If you’ve not been to Kim Everst’s Number Four restaurant 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 immediate 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 luscious 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 Shriaz 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-course meal for two with a couple of cocktails Maybe half that for lunch. But you won’t regret it.
See more at www.restaurantnumberfour.com