Number Four hits all the right notes

If you’ve not been to Kim Everst’s Number Four resturant in Ajijic, then you’re missing out. The wine list is ample, categorized by price and well designed for the novice with descriptions of each bottle’s flavor, the cocktail selection includes all the favorites and a lively martini list and the menu is just broad enough but still kept to four pages (bilingual) and a one page special sheet.

The dishes are prepared with an eye for art and a sense of pleasure for the palate. Chef Glenroy Anderson is experienced (Toronto, Jamaica, Mexico) and willing to take chances, but doesn’t skimp on ingredients or portion size.

Service was immeditate and personalized. A warm loaf of bread with creamy butter was on the table before we settled in.

My date and I started with traditional Margaritas with a good reposado tequila — tart and stiff.
Then we dived into the Greek appetizer  for two with fried eggplant and a salad served with Kalamata olives, a Tzadziki yogurt dressing and fried pita bread. If we weren’t so hungry we might have just gazed at it for a while longer, it looked so good.

The main courses included a “Tall Boys” thin crust pizza. It was better than many renowned Italian restaurants in Guadalajara serve up and full of lusiously herb-roasted mushrooms, grilled peppers, quality pepperoni and lots of real mozzarella cheese on a flaky thin crust. We ate half of it the next day cold and it was still excellent.

The crispy duck confit served over a bed of mashed sweet potatoes with a jamaica, blackberry, ginger and port glaze, was fantastic.

A glass of reasonably priced Spanish Cal y Canto, a blend of Tempranillo-Merlot and Shiraz complemented the duck perfectly.

Desserts included a non-flour chocolate cake that was a hit with a strong expresso and a tart lemon mousse that was smooth and bright on the tongue.

That night the place was fairly packed due to the twice monthly performance by Ajijic’s own Tall Boys band. Dozens of 60+plus expats grooved on the dancefloor  with hip 30- and 40-something Tapatios down for the weekend to the band’s ‘60s and ‘70s covers and their own Mexico-themed tunes. Even a hard rain during the second set couldn’t dispell the Tall Boys’ energy.

Ok, I haven’t mentioned the prices. They are more than fair for the quality  served.  You might drop 800 to 1,000 pesos before wine at dinner if you have a three-couse meal for two with a couple of cocktails Maybe half that for lunch.  But you won’t regret it.

NUMBER FOUR RESTAURANT

2011 | Donato Guerra No.4 Ajijic Ph: 376 766-1360

Open Friday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. / Saturday  2 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

Sunday 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. / Monday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

 

See more at www.restaurantnumberfour.com

Primer Piso: The true house of jazz in GDL

After a long career in the media and art world, Eduardo Diaz Barraza, a middle aged tapatio was taking a trip across France when the idea of a new venture hit him. The cozy bars in Paris enchanted him, and once back in Guadalajara he dedicated himself to find the perfect place to start his own jazz bar, the first one in the city since the closing of the legendary Copenhagen 77 more than a decade ago.
 

Despite an appreciative, but small audience for jazz in Guadalajara, (well-known figures as Dizzy Guillespie, Lionel Hampton and Woody Shaw have performed in Teatro Degollado), the path for jazz musicians here has always been rocky. Once in a while a new venue opens its stage for jazz nights or simple jams, but for many years, no place in town had five jazz performances a week.

Since opening six years ago, Primer Piso Copas & Cafe has been the undisputed house of jazz in Guadalajara.  It has been a launch platform for several popular bands including Jazz Break, San Juan Project, Trokker and KM Big Band. The city’s most respected and skilled performers and band leaders call it home — Willy Zavala, Klaus Mayer, Omar Ramirez, divas like Abi Vazquez, Monica Zuloaga and Ana Sandoval and a flock of newcomers that foreshadow a new golden era for jazz in Guadalajara.

The sophistocated baroque decor, by local architect Luis Othon Villegas, (self-defined as retro, glam, and vintage) contrasts with the sober 1950’s building where the bar is located (on the second floor). A wall of windows offers marvelous views of the surroundings, including the magnificent university auditorium and the gothic Expiatorio. In the last year, success forced Diaz to extend the emporium to the second floor, adding to Primer Piso an art gallery and a pleasant smoking area.

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 7 p.m., Primer Piso whips up gourmet specialties beginning at 7:30 p.m. from the chef’s gastro-bar menu, along with a regular menu that includes tapas, salads, sandwiches and sweets. The barman is able to prepare most cocktail orders. Tuesdays drinks and beer are two for one all night. Live music usually starts about 9 p.m. 

To see who’s playing see their website: www.primerpisobar.com. 

 PRIMER PISO COPAS Y CAFE

Pedro Moreno 947, corner of Escorza. (just one block off Av. Juarez)

Colonia Americana. Tel. (33) 3825-7085. 

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.