Ananda-In the Himalayas' Restaurant

The Grand Cafe
San Francisco, CA

The Curzon Room
Delhi, India

Rajvilas
Jaipur, India

Vanyavilas
Rajasthan, India

Saffron
Bangkok, Thailand

Coyote Roadhouse
Ferndale, MT

Seabourn Pride's
Cruising Chef

Wright's
at Arizona Biltmore

elements
at The Sanctuary

The Wind Star
Dining at Sea

Kona Village 
The Big Island, Hi

Canoe House
The Big Island, HI

Tinakilly House 
Rathnew, Ireland

Oritalia
Vancouver, BC

Clipper Adventurer Dining at Sea

Restaurant Claes Claesz
Amsterdam

Café Roux
Amsterdam, NL

Mii Amo Cafe, Enchantment Resort

Silk's 
San Francisco, CA 

The Aerie,
British Columbia

Pacific's Edge
Carmel, CA

The Queen's Grill
Aboard the QE2

Balcony Service 
at
Las Brisas, Acapulco 

It's true, dinner on the balcony of a casita at Acapulco's Las Brisas Resort may very well be the best place to eat in Acapulco. The evening I indulged, the ambiance, service and food were all exceptional.

First, the view of Acapulco Bay is exquisite. Early diners watch the turquoise waters of Acapulco Bay, framed by breeze-stirred palms, give way to ultramarine then midnight blue and in the end, black.

As night falls, the lights of the city begin their dance on the Bay. Small boats slide quietly along marked by the glow of yellow light. A departing ocean liner enlivens the scene with lights blazing, orchestra playing and whistle blowing. Music from a distant cantina mixes with the songs of frogs and katydids. The perfect accompaniment to a warm tropical night.

Dinner can be served either on the balcony off the main room of your casita or on the deck of your private pool. Both get the view and both have full-sized tables for four. We opted for the covered balcony in the event of a sudden shower.

Ordering isn't easy. Well, once you've made up your mind, it's just a call to the front desk, but hours can pass mulling over the options. This is not a puny room service menu. No, it's a serious, 'soup to nuts' dining menu. Besides the various tidbits for the cocktail hour, there are hot and cold appetizers, salads, soups, main courses of meat, fish, fowl or pasta, and, of course, one's just dessert.

If you can eke out decisions from all involved ahead of time, dinner can be arranged to arrive at just your desired hour. We called at the start of cocktails which fetched the dinner at just about the right time.

At the appointed hour, our waiter arrived, decked out in his regulation white chinos and his pinstriped pink and white shirt. First, he cleans the table and then covers it with a hibiscus-embossed pink linen table cloth. Next come the linen napkins, silver cutlery, glassware and china. Finally a few fresh hibiscuses, the Las Brisas flower, are artfully scattered about the table. Ice water, additional ice, the wine and other such necessities are left on the serving table our waiter brought with him.

I didn't mull long over my starter--traditional Acapulco style ceviche. Fresh and cold, the soft white fish, "cooked" subtly in lime juice, was spiked with hot green chili peppers and cilantro. The tomato, onion and chili salsa was 'just made' fresh and served with 'still warm from the crisping' chips. These crisp chips mingle perfectly with the delicate fish and spicy salsa.

The soups looked so inviting, we ordered two. The chilly gazpacho, redolent with tomato and garlic, rang with the individual flavors of the cucumbers, peppers, and sweet onions. The hot tortilla soup (strips of corn tortillas in a light chicken broth) was flavored with slices of avocados and guajillo chilies and cooled with sour cream.

The menu calls the Spanish Paella, Our Great Specialty. But, alas, the down side of waiting to the last minute to order was revealed to us. Orders for paella had to be placed 40 minutes in advance, an excellent indicator of quality, but too long for us. Next time.

Knowing not what we missed, we did not suffer. We were both drawn to the fillet of sea bass. The sea bass was of good flavor and cooked properly. It was finished with sautéed mushrooms and bright golden squash blossoms in a light and creamy cilantro sauce.

The wine selection has several Mexican wines including a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Santo Tomás. There are several California wines such as a 1994 Sauvignon Blanc from Wente Vineyards and a 1996 "Eagle Peak" Merlot from Fetzer. France weighs in with a 1995 Château Laroque, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru and a1996 Chablis Saint-Martin from Louis Latour. A 1993 Gran Sangre de Toro "Reserva" from Spain's Miguel Torres and several whites from Chile looked interesting. 

Or get a kick from champagne, perhaps a  Cuvée Dom Pérignon from Moët & Chandon? Finally in the beverage vein, they serve pitchers of iced tea, sangria, piña colada, and lemon, strawberry or banana margaritas or daiquiris.

At the end of the meal, sitting back with a cool drink, grazed by the soft breeze, we idled away a few more hours before tucking ourselves into bed. Truly, a sumptuous way to dine.

                              By Kate Crawford    July, 2000

Look at the room service menu.

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