La Condesa: Inspiration Awaits You

Unfortunately, my laptop has been in and out of the hospital for the past few weeks.  Fortunately, the repair shop is right next to a dazzler of an eatery.  

La Condesa on W 2nd Street is a real downtown oasis.  In good company next to the Violet Crown Cinema, it sits on the corner.  The remodeling in this space is reason enough to venture to this downtown haven.  Bold teals, cement details, fine wood work, hand blown glass accents, spanish tiling, indoor and outdoor seating options...  the place is a textural, visual feast.  But, this is not an architectural digest, rather one of a most happy, happy hour.  After picking up my computer, I arrived most recently at La Condesa for the beginnings of a very merry happy hour.  Their festive and thoughtful cocktails are half off and they have a delicious sampler menu to boot.  Despite getting swamped within minutes after five o'clock, the servers are calm, eficient, and dapper to boot.  To get in the spirit quickly, I highly recommend an el cubico (whole leaf tobacco infused tequila sets the tone for this concoction) followed by the watermelon elderflower martini.  Bold to summery bliss... you see where I'm going with this....  

From the menu I have tried many things, favorites being the daily ceviche, tortilla soup, and the salsa sampler.  Yes, their salsas are that good.  Smoky flavors nuance many of their drinks and dishes... infusions are slow and careful – Chef Rene Ortiz is a master of the deliberate and sublime.  This is a real local treat that I and many others cannot get enough of.