Sitting in Fonda La Catrina on a hot Sunday evening reminded me of sweating over a good plate of noodles or rice in one of Malaysia’s or Singapore’s hawker stalls. The difference of course was that I was in Seattle and the food was Mexican. Also, Fonda La Catrina is notably trendier, located in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood where former warehouses house some “industrial-chic” eateries and bars.
Given the hot day, we made a beeline to the drinks list – I had a strawberry and lime margarita with a kick from spicy peppers and my Aunty Evelyn, a poblano pepper and lime margarita. The drinks were wonderfully refreshing and nicely tart.
They went nicely with the nachos, guacamole and salsa. The chips were good – not the usual Dorito type chip – but one that was crispy fried. The guacamole was excellent – chunks of nicely ripe avocado.
We shared three types of tacos among us – the traditional carne asada (angus beef with avocado and onions), cochinita pibil (shredded marinated pork with black beans and habanero peppers) , and the poblano con queso (poblano peppers with onions and Monterrey jack cheese).
The tortilla was soft and you could tell, was freshly made. Of the fillings, the only one that truly disappointed me was the carne asada. The beef was cut in cubes and I prefer either strips or shreds. It didn’t compare with that which I had in Los Angeles- I guess not entirely surprising since L.A. has a bigger Mexican food tradition.
Service was a bit stretched, but I believe that being the Sunday after July 4th probably resulted in some last minute staffing absences. The kitchen, regardless, was efficient.
Would I come back here my next trip to Seattle? Maybe if I was in the area (it’s not far down from Costco and close to Boeing Field and the Museum of Flight) and staying in Beacon Hill also makes this a convenient watering hole to drop in for a margarita and a quick bite. I would have stayed longer and tried a bit more but the sweltering heat (no air-con at Fonda La Catrina) was really uncomfortable.
Fonda La Catrina’s website: http://www.fondalacatrina.com
Museum of Flight website: http://www.museumofflight.org