I love this concept: bake great sourdough bread, and then put stuff on it!
We went for lunch and had the Sourdough Bread Plate and the Cold Meat Plate. Both were excellent. I particularly loved the ezme, a somewhat spicy nut mixture that came with both.
Service was friendly, and the place was spotless.
I also got their almond cake to go. It had some yummy Turkish spices in the blend.
The place is a bit hard to get to, as no matter which way you go you’re going to need to make a tricky U-turn either coming or going, but it’s worth the effort!
Considering they’d only been open a few days when we stopped in for a busy father’s day lunch this place is already running very well. The menu is upscale Mexican, and the prices are reasonable for the quality. I love what they’ve done to remodel the interior of this space. It’s not upscale and has a nice modern vibe, and the way it is divided up helps control the noise level.
We started with the guacamole, a generous serving that benefitted from a squeeze of lime and some diablo salsa that we ordered on the side. The diablo isn’t really all that spicy, but added the needed kick.
We also tried the tuna tostadas, which were tasty but very tiny–basically just one bite times three.
For an entree I had the pork enchiladas. They were beautifully plated and very tasty, and came with good cilantro rise and just okay black beans.
We finished with the sopapillas, which were nice and poofy, and served with a hazelnut Serrano sauce. Again, the sauced needed more kick, but was tasty.
Special shoutout for the cocktails. The standard margarita was very good, and the Flor de Don Juan was stellar: a mix of tequila, St. Germaine, and lime.
The approach to the new Conrad Hotel is not very promising, which makes the experience of stepping into the stunning lobby all the more spectacular, with the resort’s massive water feature spread out before you. The interior finishes are impressive throughout.
Equally stunning is the view from Ceiba, the Modern Mexican restaurant on the eight floor. This is probably the best place to wow out of town visitors, with a better view of Epcot and Magic Kingdom fireworks than anywhere except the Contemporary.
The menu is unique to Orlando: truly modern Mexican cuisine, with some familiar names such as flautas and tacos, but gourmet preparations inside, such as duck confit and braised lamb shank.
We started with the guacamole which, at $29, seemed pricy, but proved to be a generous serving, topped with ample crab meat, and spiced with salmon roe and thin slices of jalapeños. Delicious.
We’d planned on sampling several such botanas, but the serving was so generous that we went straight to entrees. Well, not exactly. My wife selected the Ceviche De Hamachi Verdi as her entree. Again, it was a generous serving of hamachi, but I would argue that it isn’t really a ceviche, as the fish hasn’t really been marinated in citrus, but rather is just served in a verde sauce. It was accurately described on the menu as coming with salsa verde, green apple, serrano, cucumber, and jicama, but I don’t think she’d order it again.
I had the Flautas de Pato, very crispy corn tortilla rolls (really more taquitos, if you will) filled with duck confit, and served with avocado serrano salsa, cabbage, and queso fresco crema. They were delicious, and I could only eat half of them…
…because I was saving room for the Tsokolate, a flourless chocolate sphere filled with dark chocolate mousse, accompanied by an assortment of delicious crumbles and gels. It was wonderful, and plenty for two people to share.
There’s a good wine list and a very extensive tequila list. I tried several interesting and creative cocktails.
Service was top notch. The entire staff was welcoming and attentive, and our server, Christian, was a genuine host, who made the experience special.
Forty years ago I had a Thon Baguette (tuna sandwich) in Paris, from a modest sidewalk counter. It was the best tuna sandwich of my life. I’ve been looking for another one ever since.
At last I found it! The one at Benjamin French is absolutely perfect, with fresh baguette that is a bit crusty but tender and not too thick, perfect tuna, delicious mayo (was it French, too?) and thin slice tomato and hard boiled egg that accented rather than overwhelmed.
I also tried the ham and cheese, but it wasn’t the same life-changing experience.
Coffee is good (maybe not Paris good, but good) and I love the French soundtrack.
