La Gruta

This restaurant in Teotihuacan, Mexico City, is one of the most fascinating places in the world. We went for our Balloon Ride, and lunch was included at the La Gruta Restaurant. It is set up in a cave. I've been to cave restaurants before, but this is the most impressive. This has been in operation since 1926.

The menu was set. The lunch came with a 1-piece of bread, Pan de Pueblo. We also had a small dish of Plato de Frutas, seasonal fruit with maguey syrup and amaranth. We had a choice from 6 entrees. The coffee was excellent. I did not order Mexican coffee since it had cinnamon, which I love, but it does not belong in my coffee. 

Sandi ordered the Flautas Doradas de Barbacoa con salsa verde, crema, queso fresco, cebolla y cilantro. Crispy taquitos with green sauce, cream, fresh cheese, onion, and cilantro. The presentation was impressive. 

I had the Chilaquilles Verde con crema, aguacate, queso fresco y cebolla morada, plus a protein of my choice. Green chilaquilles with cream, avocado, fresh cheese, and red onion. I have never had this dish, but it sounds good with cheese and cream... how can I go wrong? It was a wonderful dish. I really enjoyed it.

At the end of our meal, we were invited to take a lit candle and place it on the back of the cave, symbolizing rebirth and renewal. This was a Mesoamerican mythological tradition that viewed caves as sacred gateways. One was supposed to make a wish, leave the candle on the stone altar, and leave one's old self behind and emerge into a new light.

If you ever visit Mexico City, make sure you go to La Gruta in the city of Teotihuacan, just outside the city.

Porto's Bakery & Cafe

Sandi and I were coming back from Bakersfield, and we both thought of stopping by Porto's Bakery in the valley for breakfast. We both have never been there for breakfast. We were only familiar with their famous cheese rolls and some of their delicious cakes.

There were a lot of people around 8:30 a.m., but the line moved quickly. We were amazed at how organized they were.  Sandi ordered the Guac & Cheese Omelette Croissant Sandwich, and I ordered the Chorizo & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich. Both were very good. I must mention that their coffee was strong, which is how I like it, and I ended up adding 3, maybe 4 packs of sweetener!

We were not going home without buying some of our favorite pastries. I got excited to see the Yuzu Calamansi Eclair; yuzu calamansi curd with vanilla mascarpone whipped cream, candied kumquat, sweet orange strips, and tangerine microgreens. That was delicious. I should have gotten more. I also got a few Potato Balls stuffed with meat. That too was delicious.

Sandi got carried away and bought a bunch of her favorite Cheese Rolls and Guava Rolls. I particularly like the guava for breakfast.

We later found out that the closest Porto's to us is in Downey, which is not too far. Needless to say, we shall be visiting that location in the near future.

The Majestic Supper Club

I read Richard Foss's review of The Majestic in February and learned that the owner is Dustin Trani of Trani's in San Pedro. The restaurant is in an elegant building on Beacon Street in San Pedro. Filippo Trani opened "The Majestic Cafe" in 1925. Dustin operates the family business, including J. Trani Ristorante.

We were pleasantly surprised by the subdued elegance. They have a stage where, once a week, they have a comedian on Wednesdays and a musical guest on another day. I loved the vibe as soon as we walked in. Antonio Carlos Jobim was the background music. None of this is rap rubbish.

We already knew to order the Focaccia, which was unlike the ones I have had before, as it was nice and light. It was served with homemade ricotta, and that made it super delicious. Our server, Colette, helped us decide on the appetizers. We ordered the Fritto Misto: calamari and shrimp with a very light batter, drizzled with hot honey and the lovely squid-ink aioli. 

Sandi ordered the Buccatini Basil Pesto, which was delicious, and Zohreh, Cindy, and I ordered the Rigatoni Mushroom Bolognese (crimini & trumpet mushrooms), cooked in veal stock. We all loved it. Super flavor and aldente as it should be.

Colette brought Sandi a lemon sorbet with a candle to remind her of her birthday. We ended up ordering the Carrot Cake, which Colette highly recommended. We all agreed to share a piece, even if we were all full; we thought an extra serving of vegetables would be beneficial. 

As we left, I passed a couple, and the man was having the fried chicken, which looked amazing; he confirmed it was indeed amazing. His date had the steak, and she was also very happy with it.

The Majestic is truly a classy restaurant, and its reputation exceeded our expectations.