Tamal Canario at Los Portales restaurante in Xico, Veracruz.

The building we’re in dates back to 1794 and once was a prison that held General Santa Anna.  The restaurant is Los Portales.

Tamal Canario is made from cornmeal and custard wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.  At first we wondered whether we would open it and find an actual canary

La Fonda in Xalapa

At the bottom of la Callejon Diamante or Alley of Diamonds in Xalapa you will find La Fonda, a very typical Mexican Fonda.  Each day a set menu is prepared for the Comida Corrida.  Today’s is just 60 pesos or about $4.80.

 

As a wise diner I have a tasing companion with me so I can sample more dishes.  This Comida starts with soup. I get the minestrone while my accomplice orders the consume de pollo. She gets the better part of the deal as her soup, while a bhit thin, has lots of cilantro. Mine is admittedly quite Italian with lots of spaghetti noodles and a rich tomato sauce

The soup was servered with some of the best tortillas I’ve ever had

 

 

 

For my main course I ordered the Salsa de Chicorrones.  Essentially this is pig skin in salsa.  Not too bad at all and the beans were heavenly

My co-taster had a dish I do not have the name of but it was meatballs made of what tasted like corned beef with egg in the middle, all slathered in a tasty chili sauce

 

Tomorrow it is off to Noalinco, a leather town with it’s own special mole sauce