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A highly recommended new restaurant

by the chef and crew of Casa Oaxaca

Oaxaca, February 23, 2007

We've just made our third visit within the week to Casa Oaxaca Cafe, in Colonia Reforma at Jasmines # 518 (corner of Jasmines and Sabinos). This brand-new restaurant has been created by Alejandro Amado Ruiz, the chef/general manager of the hotel and restaurant Casa Oaxaca, and we're eagerly introducing it to our friends. It's in a much more casual setting than the Casa Oaxaca restaurant in the center of Oaxaca--perhaps a dozen tables scattered under the trees and on the veranda of a grassy garden courtyard. The food is just as good as at Casa Oaxaca Restaurante, although with a more varied menu and lower prices. Like the restaurant, the service is superb.

Dining under the trees at Casa Oaxaca Cafe

When you arrive, the first thing you'll notice is an outdoor comal where a Oaxacan cook turns out fresh and extremely tasty memelas--small, pancake-like tortillas topped with mushrooms, flor de calabaza, strips of chile, or other savory preparations. We've ordered at least five different kinds of these starters, every one of which elicited oohs and ahs from the members of our group.

Appetizers hot off the comal

We've followed the appetizers with several different salads, all of which were delicious. We particularly liked an extremely fresh and savory spinach salad with pine nuts. The servings are generous; we've found that splitting a salad leaves enough room to enjoy one of the cafe's many main courses.

Our group of seven sampled a variety of main dishes, including two different kinds of moles, salmon wrapped in oja santa, perfectly prepared pulpo (octopus) in a superb sauce, and a delicate and delicious eggplant lasagna. The mole negro was the best I've had in five years of dining in Oaxaca. Every dish was excellent and beautifully presented.

If you're staying in the center of Oaxaca, you may not think about venturing to the neighboring Colonia Reforma. However, Casa Oaxaca Cafe is well worth the 15- to 20-minute walk or the $35 peso cab ride.

Telephone: (951) 502 6017

Email: casaoaxacacafe@hotmail.com

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