Tonight I went to dinner with Andi, the other American teacher who is here in Mexico City. We met near the Condesa metro station of Insurgentes and began our search for the restaurant, Fondo Garufa, on Avenida Michoacán.
The food was exceptional, the service – unexceptional. We started with an “empanada” filled with “elote” (corn) and cheese. For the next course we had a mango salad with jicama – very refreshing. For dinner we each had a fillet – she had the mignon, and I had the special “Filete Jaime” – such a sweet taste. The dinner was accompanied by a glass of wine and topped off with “pay de queso con zarzamora” (cheesecake with blackberries). The restaurant called us each a taxi and the quick ride back to Coyoacan took 20 minutes and cost 120 pesos (less than $12).
Adding to the restaurant’s ambiance was the streaming solicitations from various vendors. First there was a woman with wooden carvings, one of Pinocchio; she stood at one table and waited for the couple to finish making out before making her pitch. A young girl with jewelry approached each table and others with cigarettes and other trinkets strolled by. A man turned a handle on a giant box-like instrument, emitting horrible high pitch sounds similar to a circus-theme, while his assistant strolled through the tables collecting tips; both dressed in tan uniforms with caps. When the assistant stood by our table, I asked how much I could pay to have her and the “musician” move on to a different restaurant. She actually seemed to be amused, and said anything was fine. After I gave her 5 pesos (less than 50 cents), the “musician” loaded the “music box” on his back and they moved on. Lastly a man played a violin, with a carton of milk in his blazer pocket, singing with his voice cracking along with the high notes.
