Message: | I enjoyed reading your post regarding Guelaguetza, Leslie. I agree with much of what you said, but offer the following comments. First, "rustic" is different from "carelessly prepared." Also, "carefully prepared food" is not synonymous with "good food." Rock hard, tasteless tomatoes are bad, period. And some food, prepared with great care, is still no good. I agree that, overall, food is more "carefully prepared" at Monte Alban. But I still prefer some, not all, of the dishes at Guelaguetza, including the Mole Negro. As is the tradition in Mexican cooking, the chicken for the Mole Negro at Guelaguetza is boiled, and is not the point of the dish. It's really just a vehicle for the sauce. And I personally find the Mole Negro sauce at Guelaguetza earthier, "rounder" in flavor, and overall tastier than Monte Alba's version. Would the dish be improved if the chicken was better? Yeah, I guess so. So here's a suggestion for all Chowhounds looking for a quick, easy, tasty meal at home. Buy some take out Mole Negro sauce at Guelaguetza. Then go to Costco, Zankou, or other source of a juicy, tasty, rotisseried chicken. (In my experience, there's a greater risk of the chicken being overcooked at Zankou.) Then go home, heat the sauce, carve the chicken, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Result: a juicy, moist, well-cooked and tasty chicken covered with an extraordinarily delicious sauce. How's that for a solution?
In short, I don't disagree about the greater care in preparation and more even consistency of the food at Monte Alban. There are more lows, but also more highs, at Guelzaguetza. Lesson: You'll have to sort through the lows and highs of the menu at Guelaguetza in order to find the "highs" that will keep you coming back as a customer. This takes patience and an ability to deal with disappointment. But for me, it's worth the effort. P.S. Next time at Guelaguetza, try the goat. Yum! |