Growing up in a family of six there was a least one day a week when the table was set. Formally set. A table cloth, napkins, 3 pieces of flatware, food in serving bowls and passed from person to person. Learning early on that if I helped set the table, dinner might be there sooner, I was a willing participant in that activity. And somehow I learned and remembered more than my siblings that the forks ALWAYS go on the left. After spending much of my adult life in the food and foodservice equipment industry there was an expectation that I would run across a well-set table very often and many times be responsible for getting a tabletop item or two to the table at which I was sitting. Seems like the cup or the saucer was always on backorder at the factory.
Fast forward a few years and I was in a new relationship and my girlfriend said, " I want to go on a cruise one day". I said have at it, I am never getting on one of those cattle boats. As a former food safety instructor, I had heard of, and could enumerate all the diseases that are spread in an area occupied by a bunch of food and people. It took about a year of convincing so I said if we go we go on the best cruise line, which I determined was Norwegian. And it was not just adequate food service. It was spectacular. Breakfast with an 8-piece place setting, attentive staff, buffets for lunch and a late dessert, 5-star dinners. Absolutely could not have been better. Our next cruise was for our honeymoon which was just as spectacular.
So when travel ended two years ago I didn't realize what a set table would mean when I finally was able to sit down in a foreign county again to eat. Mexico City has a gorgeous central district that in many ways reminds me of Paris. Blocks and blocks of parks, historic monuments and a cafe on just about every corner. And if not a cafe, a hole in the wall serving tacos, carne asada and one of my favorites, chicharron.
At the heart of it all is a landmark restaurant La Casa De Los Azullejos or The House of Blue Tiles. The restaurant was built as a Baroque Palace in the 18th century. Inside seating is in a massive three-story atrium with two columned balconies that make one feel that an opera might just break out in the middle of the meal. Outside is an unassuming but equally elegant alleyway with an attentive staff, a set table when seated and a basket of bread served with coffee. The staff was attired in very elegant traditional dresses, or a very distinguished red jacket, bow tie and slacks.
A Set Table
The dinnerware shows a fragment of a love story, told through a river, a little house, a bridge, a canoe, a willow tree with two birds looking into each other's eyes about to kiss: Koong See and Chang, a Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet. The intricate blue patterns are the quintessential complement to the blue tiles on the side of the building. These details, obviously thoughtfully planned add to the comfort and symmetry of the experience.
Mexico City is a huge metropolis and it does take a least a minute or two to drive out of the city and find wide-open spaces. One of our favorite drives is to the Pyramids. Teotihuacan is a vast Mexican archaeological complex northeast of Mexico City. With dozens of structures to choose from a climb up might be equal to a set of stairs or if your constitution can bear it, a climb up the side of a small mountain. On this trip, we chose the smaller part of the complex, high enough for a view but low enough to avoid heatstroke.
Very near to the pyramids is a wonderful natural cave that is the home of the restaurant La Gruta, or The Cave. This time the stairs lead down to a magical cavern with brightly colored chairs, earthen dinnerware, and an elegant 3-piece flatware setting.
The logistics of such a setting are something to ponder. Just getting the food and supplies to such a remote location is one thing, then add the fact that the kitchen is at the top of the cave so the entrees must be transported down two flights of stairs to the main dining area making the task of waiting tables more like a marathon. A cheerful, knowledgeable staff is once again outfitted with traditional uniforms and obviously well trained in hospitality.
Thankfully, Mexico has not changed in the three years it has been since we last visited. Elegance never goes out of style, especially in an ancient land and culture. The sights, colors, foods and hospitality are all intact and waiting to be rediscovered. I am just as thankful for the fact that where ever I am, a well-set table always feels like home.