restaurant next came over again, thanking my for my business, and asking me if I'd reconsider my decision not to take advantage of his fellow employee that he was pimping out. I reminded him that pimping is illegal in Mexico, and that got rid of him quickly. After he left, I went over to the open kitchen, and took a couple of photos of the gal cooking my fish tacos. I love kitchen shots!
Photo: The only customers, besides me, allow the fan to stir up the breeze on this hot, humid, Wednesday evening. At 7:30 in the evening, when this photo was taken, the temperature was still in the mid 90's. My fish tacos arrived in a timely manner, on an orange colored, plastic plate, which didn't exactly match the bright red plastic table, but who cares about esthetics when you have fish tacos to eat? Like the other restaurants, each taco consisted of two pieces of battered, deep fried fish, placed on two corn tortillas, that had been warmed on the griddle so they were soft and pliable. La Morentita provided a plate of condiments on the side, which included salsa cruda, shredded cabbage, and pickled onions and pickled jalapeņo pepper slices for garnish, which is a pretty good selection. Squeeze bottles on the table contained mustard, catsup, and mayonnaise, watered down with lime juice, which is an essential dressing for fish tacos in Mexico.
Photo: La Morentita's kitchen is open, and it faces the dining room, and allows great access for a photographer. The cook seems oblivious to the attention that I'm giving her. These fish tacos were great, better than the tacos I'd just enjoyed at their sister restaurant across the parking lot. The batter was very light tasting, golden brown and crispy on the inside, and the white fish meat was moist and tender. Since the tortillas had been warmed on the griddle, they were soft and pliable and didn't break when the condiments were piled on. It seems to be my luck that after I've fully dressed a taco, and when I'm just about to bite into it that the bottom cracks, and everything falls to my plate. That little problem is eliminated by double-wrapping the taco in two tortillas, and pre-heating the tortillas on the griddle. La Morentita takes this extra step, and their tacos reflect it, as they're not only delicious, but they don't break when you try to bit into them! It is interesting to note that a painted slogan, above the kitchen reads, "Los Mejores Mariscos del Puerto," which translates to "The best seafood dishes in the port." Nice to know the restaurant has such a high self-esteem... I don't think they serve the best seafood in town, but their food is certainly delicious, and represents a good value.
Photo: My delicious dinner of two fish tacos, all-you-can-eat chips and salsa, and the plate of condiments, and key lime halves. As in their relative restaurant across the parking lot, I spent a total of MEX $35.00 for two delicious seafood tacos, and a beer, which represents a good value, but not an outstanding value, such as the combination dinner that I enjoyed at Mariscos Conchita, just up the street. But if you're in the mood for delicious fish tacos, and you want a good place to relax, you can't go wrong dining at La Morentita. La Morena Copyright(c) 2009 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since January 19, 2005. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custom photography for any occasion...
|
