May 6th, 2016
Choosing Mariachi located at 14 Wilmington Avenue in Downtown Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, was a no brainer. Have you had Yolanda’s cooking? That woman can cook!! And, she can cook diverse Spanish and Latin American dishes. Mariachi has been in Rehoboth Beach since 2006. Spanish and Latin American cuisine has always been so flavorful…it was not discovered just the other day. Foodies have embraced this cuisine because there is so much to choose from.
Mariachi is open every day now. Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. They offer Brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant has 2 floors with 2 bars and on the top floor there is a great balcony where you can dine on beautiful summer nights and watch Rehoboth Beach show visitors why we love living here. Great Happy Hour by the way. The telephone is 302-227-0115.
Please check their website…http://www.mariachirehobothde.com
Unfortunately, it was really raining on Cindo de Mayo. We had reservations, thank God. The restaurant was packed, the line coming to the street. My friend, Jody pushed her way through. Some were looking at us funny as we passed through, but we did have reservations. My party? Some old and new friends; from left Lori, Jody, Julie and Kelly.
A quick visit to the bar but we did not have to wait long to be shown to our table. Some tables were louder than others, but ours was a little quieter. I kept watching Yolanda as she handled all the customers with her usual smile as she walked from one side of the restaurant to the other, also asking customers how their food was.
On Cinco de Mayo Mariachi had a special menu but you could also order from the main menu, which by the way it is extensive.
My friends ordered from the special menu:
Poc Chuc Tacos on a corn tortilla. Poc Chuc is charbroiled pork which has been marinated in imported Mayan spices. The tacos came with pico de gallo and sour cream.
And broiled Tilapia fish tacos on flour tortillas.
What caught my eye was from their Main Menu….Masitas de Puerco Cuban Style. These were pork morsels marinated in a “criolla” sauce and roasted in Sevilla’s bitter oranges. Loved this dish and I would order it again on a heart beat. The pork morsels just melted in your mouth. Great seasoning….accompanied with rice, black beans, of course, sweet plantains, a bit of broccoli and rice. The photos shows how good it looked.
No dessert was necessary…Summer 2016 is almost here.
Service was very attentive even though the restaurant was so crowded. The bill? So reasonable. Mariachi is one of those restaurants that serves the whole family. Check it out.
August 15th, 2012
It was time to say “until next time” to Colorado. After coming down from Rocky Mountain National Park, we decided to stop by Cuba Cuba and have our last dinner in Downtown Denver. My friend, Marisa, knows the owner and she said that it was the best Latin restaurant with awesome Mojitos in Denver.
Cuba Cuba is located at 1173 Delaware St., Denver, CO 80204. Tel. 303-605-2822. Website? http://www.cubacubacafe.com.
When I saw that Cuba Cuba was located on Delaware St., I started to smile. Delaware is where I live. The restaurant is in 2 historic homes. So quaint and very tropical.
The walls show their Latin style.
The Bar is popular. Cuba Cuba has an extensive offering of Rums. They also have Rum Flights. Martinis like the Cafe con Leche Martini and the Cafetini are also on the drink menu.
Mojito Happy Hour is Monday – Thursday from 5 p.m. until 6:15 p.m. My friends, Cindi and Marisa, decided to start with one of those Mojitos. They both agreed that they were delicious.
We were seated in their outdoor patio, which was shielded by a canopy. Perfect for dinner on a summer Colorado evening. There is indoor dining available, as well. A few tables are also set up at the bar.
The appetizers we ordered were:
Yuca Frita, which were hand cut cassava fries tossed in garlic mojo. Yuca is a root vegetable. It is starchy so you have to be careful how too cook it so it does not become too dry. I found this particular one a little to dry for my taste. I could not find the garlic mojo in them.
Mariquitas Cubanas. These were plantain chips with avocado mash and house mojos (garlic, mango/citrus). They were good and the mojos were delicious. I borrowed some of their mojos for the Yuca Frita.
My friend Marisa loves Ropa Vieja. She kept calling it Ropa Sucia. Too funny. She had had this entree at Cuba Cuba plenty of times so she was confident it was going to be sooooo good. The Ropa Vieja had shredded beef sauteed in tomato creole sauce, served with white rice, black beans and tostones. You could tell Marisa did not like it. First she likes her Ropa Vieja with ground beef. Secondly, she usually has had it served over the rice, and the tostones were too thick. I took a taste of the Ropa Vieja; not much flavor.
Latin food is one of the most flavorful; definitely there was a lot missing. It looked good but it left her disappointed.
I decided to order the Paella with calamari, mussels, mahi mahi and chicken. It also had Spanish chorizo. It was prepared with sofrito, saffron and Valencia rice. Bland and more bland. More saffron was needed, garlic, and possibly more sofrito. Paellas are also full of flavor. Sorry to say, this was, definitely, lacking flavor. You could have called this dish seafood, chicken and rice. But, not a paella.
When my friend was asked by our server how the dinner was, she decided to tell her. I chose not to say anything. I was enjoying my dinner with friends and that’s all I cared about.
Our server mentioned that there was a new chef. She also wanted to hear the comments.
Cindi, was totally happy with her Camarones al Coco. They were pan seared shrimp, sauteed with garlic, tomatoes, ginger, coconut milk and peppers, served over a potato mash.
For our sweet ending we ordered a Tres Leches to share. This dessert was excellent. Tres Leches is a cake, filling and topping, using 3 milks; whole milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk.
A decaf espresso, was the perfect ending to our meal.
After some time, and with the help of those mojitos……one might try to play bongos.
It was time to go home and pack; but not before we took pictures of others we met who were enjoying an evening with friends, as well.
Then, they took our pictures too. That’s what you do when on vacation….
Talk to you later…
Note: Cuba Cuba offers catering and has plenty of space for private parties.
March 7th, 2011
I told a friend the other day that I had gone to a great restaurant in Old City, Philadelphia. She started laughing and thought I had it wrong. I was not sure since I really do not know Philadelphia even thought it is located at about 2 hours and 15 minutes from the Delaware Beaches.
Well, guess what? Old City is Philadelphia’s oldest neighborhood located in Center City. Walking the streets reminded me of Old San Juan; yes, plenty of cobblestones.
The restaurant that I went to on Thursday is called Amada. It is located at 217-219 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel. 215-625-2450. Website? www.amadarestaurant.com.
This is an only Tapas restaurant. Tapas are small plates, that originated in the most common eateries in Spain; Tascas. Tascas are everywhere; some of them are grand, some have fancy floors; others have floors covered with sawdust and peanut shells and everything else you can imagine. Going to Spain and not eating at the Tascas is unheard of. The best food and the best entertainment.
I am glad that we came in at the time we did. By the time we left Amada, the restaurant was completely full. Reservations are recommended.
The interior looks like a typical Spanish restaurant. Amada has Andalusian influences. Andalusia is in the south of the Iberian Peninsula.
Since it was so early I was able to take some pictures. There is Chef’s table and it can be reserved for parties. Otherwise, anyone can sit there. You are able to see the kitchen at work.
We decided to sit at the bar. We chose a high table. Amy was our server and before I forget, she was great. Gracious, friendly, and knowledgeable.
I really did not know that this particular restaurant is part of the Garces Restaurant Group, whose restaurants are among Philadelphia’s best. Amada opened in 2005.
Jose Garces is the star of the Group. He comes from Ecuadorian parents; raised in Chicago. Please go to the website above mentioned so you can see his bio. Very impressive. He just won the most recent season of The Next Iron Chef. Also his new book Latin Evolution can be purchased through the website.
We had so many tapas; at times we ordered them again and again. A pitcher of Sangria is a must at any Spanish restaurant. Everyone at the table liked it.
Here are the tapas: Since my husband has a gluten allergy we ordered tapas that he could also eat. There were just a few that he could not have like the meatballs and the duck on a flatbread.
Gambas al Ajillo – Garlic shrimp. The bread given was perfect for dipping into that beautiful sauce.
Pulpo Especial – Was a special octupus. It was, I believe, grilled. Very crispy; the sauces added extra flavor.
Pato con Cerezas Coca – Duck breast, Cabrales cheese and a cherry fig marmalade on a flatbread.
Pulpo a la Gallega – Spanish Octupus
Croquetas de jamon – Ham croquettes
Oysters – Strawberry Escabeche and Cava Granita. Best ever; just very unique.
Tortilla Espanola – A traditional tortilla made with potatoes and eggs with saffron aioli.
Albondigas – Lamb meatballs and shaved Manchego cheese. Michael thought they were out of this world.
Boquerones are white anchovies. This tapa had pine nuts and olives. The first time I went to Spain and I had them, I totally felt in love with them. They are expensive and hard to find. At Vic & Angelos in Delray Beach, Florida, they make their Caesar Salad with them. They are so mild.
Someone at the table ordered a specialty drink; Law of Desire. It was made with Spanish Brandy, Absinthe, and Peychaud’s. I had a taste and it was, definitely, one of those drinks you need to sip a little at a time. It was delicious. Absinthe is a flavored distilled liquor and Peychaud’s is a bitter; like Angostura bitters, but lighter.
Had a great evening, in a restaurant full of atmosphere and with good company.
Cannot wait to visit some of the other restaurants of the Garces Restaurant Group. For example, the one called Distrito which is Mexican cuisine, Chifa has Peruvian influences, Village Whiskey is an American Bar with more than 80 whiskies and different bar snacks. And the other one that is attracting my attention is Tinto, which is a wine bar and restaurant inspired by the Basque region of Northern Spain and Southern France. For more info. on these restaurants please visit www.grg-mgmt.com.
The Basques love seafood and food in general. Their food is fresh and perfectly satisfying. Almost everyone is interested in gastronomy. There are clubs in the region where only the men are allow to cook. Sounds perfect!!
Talk to you later…you know I will….How about some Ecuadorian cuisine, Jose?
Comments Off on Rehoboth Beach Eats! Mariachi, Cinco de Mayo, Restaurant, Bar, Spanish Cuisine, Latin American Cuisine, Delaware Beaches, Southern Delaware