The Herald Tribune/ Mexico Edition

January 05, 2006 Happy New Year ! It´s time to tie up another year of restaurant reviewing. The year of 2005 proved to be incredibly delicious, chock full of memorable dining experiences. We´ll start the new year by presenting the "Let´s Eat Out" Best of 2005 Awards. To be eligible, the restaurant must have been reviewed in the past 12 months.

It´s traditional to begin our awards with a new restaurant. And while numerous noteworthy restaurants opened in 2005, the award for Best New Restaurant goes to Sereno. Really, the big news here is the return of famed chef and restaurateur extraordinaire Carmen Ortuño. Sereno opened in October, but already it´s well on its way to achieving its place among the elite dining establishments in the posh part of the capital´s Polanco neighborhood.

From Polanco, we go to the Condesa neighborhood, arguably Mexico City´s best area for dining. And with fierce competition, only the best of the best survive over a year. For that reason, let´s give our Best Condesa Restaurant to Ligaya. This long-standing establishment has been serving for nearly 10 years. It can now be included among the short list of Condesa classics.

Speaking of classics, it´s easy to choose the year´s Best Steak House. The award goes to the Palm. To think of the Palm as just another steak franchise doesn´t do it justice. It may be "the classic American steak house," but it´s a far cry from typical.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

Not a meat eater? Not to worry. The award for Best Vegetarian Restaurant is presented to Saks. Without a doubt, Saks is the city´s best choice for vegetarian cuisine.

Nothing makes me happier than Thai food. It has to be that heavenly combination of flavors. It´s nice to finally have a Thai restaurant that´s not prohibitively expensive but with exceptional, authentic cuisine. The award for Best Thai Restaurant goes to Sukhothai.

Restaurants featuring Spanish cuisine are scattered throughout the city, especially in Mexico City´s Historic Center. But there´s a fairly new place in Polanco that´s serving up modern versions of classic Spanish dishes. Best Spanish Restaurant goes to D.O. - a new culinary option that´s taking Spanish gastronomy to a new level. They also house a great selection of mostly Spanish wines.

THE PERFECT MOLE

It´s too hard to name the top Mexican restaurant of the year. There were just so many great ones. It´s easier to give an award for a specific dish - mole. As I have said before, I love mole, but it´s definitely an acquired taste with its richly piquant flavor of chocolate, nuts and about 1,000 other ingredients. So, the award for Best Mole goes to Puebla´s Santa Clara restaurant - an obligatory stop on the trail to find the perfect, traditional mole Poblano.

Several other restaurants outside the Mexico City metropolis were reviewed in 2005. One of my favorites was Coconuts, which gets the Best Zihuatanejo Restaurant award. It is a delightful dining experience under the Zihua stars.

Another great place for outdoor dining is La Antigua Hacienda de Tlalpan - a gorgeous restaurant, sprawling across several acres with stately elegance with lovely gardens. They get the Best Garden Dining award.
But the Most Beautiful Restaurant award goes to Casino Español. If you like classical design and if your tastes lean toward the regal and majestic, this is your place.

A drum roll please, and the award for Best Restaurant of 2005 is proudly presented to La Taberna del León. A Mexico City classic, La Taberna del León is a reliable, classic option for fine dining with a touch of creativity and expertise from its fabulous chef, Mónica Patiño.

Congratulations to all our award winners. Best wishes to all for a wonderful 2006. And here´s to another year of scrumptious restaurant dining.

Greg Britt is a free-lance restaurant critic based in Mexico City. gb@mexicodiningreview.com.

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