Santiago - 3-26-2017 at 07:01 AM
I've reviewed both of these spots before but thought I would update.
Pulled into La Fonda Sur (original) about 9:00pm last Friday night, after driving for 13 hours, to find that they were having a problem with water to
the rooms - pipe had broken. So she said they normally get $100US per room per night (really?) but would take whatever I wanted to pay; I offered
$50. Turned out they must have fixed it as I had full shower pressure at 5:00am.
Ate at the restaurant: black bean soup and garden salad good; I asked what fish entre was the freshest and was told the swordfish, hmmmm. I ordered
it and all I can say if that was the freshest, I'm glad I did not get the sole.
We normally go home via Mex 5 and stay at the Real Inn, an 'up-scale' hotel in Mexicali and did so this trip. Price was the same as last year $104US
with taxes. Room accommodations are very nice, 4 star I would guess. However, the small bar that is open to the dining area has always been weird,
and this trip got even weirder. After washing the road dust off, I go down for a glass of wine and the bar, which might hold 10 or 12 stools have no
stools. No one behind the bar and in fact, the shelves are entirely bare. Nada, nothing other than a few high-ball glasses. A few moments later a
waitress walks up and recognizes me from our previous trips, I ask for a glass of vino tinto, she sighs, goes grabs a high ball glass and disappears
into the kitchen area. Five minutes later she returns with a bottle, walks behind the bar and searches for corkscrew. She finds one, and I notice
that the cork has been broken off as the bottle is 2/3s full. She pulls the cork, pours the wine, sits it in front of me and sets the bottle below
the counter. I ask if there are stools and she walks around the bar and goes behind me about 10' and all the stools are there in neat row. She grabs
one and brings it over and walks away. I reach over to see what I'm drinking and am pleased to see it is Santo Tomas Tempranillo, a favorite of mine
and what they poured a year ago. I am now the only person at the bar in the only stool with the back bar empty. Strange. This photo shows about 1/3
of the bar. Never saw a wine glass anywhere.
The evening meal was very good, maybe the best tortilla soup I've had. The bowl was brought out with all the ingredients in it but dry. Then the
broth was poured over it, deep, dark brown and somewhat thick. Outstanding. Meal, service and presentation all very good.
