| | |  Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | December 2008 
La Tía Katrina's True Mexican Cuisine
 Gary R. Beck - PVNN
| | Famous for his restaurant guide, available online at CafePress.com or Lulu.com, Gary also writes restaurant reviews for Puerto Vallarta newspapers, Bay Area magazines, and now, a feature column for BanderasNews.com. | |
Hector and Erin started out slowly, but watched their business grow due to loyal clientele, local word-of-mouth, and rave reviews on the Internet about the fabulous food at reasonable prices served at their south side Puerto Vallarta restaurant, La Tía Katrina.
Upon entering, the immediate feeling is of being a guest in their living room, albeit with a bar. Couches border the space, so much so that it's very easy to 'siesta' a while after enjoying one of their large fulfilling meals.
Mama supplies the Chiles Rellenos and Enchiladas from her family recipes and they taste "family-proven." Once sampled, it is difficult to steer to another choice. The Mole is simple, but it is hard to find a richer or more pleasurable one then hers. Her fresh poblano sauce is excellent, too.
Rosas is a favorite soup here. It is a purée of beet with a touch of Tequila. Besides the gorgeous vibrant color, the freshness jumped out at the taste buds. It was smooth and satisfying. One of the fish items ordered was the Fish Fillet with Tropical Salsa. On our visit, the sauce was predominately pineapple and mango, not too sweet, but rather refreshing combined in one bite with the moist fish flesh.
The chiles are stuffed with shrimp, corn and cheese. "Scrumptious" was the word emitted by the lucky guest who opted for them. The Enchiladas are presented bathed in either mole or poblano sauce. Both are right at the top of traditional true Mexican cuisine which many of us love, preferring over the ever-popular Tex-Mex style. These three dishes made one feel as if in a small mountainous village nearby.
Grilled Pork Chops were served with mushrooms, leeks and a port wine demi-glacé, which added moisture and a slight sweetness to the rich lean pork juices. They were well-prepared. This place is a lovely quaint local cafe serving very good, dependable and traditional food - at reasonable prices.
 After 20 years in the San Francisco restaurant business, Gary R. Beck turned his attentions to cooking, dining out, creating recipes and exploring Puerto Vallarta's rich array of eateries. Famous for his restaurant guide, available online at CafePress.com or Lulu.com, Gary also writes restaurant reviews for Puerto Vallarta newspapers, Bay Area magazines, and now, a feature column for BanderasNews.com. Contact Gary at garyrbeck1(at)yahoo.com.
Click HERE for more articles by Gary R. Beck. |
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