La Fabula for Ladies’ Lunch

Today’s venue was a new one for us.  The idea behind the whole ladies lunch venture was to try new restaurants in Mazatlan but it’s easy just to drift back to the tried and true.  Today….something new!

We needed a couple of red trucks to take us downtown so…we waited on the street and hailed one down who….calls a second one.  Note the “water” at the edge of the road.  Well…it’s actually sewage that is bubbling out of a manhole beside the Kiosko store. Disgusting and smells awful.  Maybe someone will get around to fixing it and …maybe they won’t.  Ahhhh Mexico!

The malecon reconstruction is moving right along. 

All sorts of artsy additions.  This has a purpose….shade!

Down into Olas Altas area and nothing going on here.

Up Constitucion to the Plazuela Machado where we will get off the trucks. 

Lots of these small streets have been redone and the sidewalks made wider.

The Spanish architecture of the Plazuela.

We unloaded in the Plazuela because the truck drivers didn’t actually know where La Fabula was.  We had passed it about 2 blocks back but not a problem….we all have legs and can walk!

A beautiful side street as we walk to the restaurant.

I can never resist taking pictures as we walk along.

It’s cruise ship day and the tourist buses are busy.  The ladies wave.

La Fabula up ahead.

Another colorful building.  The restaurant also has outside seating.

                          

We seated ourselves at a number of small tables and ours was looking out the door. 

La Fabula has books everywhere you look.  You can eat, drink and read all at the same time.  It’s ad says “ Food, books and beer!”

Pam and Eddie take a small table by the window and peruse the menu.

Six of us at this table.

Pat with her back to us, Anita on the left and Connie on the right.

Down that hallway is the bar and another dining room.  We pretty much filled up the front of the restaurant.

This is Connie’s picture so you can see me sitting with Maureen and Ruth in the front.

                  

A Mexican gentleman and his lady standing out on the street. 

While we wait for lunch this man outside the window is selling his wares.  He is holding a sign that says he is mute.  True…who knows but it really doesn’t matter anyway.  He did sell a few candy type items.  The vendors are rarely allowed in restaurants but he knew how to get our attention.

Lunch is served.  Eddie is having fish tacos which she has had here before.  They were so good she ordered them again. 

They definitely look tasty!

I ordered Tacos Caribbean which the waiter said were fairly hot.  The yellow chili is called Chili Carib hence the name of the dish.

Ruth had tacos chicken mole.  They were sloppy and delicious.

Maureen’s shrimp burger. 

This table ordered last and ate….last!  No problem…they just drank!

Anita had s burger of some sort and I just got a picture before she started eating.  Anita is always hungry!

Robyn had the tacos Caribbean as well.  I’d already started eating and she asked how spicy they were.  Well….pretty spicy!  Rats was her comment… she thought she’d need milk!  In the end she scooped out the filling which had cheese and bacon etc. and Sue ate the chiles.   She likes her food really hot!  I got a bit of a burn but it wasn’t too much.

Connie’s tacos.  Looks like a pretty decent plate.

Down the hatch! 

The menu listed a couple of salads and this one is called Linda or ….pretty in spanish. 

I didn’t get the name of this chicken salad but it looks delicious…and it was!

Enchiladas mole.  The restaurant makes it’s own in house mole and it’s very good.

Robyn prepares to “gut!” her chiles. 

Shrimp in a pepper sauce ….yum!

A couple of “ Cachorros….or puppies!” sitting at the bar and having a beer!  There were lots of tourists off the cruise ship roaming the streets and I think these young guys were probably two of them.  The young guys always remind me of puppies.  Funny.

The back part of the restaurant was full people as well and the food was coming out fast.

So….all in all a really “Fabula” restaurant.  Good food, good prices, good atmosphere, good staff (a bit slow but in their defense it was really busy)  and an all around thumbs up.  The only criticism was there was no running water in the bathroom to wash your hands.  Not good. 

At this point some of us including me left on foot to pick up this and that.  I walked a few blocks back to the mercado and then one more to the Dulceria or candy store.  Time to stock up!  Most of what I bought was available in the mercado but it’s cheaper in the Dulceria’s.  I didn’t take pictures as I walked because the streets were just packed with Christmas shoppers.  Next time.  Back to the mercado for some poblano peppers and a mango.  Mangos aren’t in season here yet and the one I bought came from Equador.  Pricey at 38 pesos or about $2.70.  

And now for the bus.   Would it actually show up behind the market or would I have to walk two streets east to catch it.  In the end I only waited about 10 minutes for a Sabalo Centro and I was on my way home. 

This very Mayan looking young woman and her adorable baby were sitting across from me on the bus.  The baby was trying to eat her shoe and at one point looked right at me but I didn’t want to be too obvious with my camera.   A real sweety!

A good lunch and a nice outing.   All is well!

Just so you know that we are still inundated with machinery and noise here are a couple of pictures.  A dozer, track hoe, loader and ….

lots of trucks moving brush.  This picture is right behind us.  Just look at the black exhuast from the loader…it’s really burning fuel.