Before you venture out and buy a restaurant, you should consider finding out the important facts. Restaurants may be the most sought after businesses for sale. You may find yourself in the position of buying a restaurant that is already doing quite well with a solid customer base. However, make sure you know the full story behind the business before signing on the dotted line.



What is The Real Story?



There is a real story behind every attempt to sell a restaurant. The answer can be right on the surface, on the other hand, finding the real reason may take some probing. If the customers stopped coming, it will benefit you to know why. When organizing the plans to buy a restaurant, you need to know if there are any pending legal or financial issues surrounding the need to sell.


Make Sure You Check All the Books



Your plan to buy an existing restaurant business should hopefully contain elements that will make you a tidy profit. If so, put on your detective hat and make it a point to carefully examine recent expenses and sales to ensure the restaurant you have your sights set on is in the black. This means taking the books to your accountant to see if anything looks suspicious on the surface. Are all the payments going where they should? Does the restaurant have a healthy bank account? Are there any hidden expenses that will show up when you least expect it?



Is the Restaurant’s Reputation Sterling?



Restaurants draw clientele base on reputation as much as anything else. A great way to get the inside scoop when buying a restaurant, is to ask the restaurant’s vendors if the business has been paying its bills on time. If your potential vendors are unhappy with payment performance, this should send up the red flag in a hurry. It is also a great idea to spend time in the restaurant you plan to buy as an actual customer. There is no better way to measure customer service and obtain on overall feel than to sit at the table and be served.

Whether the restaurant is one-of-a-kind or an existing restaurant that is part of a business chain, there are principles to consider that will give your venture a better shot at success. A restaurant concept that is well-defined stands a much better chance of long term success—and after buying a restaurant, it is wise to set specific goals from the very beginning that will define and measure your restaurant’s success.





Longevity



For the adventurous at heart that plan to buy an exiting restaurant business, it is prudent to know that business conditions can change over night, and your success may depend on being able to meet the changing demands and buying habits of the customer. And, you can bet on your customer base changing periodically. “Winning” is essential, and means maintaining success over a long period. Aspects of your business will change over time—it is simply the nature of how things are. Staying on top of trends without veering away from the loyal customers may prove to be a winning combination.



Market Appeal



If you want your restaurant to be busy, an appealing concept will be the thing that wins the day. Restaurants that have a broad and well-developed “theme” enable them to form and dominate a market niche. People will frequent a restaurant that has good appeal—and the more familiar you are with the demographics of your potential customers—the greater your chances will be of running a smooth and successful operation. A restaurant with solid appeal makes a person “feel” good about being there, and the word of mouth endorsements that will surely follow can prove to be a great benefit.



Thing in Terms of Expandability



After successfully buying a restaurant, you can never tell what direction your venture will take. If you have a winning business plan, it can be a good platform for securing a lease or going to a money source to obtain funding. Also, a good business plan will help you to develop systems and procedures required to maintain a state of consistency. Who knows, opening that second restaurant might become a viable option! And before long, you may be looking at a chain of restaurants opening across the states.



Fully Examine the Assets



You should have full access to the assets listed for the restaurant business. This means taking a close look at the age of the equipment. How old is the stove, and are any of the rest of the assets outdated? Is the location of the restaurant up to existing building codes? Even the name of a restaurant can be considered an asset. What does the name imply, and is it in step with the customer base you want to attract? How to buy a restaurant and reap the benefits is best realized when you have a comprehensive action plan in place.



Repossession

Studies on the United States’ restaurant and food services sector have shown that the industry is one of the fastest growing, with the number of food managers touted to rise by around 45,000 annually starting the year 2014.

In fact, data from the National Restaurant Association attest to the fact that plenty of job opportunities are available for people both from within and outside the industry. It is for this reason that more and more people are getting interested and increasing their investment on restaurant and food services training and education.

What the Industry is About

The foodservice and restaurant sector covers areas such as catering, casual family diners, fine dining, chef-owned bistros, resorts and casinos, motels and hotels, cruise ships, fast food chains, theme parks, schools, company cafeterias, hospitals and just about wherever the preparation and selling of foodstuff is present.

To date, there are about twelve million jobs in this sector alone. It is one of the most widespread because food is a basic necessity. That’s why many entrepreneurs say you can never go wrong when you enter the food business. Food services exist in every city, state and country, from the most metropolitan of environments to the most quait and far-flung locations. Due to such, employment opportunities in the restaurant industry is always high.

A career in the restaurant and foodservices industry does not mean simply asking the customer if he wants a side of coleslaw to go with his chicken. It is more than that. You will also have to hone your people skills in order to properly interact with the customer, as well as practice stellar hygiene and good grooming. A restaurant that does not demand so from its employees is no good.

In fact, even without the restaurant owner telling you how to conduct yourself on the job, it is your personal responsibility to make sure that customers all satisfied, happy and very much keen on coming back.

What Sort of Training Do You Need?

Most hole in the wall restaurants start from scratch. That is, without the formal education and training to set up and operate such a business. Some of the older and pioneering institutions began from owners’ very own kitchens, without so much as a bachelor’s degree to their names and, still, their restaurants continue to grow and thrive with the times.

However, the industry is growing at around 12% each year and the demands of the customer are getting more and more cosmopolitan. While zero training can be offset by pure dedication and interest in the restaurant and foodservices business, there also are strong arguments in favor of acquiring the right education and formal training needed for the job.

Education is useful given the changing times. With globalization at an all-time high, it is important for those engaged in the food business to keep themselves up to date and knowledgeable with the latest trends. With travel and communications booming at an alarming rate, the restaurant sector has the responsibility to move with it.

Most restaurants provdie in-house training for their personnel, in order for them to more easily advance to supervisory and managerial positions. Hence, it is not unusual for a former dishwasher or table service crew member to be the boss over a period of time. And though a number of food service staff are promoted to higher posts, the job opportunities for those with formal training, whether via an associate or bachelor’s degree, in institutional food service and restaurant management are greater. It will be easier to climb up the ladder if you combine education with solid on-the-job experience.
Why Formal Education is Important

Employment in the food industry is considered a profession. Before, those who simply had ample interest and experienced-based know-how and resources can enter the business. While this is still true today, most institutions prefer that you have a certificate to back your resume.

Programs related to the restaurant and food services sector include food technology, marketing, customer relations, human resources, finance and business management. Institutional food service facilities also provide courses on nutrition, sanitation, record keeping, understanding of policies and procedures, food preparation, reports preparation, and personnel management.

Such hospitality management programs usually run for two to four years, after which you get a diploma or a certification. The more credentials you have, the more you will be perceived of as a professional who is well-trained, highly skilled and motivated. Achieving these credentials only shows how serious you are at advancing the industry and growing with your chosen career.

Thus, formal training is important because:

1. Having specialized qualifications entails that you’re entering the restaurant and food services industry with more than the basic necessary skills to professionally advance

2. Specialized training shows prospective employers that you are motivated enough and have an ample level of maturity to move around such a high-pressure and fast-paced environment

3. People who graduate from hospitality-related programs and courses have turned out to be the ones who do better in their careers, whether they have actually entered the restaurant industry or not, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Studies

4. Highly-skilled staff and those with formal restaurant training will be in high demand because jobs in full-service restaurants are expected to rise at a huge rate compared to other food services units.

Conducting Yourself on the Job

People working in the food services industry are not robots. Their job is not just to take directions and follow t hem to the letter. They must be able to make decisions themselves and have the initiative to address certain issues. A lot of restaurant operators take note of your personal qualities, for instance, problem-solving skills and attention to detail, before they decide if they want you to be part of their team or not. Grooming is also crucial.

A lot of these qualities you will learn while you’re receiving formal training. While traits like leadership and initiative are ingrained, the right way of handling operations and customers if often not found if you just go it alone and rely on your instincts. Opportunities in the restaurant world will continue to rise as the industry grows in conjunction with the population, leisure times and personal incomes.

Whether you’re eyeing a job at a small restaurant or a fine dining place, the amount of dedication you give out should be the same. It is inevitable that you’ll start at the rank and file level, as you will need the experience to gain solid footing in all possible restaurant duties. Coupled with a degree, it won’t be surprise if you find yourself at one of the top positions in six to twelve months’ time. When this happens, relish the moment. You definitely deserve it.



Sell House Quick

People not only learn how to start a candle making business because it has relatively low set-up cost and is simple to operate, the vast majority of people start making candles simply because it is fun. Melting down wax, adding in the colors and scents, and creating imaginative molds and shapes is fun way to make a living compared to a lot of the options out there. Start in giving your creativity a chance to earn you some money, starting a candle making business could be for you if you give your creative side a chance to experiment and explore.
One factor that could successfully make this kind of business worthwhile is that it is already a very popular business, and the market for candles both specialized and personalized kinds are ever growing. But still some are not that informed about it and educating them about it would certainly make your business worthwhile. Not only promoting the art and fun part of having candles in home, restaurants and establishments but also in a way making money with making it. The internet is also another option for selling and marketing your candles.

Candle making requires great determination and discipline, not to mention time. But once you have mastered the art, the level of satisfaction makes all the effort worthwhile. Not all candles require the same amount of effort and would certainly differ with the time it needs to create a specific kind. Some are also more expensive than others, but as you get better at the craft, you will find your own little shortcuts and innovations, which will help make your candles unique and cost effective. Always remember to adopt proper safety measures at all times, and to never lose hope if your first attempts does not look like what you expect. Practice and experimentation would polish your skills.

Given the circumstances, it is hardly a surprise that candle making as an art is constantly gaining in popularity. Today, there are hundreds of books, web sites and both online and offline classes that teach the art of making candles. If you already like making candles way not use this hobby to make money doing something you love. One of the best ways to succeed in any business is to enjoy what you are doing. Getting up every morning happy and excited to get started is quit a feeling. Make quality candles that you can be proud to put your name on can make everything worthwhile.



Sell and Rent Back

Food services and drinking places may be the world’s most widespread and familiar industry. These establishments include all types of restaurants, from casual fast-food eateries to formal, elegant dining establishments. The food services and drinking places industry comprises about 500,000 places of employment in large cities, small towns, and rural areas across the United States. The fact is there’s no better time to begin exploring your desires to start a restaurant career, especially with the growing popularity of the food industry.

Essentially the only requirement is that you have a passion for food and for providing a great experience to customers. Whether you want to explore your managerial talents by supervising restaurant operations or business development, or you’d like a more hands-on approach by stepping foot in the kitchen, there are a wide variety of positions within a restaurant career. And for every position, there is exciting coursework available to get you the important knowledge and experience you need to really become a desired commodity in the workplace. Combine your ability to direct a staff with a degree in management, and you’ll be a valuable asset to any restaurant. Take your passion for food preparation and pair that with a degree in culinary arts and an internship at a reputable restaurant and your restaurant career will be off and running.

About 45 percent of establishments in this industry are limited-service eating places, such as fast-food restaurants, cafeterias, and snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, that primarily serve patrons who order or select items and pay before eating.

Full-service restaurants account for about 39 percent of establishments and cater to patrons who order, are served, and consume their food while seated, and then pay after eating. Drinking places (alcoholic beverages) - bars, pubs, nightclubs, and taverns - primarily prepare and serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. Drinking places comprise about 11 percent of all establishments in this industry. Special food services, such as food service contractors, caterers, and mobile food service vendors, account for less than 6 percent of establishments in the industry.

The most common type of a limited-service eating place is a franchised operation of a nationwide restaurant chain that sells fast food. Features that characterize these restaurants include a limited menu, the absence of waiters and waitresses, and emphasis on limited service. Menu selections usually offer limited variety and are prepared by workers with minimal cooking skills. Food typically is served in disposable, take-out containers that retain the food’s warmth, allowing restaurants to prepare orders in advance of customers’ requests. A growing number of fast-food restaurants provide drive-through and walk-up services.

Cafeterias are another type of limited-service eating place and usually offer a somewhat limited selection that varies daily. Cafeterias also may provide separate serving stations for salads or short-order grill items, such as grilled sandwiches or hamburgers. Patrons select from food and drink items on display in a continuous cafeteria line. Cafeteria selections may include foods that require more complicated preparations and greater culinary skills than are required in fast-food restaurants. Selections usually are prepared ahead in large quantities and seldom are cooked to the customer’s order.

Limited-service snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars carry and sell a combination of snacks, nonalcoholic beverages, and other related products but generally promote and sell a unique snack or beverage for consumption on or near the premises. For example, some prepare and serve specialty snacks including ice cream, frozen yogurt, cookies, or popcorn. Others serve primarily coffee, juices, or soda.

Full-service restaurants offer more menu categories, including appetizers, entrees, salads, side dishes, desserts, and beverages, and varied choices within each category. Chefs and cooks prepare items to order which may run from grilling a simple hamburger to composing a more complex and sophisticated menu item. Waiters and waitresses offer table service in comfortable surroundings.

Many popular full-service restaurants remain independently owned and locally operated. Independent full-service restaurants generally focus on providing a one-of-a-kind dining experience and distinctive design, decor, and atmosphere. Food and service remain the primary focus of the restaurant’s offerings, but physical setting and ambience are important components of that experience. They help establish a restaurant’s reputation and build a steady clientele.

Finally, the food services and drinking places industry covers a variety of special food services establishments, including food service contractors, concession stands at sporting events, catering firms, and mobile food services, such as ice cream trucks and other street vendors who sell food.

Many restaurants maintain websites that include menus and online promotions and provide information about the restaurant’s location and offer the option to make a reservation.

Food services and drinking places employ more part time workers than other industries. About 2 out of 5 workers in food services and drinking places worked part time in 2004, more than twice the proportion for all industries. This allows some employees flexibility in setting their work hours, affording them a greater opportunity to tailor work schedules to personal or family needs. Some employees may rotate work on some shifts to ensure proper coverage at unpopular work times or to fully staff restaurants during peak demand times.

Typical establishments have well-designed kitchens with state-of-the-art cooking and refrigeration equipment and proper electrical, lighting and ventilation systems to keep everything functioning. However, kitchens usually are noisy, and may be very hot near stoves, grills, ovens, or steam tables.

Dining areas also may be well-designed, but can become crowded and noisy when busy. Most food services and drinking places workers spend most of their time on their feet - preparing meals, serving diners, or transporting dishes and supplies throughout the establishment.

Kitchen staff needs to be able to work as a team and to communicate with each other. Timing is critical to preparing more complex dishes. Coordinating orders to ensure that an entire table’s meals are ready at the same time is essential, particularly in a large restaurant during busy dining periods.

Employees who have direct contact with customers, such as waiters and waitresses or hosts and hostesses, should have a neat appearance and maintain a professional and pleasant manner. Professional hospitality is required from the moment guests enter the restaurant until the time they leave.



Repossession

We are now in the midst of a global recession, and this is undoubtedly unwelcome news for anyone trying to run a business in the high street.  But while life has become more difficult for all of us, there is no reason to expect complete disaster. 

Looking back at past recessions it’s easy to get scared by the number of people who lost their jobs and the number of businesses that closed down.  Looking past the shocking statistics, it is important to remember that over 90% of the workforce remained in work, and most businesses remained open.

Of course, customers are going to think twice before they part with their cash, but they will continue to live a fairly recognisable lifestyle – going out less, but still going out; shopping more frugally, but still shopping.

So, here are six tips for restaurants, bars, and other high street businesses to take on the recession and come out the other side a winner:

1. Sell what people want - watch what people are buying, it will change. This is the most reliable indicator of what customers want so work harder at promoting these items.

2. Collect customer feedback. Use either formal or informal ways (from surveys to chatting to customers) to discover how your customers are dealing with the downturn in the economy and how your business could help them. Ask them how they are adjusting and what kinds of offers they would like to see.

3. Watch your competition - what’s working for them and can you copy it?

4. Cut unnecessary costs - is there anything your business is still spending money on that you don’t need any more?  If you do still need them are there better value alternatives available?  Speak to your suppliers and ask them how they can help you with pricing or payment terms.

5. Focus on service - make sure your employees understand the value of outstanding customer service at a time when customers are a precious commodity.

6. Remember your advertising and marketing - while your competitors are cutting back on advertising this is your chance to stand out from the crowd.  According to a leading national newspaper: “In every recession of the past 90 years, independent studies show that the businesses who increase their marketing efforts are the ones who survive the tough times and thrive afterwards.”



Rent Back

Think back to the last time you were at a restaurant. Perhaps you ordered an entree, and the waitress asked you if you would like to add a salad to your dinner. Whether you agreed to the salad or not, the waitress was cross selling you.

When a salesperson tries to sell you another product related to the product you’re already purchasing. For example, if you’re purchasing a laptop computer, the salesperson might try to sell you a carrying case to go with the computer. Or, if you’re buying a pair of shoes, the salesperson might try to sell you socks. That’s the cross sell.

Cross selling is generally an easy, effective way to increase your sales and, as a result, your profits. However, like upselling, cross selling is an essential skill of any salesperson that requires practice. There are several simple ways to cross sell to your clients, including:

Practice cross selling

Cross selling is a skill that can easily be mastered with practice. Ensure that you schedule time for your employees to practice their cross selling skills, and be sure to offer constructive feedback.

Consider what the customer needs

Just as when you’re upselling, you must focus on your customers’ needs when you are cross selling. Don’t try to convince your customers to purchase a bunch of products they simply don’t need. Rather, focus on cross selling products they need.

Ensure the product you are cross selling is relevant

If you want to effectively cross sell, offer products that are relevant to the original purchase. That means if you’re selling shoes, you might try to cross sell socks or shoelaces. But, offering a briefcase doesn’t really make sense.

Offer a bundle

Product and service bundles are an effective means of cross selling. Bundled products are increasingly popular with phone companies that, for example, offer customers the choice of paying one price for phone and internet or paying a slightly higher price for phone, internet, and television. By offering more services at a discounted price, the telephone companies are compelling customers, who want to save money, to purchase a bundled package.

Find a way to offer bundled services or products at a discounted price to entice customers to purchase the cross sell.

Offer products that vary in price

When you’re trying to sell a product, offer products that vary in price. If you are selling a man’s suit, for example, you might want to cross sell several types of different dress shirts that range in price.

Don’t cross sell too many products at once

If you try to cross sell too many products to your customer, no matter how relevant they are to the customer’s original purchase, you’re likely to confuse and, at worst, annoy customers. At maximum, try to sell only three products to your customer.

Listen to your clients

When you listen to your clients, you’ll have a much easier time identifying the products or services that they need. As a result, you can cross sell what you know they need, making it much more likely that they’ll make the additional purchase from you.



Sell and Rent Back

Thousands of restaurants are using email newsletters to build and engage their customer base and promote their offerings. Service providers such as AWeber and Constant Contact enable restaurants to quickly and easily deliver email newsletters and manage subscribers. But while an email newsletter can be a highly successful marketing tool for a restaurant, creating interesting, valuable content is a time-consuming headache for busy restaurant owners. The good news is that much of the content for your email newsletter already exists within your restaurant and with your customers. In this article, I suggest ten ideas for newsletter content that are easy to create and quick to engage readers. Keep in mind that you can later repurpose much of this content on your restaurant’s website.

1. Introduce your staff.Many of your staff members have interesting outside interests, hobbies or training. Did your cooks attend a culinary program? What are their favorite menu items? How long have they been with your restaurant? Having an area of your newsletter dedicated to personnel is also a great chance to introduce a new staff member or promote job openings.

2. Read any good books lately? Chances are, your email newsletter subscribers are just as interested in food as you are. Share books or articles with them that are guaranteed to be of interest. For example, if you run a regional Italian restaurant and a new cookbook is published featuring recipes from that region, let subscribers know about it. It reinforces your expertise in the cuisine and can increase customers’ appreciation of it as well.

3. Share a seasonal recipe. Your email newsletter may only go out several times a year. Showcase a recipe for a simple, seasonal cocktail or dish created by your restaurant. Don’t forget to include photos!

4. Sell your products. More than 57% of family dining restaurants offer retail items for sale. Increase profits by providing a link to purchase directly from your email newsletter. Subscriber-only discounts on these products also have great appeal to readers.

5. Feature photos. Email newsletter readers devour photography and even moreso when those photos depict people. Include photographs of large parties or events you’ve hosted in your newsletter. This can also help to promote your restaurant’s catering or event services. You can even feature regulars where you include snapshots of your favorite regular customers.

6. Offer coupons and discounts. Let’s be honest. The main reason customers subscribe to an email newsletter is the promise of special deals. By offering them exclusive discounts and VIP treatment, customers will look forward to your newsletter and keep coming back to your restaurant.

7. Celebrate your philanthropic work.The restaurant industry is one of incredible generosity, with many restaurants helping the community in ways their customers might not even know about. Note your participation in programs such as Share Our Strength or contributions to local food banks. You may even help attract more volunteers in the process.

8. Ask customers questions. Why should you do all of the talking? Your customers are a source of valuable information and offering a poll or survey in your email newsletter is a simple way to tap into their opinions and tastes. You may even ask them what they’d like to see more of in your email newsletter!

9. Answer customers’ questions. Solicit questions and feedback from your customers. They may have questions about your food, the history of your restaurant, or other insights that you can respond to as part of a regular newsletter feature. This transforms your email newsletter from a one-way communication channel to a regular dialogue between you and your customers.

10. Promote environmental consciousness. According to the National Restaurant Association, 62% of adults are likely to make a restaurant choice based on how environmentally friendly a restaurant is. A brief article on how you are making your restaurant more environmentally friendly is always attractive to customers.



Quick Property Sale

Whether you are staying in the area or just visiting for the day you will discover a fantastic local cuisine from Michelin starred Lake District restaurants through to excellent traditional public houses, all using locally sourced produce.

Cumbria - the Lake District is well known for its outstanding natural beauty, but the region has so much more to offer including a great selection of high quality Lake District accommodation, first class visitor attractions and activity providers, plus some of the finest food available in the country.

Meat constitutes a significant part of Cumbrian produce, which is no surprise because the climate and geography of the region lends itself better to breeding animals than it does to growing crops. The most famous of the meat products is the traditional Cumbrian sausage, which is easy to recognise because, unlike other British sausages, it is not linked, but long and coiled, and sold by length or weight. It is always made from rough-cut pork and contains 85% meat. Other ingredients include a blend of herbs, spices and seasonings and most butchers have their own secret recipe, some dating back over a hundred years.

Cumbria provides a superb range of local produce including fellbred lamb, beef and pork, plus poultry and game from local farms and estates. You will also find a range of jams and chutneys made from Cumbrian hedgerow fruits, plus pickles and preserves, puddings and pies, all with that special taste that comes from being made by people who care about the good food they make.

Water is an obvious natural resource associated with the Lake District, which should not come as a surprise given the seventeen lakes that can be found in the region. Only Bassenthwaite uses the word Lake in its title, each of the others use either the word mere, i.e. Windermere, or water, i.e. Coniston Water. The water in the Lake District is very soft, and makes for wonderful drinking water. For anyone wanting to take some of that experience with them, there are three companies which bottle and sell spring water.



Quick Property Sale

One place where every one loves to visit whenever they find time is a restaurant. It’s not only the food but also the ambience and the general milieu that draws people towards any restaurant. Thus for a person who is either trying to buy restaurant or sell restaurant it becomes extremely important to approach the right restaurant broker who would assist him with the deal. The restaurant that you are going to buy or sell would bear a stamp of your ideas and creation. It would be a sign of your own authority and personality. That restaurant for sale would show the world how good you were in serving your customers or how good you would be in serving your customers if you are to buy a restaurant.

It is not at all difficult to find a good restaurant broker who would mediate between the two parties. You just have to use the internet and visit the relevant site. The restaurant broker whom you think would be able to do justice to the deal can be approached easily.

The few things that are to be kept in mind are that the restaurant broker should be well cognitive as far as the market trends are concerned. He is well aware of the local as well as the real estate market. He is quite focused on restaurant brokerage and is pretty much familiar with the restaurant market study. The restaurant broker should be able to assist with locals for zoning, health departments and liquor licenses.

A good restaurant broker would always assist you with purchase and lease. A good brokerage would be quite a handful in property acquisitions and also asset management. He would also give clues on tenant procurement strategies.



Rent Back Fast

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.



 

Swing open the saloon doors, walk down a few steps, and have a seat at one of the ten or so orange arborite tables.  Clint Eastwood might have parked himself on a wooden stool, instead of a matching 1960’s vinyl covered stainless steel padded chair, but you get the idea. And yet somehow, the shiny, brand spanking new digital juke box does not seem particularly incongruous.   

 

El Faro is a small bar in Colonia Reforma, about a ten minute taxi ride from Oaxaca’s zócalo.  It serves nothing but liquor and the finest in typical, filling, and usually fried finger foods and other quickly prepared local fare.

 

The purpose of this visit was to try the reknowned marinated onions…and then have co-owner Marta provide our pre-arranged lesson on how to prepare them.  But our hostess was so gracious and accommodating, and more importantly willing to sell the preparation to us in bulk, that the working part of the adventure thankfully fell by the wayside. 

 

Now down to indulging…nothing left to do but munch away and imbibe.  But be careful with the latter.  Liquor is served clearly without any consideration given to portioning, and a couple of drinks will leave you feeling like four.

 

Drinks arrive promptly, alongside shelled peanuts, made on the premises with course salt and spices, a Oaxacan staple.  Of course quartered limes, sal de gusano, and other accompaniments arrive depending on choice of beverage. 

 

The parade then begins, starting with a burst of smoky flavor and spice constituting our marinated onion slices.  While vinegar is the main ingredient, the unique and appealing flavor of chile pasillo, with a mixture of spices, predominates, creating an appealing uniqueness.  Certainly it bears some similarity to piedrasos, often sold on street corners in large glass containers and served with marinated vegetables over giant chunks of toasted bread.    So encountering this tart treasure in a sit-down environment was indeed a true find.

 

A tlayuda is set before us in short order, prepared without any excess baggage.  The large crunchy oversized baked tortilla is made with requisite asiento (schmaltz, as my grandmother would say, but this fat isn’t from a chicken) and a thin paste of chile de arbol, topped with queso.  Forget the vegetables, refried beans and meat typifying most tlayuda toppings. All in due course. 

 

Marinated serrano chiles with onion slices (rajas), additional salsas, and guacamole follow, rounding out the sides.    

 

A plate of fast-fried potato pieces known as bolas de fuego (fire balls) is placed before us.  Seasoned with some type of chile, perhaps paprika, and without a doubt garlic, these crisp-on-the-outside golden goodies do not disappoint, being true to their name. 

 

Frijoles con pata is black beans served in a bowl with boiled pork foot.  It’s a traditional dish, and in fact our Oaxacan friends ate the gelatinous vittles with great gusto.  But it’s equally a taste, and texture, which many North Americans take time to acquire.  Fifteen years later, we’re still working on it. The salsas do help.

 

The empanadas de seso (beef brain) are the best we’ve had anywhere, anytime.  While fried as is the custom, these little filled turnovers are lacking the customary double dose of oil, making them as close to a baked botana as one can find.  Guacamole is the preferred dipping sauce, since there’s already a bit of spice in the stuffing.

 

We rounded out our experience with two meat dishes combined on a single platter:  costillas enchiladas (spare ribs coated with a chile mixture) which were well cooked as I had requested, and had plenty of meat on and off the bone; and tasajo (a thin filet of lightly seasoned beef) which arrived tender and juicy, and not at all over-cooked (often an issue in Oaxacan eateries), already cut into (large) bite sized pieces.

 

El Faro isn’t for every traveler.  But there are many who walk by such establishments, take and quick peek in, are clearly intrigued, and then say “no, we’d better not.”  At El Faro, you can. 

 

El Faro.  Jasminez 222-B, Colonia Reforma.  Mon to Sat, 9am to 10pm

 

 

 

 



Repossession