It happens every now and then, when you take a chance on that family-style Mexican restaurant that you have driven by a hundred times, you go in, suspiciously look around, take a seat at the bar and two margaritas and some carnitas later, you realize you have discovered a hidden gem.
La Fonda in San Mateo is such a gem. Family owned and operated, mom, pop, uncle and three adult children, La Fonda is bustling and friendly and serving great, fresh traditional Mexican cuisine. The vibe is warm and even newcomers like us felt welcome - they have been serving their regulars since 1976. The people sitting next to us had been coming every Friday night for twenty years. They order the mole or the enchiladas.
Everyone gets a bowl of soup to start. It is called bean soup but no beans were to be found. Brothy with tomato and plenty of cilantro, I suspect that the base is the bean cooking liquid. And it is delicious, a great precursor of things to come. My carnitas arrives, Chris ordered the chile verde. Whole beans, a scoop of guacamole, cabbage salad, fresh tortillas and a pile of hot, salty carnitas. I was very pleased and set about rolling the pork and beans in the tortillas and munching happily away. Then I tried Chris's chile verde. A unique sauce, it was thinner than I was used to and had tomatoes in it which made it red, not the usual tomatillo green. But what made it different made it incredible. Did I detect a bit of cinnamon? Allspice? But just a hint, it was perhaps the best chile verde I have ever had.
When in need of comfort food, this is the spot. Check it out, order some mole while Maureen and Pablo make you feel at home.
La Fonda
2310 South El Camino Real,
San Mateo, CA 94403
650-574-9699
Just went there today for the first time. Food was good, service was terrible. I had to find my own silverware, repeatedly go up to the bar to get drink refills and the waiter nearly threw our plates on the table. Cannot recommend.
Posted by: John | November 09, 2007 at 02:59 PM