Fonda, New York, NY. December, 2012

On a recent windy and rainy NYC night, Nick and I ventured out to one of our favorite restaurants, Fonda, run by one of our favorite friends, Roberto Santibañez. With locations in both Brooklyn and Manhattan (this time we ate in Manhattan), Fonda’s food is unbeatable. And the low-light and primarily red decor is both exciting and relaxing...but makes available-light photography somewhat of a challenge. Fortunately a nearby diner took out her iPhone and afforded an opportunity. What we ate: tortilla soup, pozole, carne guisada, albondigas/köttbullar (Roberto’s recent Mexican take on Swedish food; came with lingonberry-chipotle sauce), yellow rice, black beans. No room for dessert this time. Always so good.

Fonda, Brooklyn, NY. December, 2009

Cozy and chic. Great food, terrific ambience, wonderful people. This was my first trip to Fonda, Chef Roberto Santibañez’s truly Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn’s Park Slope. Wildly popular since it opened in the summer of 2009, Fonda was tops on my list of places to try during my birthday visit to NYC. It’s now tops on my list, period. Roberto, who had been executive chef at Rosa Mexicano in an earlier life, finally has a free hand to do exactly what he wants here and it shows. Beautifully prepared and presented urban Mexican comida like duck zarape (braised duck-filled soft corn tortillas with roasted tomato-habanero cream sauce), pork adobo (braised pork shoulder served with ancho chile sauce, black beans and warm corn tortillas), fish and seafood specials and other contemporary takes on the food of his native Mexico City. There are always changing seasonal offerings (I had some terrific pulled-chicken enchiladas with a dark and flavorful mole poblano one night) and his justly acclaimed guacamole, brought to the table in the molcajete in which it’s freshly made to order along with hand-pressed tortillas, chips and pasilla de Oaxaca salsa. My birthday entree? Carne asada con hongos, a grilled marinated skirt steak with a mushroom cream sauce, served with honey mashed sweet potatoes and quick-sauteed spinach. Mmmm. No chimichangas here, folks. (Mexican food all this week on Sandy Leonard Snaps. ¿Tienes hambre?)

Fonda, New York, NY. December, 2012

On a recent windy and rainy NYC night, Nick and I ventured out to one of our favorite restaurants, Fonda, run by one of our favorite friends, Roberto Santibañez. With locations in both Brooklyn and Manhattan (this time we ate in Manhattan), Fonda’s food is unbeatable. And the low-light and primarily red decor is both exciting and relaxing...but makes available-light photography somewhat of a challenge. Fortunately a nearby diner took out her iPhone and afforded an opportunity. What we ate: tortilla soup, pozole, carne guisada, albondigas/köttbullar (Roberto’s recent Mexican take on Swedish food; came with lingonberry-chipotle sauce), yellow rice, black beans. No room for dessert this time. Always so good.

Fonda, Brooklyn, NY. May, 2011

Mexican Food Week continues with a return to our favorite restaurante mexicano, bar none, Fonda. And what could be better to counter the Brooklyn heat than this refreshing ensalada de sandia? Cubes of chilled watermelon, chunks of peeled and seeded cucumbers, just the right amount of slightly salty queso fresco, all laced with a lime juice-olive oil dressing, then sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and a pinch of chives. Just the thing to start us off on another wonderful dinner at Roberto Santibañez’s jewel of a restaurant in Park Slope. So simple, so satisfying. (See more of Roberto’s offerings in his new book, Truly Mexican.)

Fonda, Brooklyn. May, 2011

More Mexican Food! And a return to our favorite restaurante mexicano, bar none, Fonda. And what could be better to counter the Brooklyn heat than this refreshing ensalada de sandia? Cubes of chilled watermelon, chunks of peeled and seeded cucumbers, just the right amount of slightly salty queso fresco, all laced with a lime juice-olive oil dressing, then sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and a pinch of chives. Just the thing to start us off on another wonderful dinner at Roberto Santibañez’s jewel of a restaurant in Park Slope. So simple, so satisfying. (See more of Roberto’s offerings in his new book, Truly Mexican.)

Hoboken, NJ. December, 2010

Mexican Food Week continues with some great tacos from recipes by el mejor chef mexicano Roberto Santibañez (of Fonda and Rosa Mexicano fame.) Roberto consults worldwide, offering his expertise in Mexican food of superior quality. Among the dishes he’s guided establishments in preparing: excellent tacos with an assortment of fillings (carnitas michoacan, chorizo con papas, pollo asado, pescado, camarón and more), all simply prepared from the freshest ingredients and laced with your choice of salsa (mild, medium, hot, very hot.) We recently had these tacos al pastor (adobo-marinated pork with onions, cilantro, pineapple and hot chipotle salsa. Mighty fine.) Roberto’s enviable knack is to take classics you think you may know, and then surprise you by showing how much better they can be when lovingly and skillfully prepared from only the best components. No skimping. No cutting corners. Sublime.

Hoboken, NJ. December, 2010

Even more Mexican food! Here, some great tacos from recipes by el mejor chef mexicano Roberto Santibañez (of Fonda and Rosa Mexicano fame.) Roberto consults worldwide, offering his expertise in Mexican food of superior quality. Among the dishes he’s guided establishments in preparing: excellent tacos with an assortment of fillings (carnitas michoacan, chorizo con papas, pollo asado, pescado, camarón and more), all simply prepared from the freshest ingredients and laced with your choice of salsa (mild, medium, hot, very hot.) We recently had these tacos al pastor (adobo-marinated pork with onions, cilantro, pineapple and hot chipotle salsa. Mighty fine.) Roberto’s enviable knack is to take classics you think you may know, and then surprise you by showing how much better they can be when lovingly and skillfully prepared from only the best components. No skimping. No cutting corners. Sublime.

Fonda Manhattan, NY. August, 2012

It seems a shame to have this photo in black and white (though it does look very Beat, no?) Especially with the colorful surroundings both on the walls and on the plates here at Roberto Santibañez’ Manhattan outlet of his successful Brooklyn restaurante. This was my first time dining at Fonda’s new location and it was superb. (I’d visited the as-yet-unopened space on the February night before leaving for Cuba, but that was just to visit our friends, to wish them well on their new venture...and for Nick, seen here, to work some “new home” secret ceremony with a broom, a handful of salt, some other talismanic elements.) This August meal featured duck zarape, ensalada de sandia, grilled striped bass, two kinds of beans (red and black), rice, avocado cheesecake, mmmmm. At a nearby table was return diner Rachael Ray, who, whatever else she may be, knows a good restaurant when she finds one.

Fonda, Brooklyn, NY. September, 2010

An odd thing happens sometimes when I go out to dinner with Nick. The restaurant’s pastry chef either knows him or recognizes him and sends out lots of desserts. I can remember eating at Rialto in Cambridge, MA, one evening after Nick had been part of a presentation there earlier in the day. At dessert time, a large assortment of sweets was delivered to our table, and the pastry chef could be seen over in the corner, sneaking a peek to see which ones might meet with favor. I’m not complaining. Here at Fonda, a different situation. Because Chef Roberto Santibañez is a friend, he’ll often ask for Nick’s opinion about the way certain desserts have turned out. (Often they’re Nick’s recipes to begin with.) I am always grateful to share the benefits. This time, in addition to the tres leches cake (which you can just see a part of, lower left), there are two brownies with a caramel sauce and cinnamon-laced whipped cream. And it looks like maybe a bread pudding (which I am bound by law to order whenever I see it on any menu) and a chocolate-dotted cookie. Mmmmmm. The same again, please.

Fonda, Brooklyn, NY. July, 2011

Mexican Food Week concludes with yet another visit to Fonda. We just can't stay away! This time, a midsummer meal of guacamole made to order (muy picante tonight, served with hand-pressed tortillas, chips and pasilla de Oaxaca salsa), ensalada de sandia, taquitos de carne asada (marinated skirt steak with onions, cilantro and chile de arbol salsa), and, my entree, a wonderful pescado de guajillo -- a pan-seared filet of red snapper over guajillo-passion fruit sauce, served with potatoes, asparagus, roasted red peppers and red onion (apologies for the inexpert and somewhat ghoulishly misleading flash photograph of this terrific dish.) Excellent company (friends Nick, Robin, and chef/owner Roberto), a terrific space (packed with discriminating locals) and, as always, superior food. No wonder it’s one of my favorite restaurants in the world and I try never to visit New York without at least one dinner here.

Fonda, Brooklyn. July, 2011

I just can't keep away from Fonda. This time, a midsummer meal of guacamole made to order (muy picante tonight, served with hand-pressed tortillas, chips and pasilla de Oaxaca salsa), ensalada de sandia, taquitos de carne asada (marinated skirt steak with onions, cilantro and chile de arbol salsa), and, my entree, a wonderful pescado de guajillo -- a pan-seared filet of red snapper over guajillo-passion fruit sauce, served with potatoes, asparagus, roasted red peppers and red onion (apologies for the inexpert and somewhat ghoulishly misleading flash photograph of this terrific dish.) Excellent company (friends Nick, Robin, and chef/owner Roberto), a terrific space (packed with discriminating locals) and, as always, superior food. No wonder it’s one of my favorite restaurants in the world and I try never to visit New York without at least one dinner here.

East Village, Manhattan, NYC. April, 2014

Something so simple, so beautiful. My friends Roberto and Marco have three restaurants in New York (Brooklyn, East Village, Chelsea) all named Fonda and all terrific. Seen here, lovely paper cutouts strung along the ceiling of the dining room that sway when the air conditioning is on. R&M's tasteful touches, whether in decor or cuisine, make Fonda a must-visit destination each time I'm in New York.

Fonda East Village, New York. August, 2012

It seems a shame to have this photo in black and white (though it does look very Beat, no?) Especially with the colorful surroundings both on the walls and on the plates here at Roberto Santibañez’ first Manhattan outlet of his successful Brooklyn restaurante. This was my first time dining at Fonda’s new location and it was superb. (I’d visited the as-yet-unopened space on the February night before leaving for Cuba, but that was just to visit our friends, to wish them well on their new venture...and for Nick, seen here, to work some “new home” secret ceremony with a broom, a handful of salt, some other talismanic elements.) This August meal featured duck zarape, ensalada de sandia, grilled striped bass, two kinds of beans (red and black), rice, avocado cheesecake, mmmmm. At a nearby table was return diner Rachael Ray, who, whatever else she may be, knows a good restaurant when she finds one.

Fonda, Brooklyn, NY. December, 2010

An odd thing happens sometimes when I go out to dinner with Nick. The restaurant’s pastry chef either knows him or recognizes him and sends out lots of desserts. I can remember eating at Rialto in Cambridge, MA, one evening after Nick had been part of a presentation there earlier in the day. At dessert time, a large assortment of sweets was delivered to our table, and the pastry chef could be seen over in the corner, sneaking a peek to see which ones might meet with favor. I’m not complaining. Here at Fonda, a different situation. Because Chef Roberto Santibañez is a friend, he’ll often ask for Nick’s opinion about the way certain desserts have turned out. (Often they’re Nick’s recipes to begin with.) I am always grateful to share the benefits. This time, in addition to the tres leches cake (which you can just see a part of, lower left), there are two brownies with a caramel sauce and cinnamon-laced whipped cream. And it looks like maybe a bread pudding (which I am bound by law to order whenever I see it on any menu) and a chocolate-dotted cookie. Mmmmmm. The same again, please.

New York, NY. December, 2006

Is Rosa Mexicano still open? This limited chain of Mexican restaurants used to be a good choice in Union Square when Chef Roberto Santibañez was at the helm. (He’s since moved on to open his own place, Fonda, which, frequent readers of this blog will know, I think is sensational and easily merits a quick trip to Brooklyn.) One of the things that I liked best about the earlier restaurant was “Más Clavadistas,” the fountain/sculpture that dominated the main dining room -- a cascading, vertical wall of water, illuminated in saturated pink and blue and dotted with the repeated sculptural image of a man diving through space over and over again. Who needs to go to Acapulco to see these fabled cliff divers when they look so beautiful right here in midtown Manhattan?

Rosa Mexicano, New York, NY. December, 2006

Is Rosa Mexicano still open? This limited chain of Mexican restaurants used to be a good choice in Union Square when Chef Roberto Santibañez was at the helm. (He’s since moved on to open his own place, Fonda, which, frequent readers of this blog will know, I think is sensational and easily merits a quick trip to Brooklyn.) One of the things that I liked best about the earlier restaurant was “Más Clavadistas,” the fountain/sculpture that dominated the main dining room -- a cascading, vertical wall of water, illuminated in saturated pink and blue and dotted with the repeated sculptural image of a man diving through space over and over again. Who needs to go to Acapulco to see these fabled cliff divers when they look so beautiful right here in midtown Manhattan?

New York, New York. June, 2015

I've written here before about how much I love my friend Roberto's Fonda restaurants. The original one is in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The second in Manhattan's East Village. And now there's a new one in Chelsea, which it was my good fortune to visit for the first time on a recent trip. Same magnificent food (I had carnitas.) Same cool vibe. And, since word spreads fast, same crowded scene. Here's a look at the guacamole bar with an order of the award-winning guac about to be served.