u/ModelCitizenNFK

Is this anything to be concerned about?

I've always been of the mind that there are two cars for me: anything with four wheels, and the Baja. After a bunch of searching I found one that is externally a little worn, but mechanically fresh to death, and I've never been happier on the road.

Jon and Brandice are headed to Minneapolis. Come on out and have some delicious Indian food and drinks by Josh and Jon and send them off right!

We'd sure like to serve ya! 6-12 at crudo nudo.

HUESO.

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Just left a lovely experience at Hueso, in Guadalajara. On arrival (a touch before my 7:30 reservation) I, and a couple of other early birds were asked to wait in the courtyard. The weather was beautiful, and we were welcomed in promptly at 7:30.

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Most of the staff I interacted with gave me the option between English and Spanish, which was helpful as my Spanish is exactly ok, and the occasional English explanation was helpful for certain dishes.

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Hueso is geared more toward larger groups sharing multiple plates, and is laid out as such. I was there dining solo for their 6 course tasting menu of "favorites", and got the wine pairing as well. The next time I eat here, I will do so with a group, but my experience was warm and outstanding.

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AMUSE - potato hummus, tomato salsa, habanero ash: this was a delicious way to kick things off. Served with crostini in a paper bag, the "hummus" was light and airy, and was delicious on its own or on the crostini. Habanero ash is something I'll be making promptly when I get home. The smoke & spice combo was addicting.

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FIRST - Sole ceviche, leche de tiger, cracked wheat "assorted oils": an excellent ceviche dish served in one of the heaviest plates I've ever seen. The fish was bright and bouncy (I think they implied that there was a slight cure on it) and the cracked wheat and mix of tortilla and plantain chips provided some lovely crunch. The portion size here made me nervous for the rest of the meal, and I was right.

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SECOND - Vegetarian fermented chayote "carpaccio" with piloncillo and ginger sauce, fried sesame and chile, shredded blue and chickpea based vegan cheese: the texture on the fermented chayote was insane. One of the best bites of vegetable I've ever had. Combined with the chile and sesame I could eat this anytime. I could take or leave the vegan cheese - the flavor was good but I thought it got lost with the bigger flavors of the other components.

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THIRD - Mussels & croutons in rosemary cream and beef stock: I am a career mussel hater, and not generally a fan of cream sauces. I'm sure if when they asked about preferences I'd thought to mention this it would have been subbed out, but I went in blind on purpose. The mussels were perfectly cooked, and the idea of serving them in a relatively classic cream sauce but bolstered with beef stock was a cool idea. Delicious and well executed, just objectively not my favorite.

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FOURTH - Mushroom Risotto with huitlacoche: this was insane. I thought at first that the risotto (perfectly cooked) was a little under salted, but after a couple of bites I believe it was intentional for the earthy/bitter huitlacoche to shine through. The crispy oyster and cremini mushrooms on top were a nice texture contrast to the risotto. A highlight for sure.

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FOUR.5 - my server noticed me slowing down a bit and offered me a chance to take a break. He refilled my wine glass, and encouraged me to explore the beautiful architecture of the restaurant. I did, and then landed back in the courtyard where I met a group in a similar set of circumstances and shared a pleasant chat.

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FIFTH - short rib, molé, piloncillo sweet potato, homemade tortillas: probably the least "surprising" presentation of the night, but excellently presented. They provided a steak knife, but I think I could have cut the short rib by looking at it hard enough. The sweet potato had a little almost bruleed crust from the piloncillo, and added a nice compliment to the molé. Some really bright berry pickled onions added some needed acidity

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Sixth - chef's surprise dessert: I'll be honest, I was a little beaten down at this point. I caught that the inspiration was all about the local bread (said the server "have you had a torta ahogada? It's that bread). It was a very texturally rich ice cream with some panela on top, served with a water-thin almost cannoli with a lovely sweet, slightly salty mousse inside. I included both the presentation as it hit the table, and the after of what I was instructed to do. Light, clean, delicious way to end the meal.

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The service and hospitality here are outstanding. The food and my beginning cocktails were also knockout. I appreciate the way they handled the wine pairing - it was generally one wine per two courses, with generous refills. I had an albarino, a Mexican sangiovese rosé, a Spanish blend that was described as "a little flat" and supplemented with a local, excellent tempranillo, and a lovely cava to finish.

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All in, my bill came to about $2,600 pesos. I will be returning here with a group, and highly recommend it, and definitely plug the tasting menu for those with big appetites - I was ready for bed by the end.

We'd love to see you for some drinks and delicious eats.