As we are sitting here, listening to our two favorite musicians play the accordion, and the bass, I am reminded how much we enjoy coming here.
Here, it is very much like “Cheers” where everybody knows your name, and, remembers what you had to drink, for the last three months that you have been coming here.
For us, this helps relieve some of the stress of having to impose ourselves on our family. They make us feel no guilt at having to be here so long, in their home, and, as family, we feel no guilt- we would do the same for them. (In fact, we did so for our family, in the states, a few years ago). Nonetheless, the stress increases weekly.
Of course, here, the botanas (hors d’oeuvres) are plentiful, (a bowl of soup, then a meat dish) are free, so no one needs to remember those. Also, there are two shots to every order, not one. They are about one hundred pesos per”order “, which is about five dollars. So, what is not to like.
PLUS, (bonus) on the third Friday of every month, they have a buffet of the most mouthwatering food imagined. It is by “propina”, or, tip/donation, so you pay what you want. We have yet to be disappointed. Well, I must be honest- I am not a fan of “manitas”, pigs feet, cut in half, and cooked in a red sauce. Or any sauce, actually. That has, thus far, been my only “give it to Ivan” dish.
Tonight, Chef made “caldo de verdolagas”, vegetable soup, and “cochinita pibil”, pork, slow cooked, in an amazing red sauce. Down here, to cook a decent pibil, or, more importantly, tortillas de harina, is the key to getting married. If you are not able to make tortillas de harina, no go, no marriage.
Ok, slight license taken there; of course you can marry without knowing how to make those. However, your in laws will look at you with the stink eye until you are able to do so. Learn now, and avoid any embarrassment. 😂