Welcome to Second Ferment! Wine pairs well with life ... and food, travel, people, work and play. Grab a glass and join me as I explore the wine scene in Ottawa, Canada, and beyond. Love hearing from my readers, so please leave a comment. Cheers! - Bethany

Saturday, February 06, 2010

I want my Mexican ... NOW!!!

I know that sounds quite a bit like the rabid ranting of a pregnant woman with a SERIOUS jones for some Taco Bell, but it's actually a bit of (weak) word play on my part. "Ahora" in Spanish means "now". And when I had a chance to try out the food at Ahora restaurant on Dalhousie, well ... every day since, I've been wanting my Mexican food ahora.

The last time I had really mind-blowing, authentic Mexican food, was when Guadalaharry's was still in business over on York Street, in the Byward Market. This place rocked; if there was a special occasion to be had, we went there (if we weren't heading to I.P. Looney's, but that was during a different age bracket.) Fajitas served sizzling hot in surroundings reminiscent of a zocalo somewhere south of the border. Any birthdays being celebrated? Be prepared for the wandering mariachi band to pour tequila down your throat. Sadly, that place closed down years ago.

Ahora, albeit small and not quite as flamboyant in its nature, still made me wish I was on vacation. The walls are brightly painted in primary yellows and reds, replete with Mexican kitsch. An undercurrent of Spanish music strums through the voices of the noon rush.

The staff dishes up eats that rival Harry's. An all-you-can-eat salsa bar, in varying degrees of intensity, accompanies the main menu. I had the chicken quesadilla, its hand-pressed flour tortilla stuffed to bursting with creamy guacamole, and smoky, grilled-just-right chicken breast, moist and spicy. Hubby had the Plato Ranchero, easily enough food to satisfy a small army, with sides of rice and zesty salad.

I opted for an iced tea (what with being in my delicate state and all) but noticed they had a red from Baja, California on hand, along with the requisite margaritas, pina coladas and sangria. Certainly something to look forward to post-baby, preferably on the patio in the hot summer sun.

We were far too stuffed for dessert, but had I the room, I would have jumped for the churros with chocolate sauce. No idea what that is, but anything chocolate can't be that bad.

1 comment:

  1. Great, now I want Ahora at 8:30 in the morning!

    I love going there, it's like walking downstairs and into Mexico.

    ReplyDelete

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