La Antigua for Ladies Lunch

 This weeks lunch was a bit of a hard sell.  To start off with the restaurant drawn was El Presidio which is an upscale restaurant in Centro and no on showed much interest.  I suggested cancelling this week and then Chantal suggested La Antigua which is just up the street.  Not new to Mazatlan but new to the Cerritos area.  Lots of fancy breakfasts and open from 8am to 2pm.  The menu also showed sandwiches and savory crepes so it was a go for six of us!  

This location has been a small corner store and was then renovated and reopened as a bar/ restaurant.  That failed awhile ago and has now reopened as La Angtigua.  On the weekends the parking lot is full and people are lined up outside.

Connie picked Chantal and I up at the RV park and we arrived first.  Chantal is perusing the menu while we wait for the two Marilyn's and Liz.  Lots to choose from. 

Here you can see the waffle part of the menu.  There is also a large page of crepes, sandwiches, eggs etc. 

Chantal ordered hot chocolate with marshmallows and she said there was a bit of liquer in it...very tasty. 

It took awhile to choose as the menu was so large.  That's my usual pinada and today it's white and a bit like a milkshake....very good as well. 

The restaurant is very large with an upstairs and a front and back patio.  This very pleasant young waitress was taking our orders.  No problem with separate checks.  She spoke some English but was backed up by another waitress who was fluent. 

Connie's omelet on hash browns with bacon and refried beans.  Very tasty.

All the crepes had different country names and mine was the Bilboa.  Filled with cheese, ham and poblano peppers.  Covered in a spicy creme sauce.  It was delicious but a bit spicy for my stomach but not for my taste buds.   

This was Mar Mabel's crepe and I've forgotten the country name!

Chantal ordered hash browns which had a number of different choices and half a walnut waffle.  She ate the savory item first and then the waffle.  She said the waffle was full of walnuts and the most delicious one she's every eaten. 

Marilyn's pulled pork baguette.  There were many items on the menu with pulled pork including the crepes.  She said it was a very tasty sandwich. 

Liz also ordered a crepe but she said it was a bit greasy.  It also contained poblano peppers.  

It was a quick lunch as the service and food preparation was very prompt.  The waitresses  were very friendly and professional.  The prices were more than reasonable with lots of menu items just over 100 pesos.  The food came out quickly and arrived hot. The bills were delivered promptly and accurately to each of us.  We have had a couple of issues with separate checks this season but not here!  Everyone was happy with their lunch and all in all it was a very pleasant and relaxing experience.  I was really impressed with the staff and made sure I complimented them.  A top notch place for lunch and breakfast!

I'd brought my beach chair and bag with me and Connie dropped me off at the beach access road.  Pretty quiet there yesterday.  

There were very few people on the beach and when the clouds came out there was only me!  I'd brought a sweater which I wore until the sun returned.  I sat and read my book and enjoyed the sound of the waves and the quiet.  Our friend Rudy one of the beach vendors stopped by to chat.  Not a great afternoon for him as it was too quiet.  An altogether lovely afternoon. 

Heading home along the blue bicycle/walking path.  I always stay to the very right so I won't get run over!

Life is good!

LadIes lunch at Rincon de Nasha

 This weeks choice was Rincon de Nasha.  I needed a few things at Mega Soriana so I headed out early and caught up with the group at the restaurant. 

 

Chantel, Jeannette, Liz, Marilyn, Connie, Cathy, Susie and me. 

The cabinet holds 40% off glassware and a picture of the group in the mirror. 

Quite a few ladies had breaded or empanizado shrimp for lunch.  Jeannette had to send her's back as the potato was cold!

Some even shared lunch!

My first burger of the season.  A Natasha burger with cheese and bacon and it was pretty good.  I'm not a burger person but I did enjoy it.  

Cathy had shrimp tacos but there was more tortilla than filling so she took the filling out of half of them and moved it to the other half.  Too many tortillas to eat anyway. 

Connie had enchiladas verde or in green tomatillo sauce.  Very good.

Susie likes burger and she said this one was nothing to write home about but okay.

Chantel ordered the ribs.  Here you can see the bread, loaded potato and a coleslaw which had fruit in it. 

And now for the ribs.  Two very large racks and the total for the lunch was only 160 pesos or about $12 Canadian.  Needless to say about half went home with her for her husband's dinner.  Cheap and plenty enough for two!

All and all it was a decent lunch.   The food was good but not great, the service was good and the prices very reasonable.  A good stop for lunch any day of the week.  We did not have dessert but I hear that their deep fried ice cream is to die for!

Beethoven at the Angela Peralta Theatre

 

Last Sunday was our first concert of the season at the Angela Peralta Theater.  In January, February and March there is a concert on most Sunday afternoons.  They are called the Camerata Campbell series.  Last Sunday it was Beethoven.  During 20/21 the concerts were cancelled due to covid we did not go to the 21/22 ones as the vaccines had not come out.  However....we are happy to be back.  

It was a beautiful day and we sat in the Plazuela Machado while we waited for noon and the concert's start. 

Off to the left I spotted Gordon Campbell and his wife heading towards the theater. They and the orchestra come from Culiacan which is north of Mazatlan and the site of the "kerfuffle" earlier this month.  

For the first part of the program there was only a small portion of the orchestra on stage. 

A really good turn out but it was puzzling as to why three rows of seats had no one in them.  It is a truly beautiful theater. 

The house lights had been dimmed and we could see a large crowd of nationals arriving.  They were all in blue t-shirts and had arrived from Esquinapa de Hildago a small town about 80 kms south of Mazatlan.  They were attending some sort of conference there and would have arrived by bus. 

The program is introduced and Gordon gives us the outline.  He started with Beethoven's marches which are quite famous except most of us don't know they were actually composed by Beethoven!

The program is announced in English and in Spanish and Gordon always has lots of information. 

We were a little surprised by the music choices at the start of the program but it was just the beginning. 

Onward to bigger and better things in the second half.  About 75% of the conference group did not return after the 15 minute intermission which is too bad as it was a really good concert. 

At one point we could hear a deep baritone/ tenor voice singing and it turns out it was the bass player.  

Gordon explained that this gentleman had informed him he could sing as well as play the bass so he became part of the arrangement.  He was very good and received a huge round of applause. 

This is the lead violinist.  I was not given a program when we came in so I don't have the names.  Next time I'll be sure to get one. 

The concert is over and the orchestra is treated to huge applause.  We really enjoyed the concert.  Our next one won't be until the end of February as the ones in between are either not to our liking or are at Casa Haas which has one floor seating.  We prefer to be in the first floor balcony and not crowded together on the main floor. 

We were off to find lunch as it was now mid afternoon.  There are many lovely buildings in Centro. 

We were going to wander and find something different for lunch but in the end we were back at Mariscos Chon where we ate in years past.  We were surprised to find the restaurant almost full.  

Another good lunch with a couple of Pacifico cervezas and we were ready to head home. 

We walked back to the Pino Suarez market and Benito Juarez street to catch the bus home.  We did not need dinner after a big lunch!  A really nice afternoon and we're glad to be attending concerts again.  We do wear masks on the bus and we did wear them in the theater.  Besides covid there has been a really nasty cold going around.