Measuring by chronological age, Tony Bishop of Ajijic’s Hacienda del Lago Boutique Hotel and Restaurant may be one of lakeside’s youngest expats.
Add up the achievements, experience and finesse of this 30-something entrepreneur-consultant and the sum sounds as if he might be an elder member of the community.
Bishop refers to the hotel and restaurant he is operating in a lovely hacienda-style Ajijic home as a “working model.”
“This is my show room and the demo of what I can do for others, just on a small scale,” says Bishop, who alternates hands-on local management and jetting off to other climes and countries to consult with the owners of other small elegant hotels.
Hacienda del Lago’s hotel has just four suites. “That means we’re always full,” says Bishop. “I have bookings now to next February. Our guests are largely Mexicans from Guadalajara or Mexico City in for a few days of quiet and rest, or they are North Americans or Europeans shopping for high-end property here.”
There’s another special clientele for this romantic hotel. “We’ve had 23 proposals here, so far. When the guy makes the reservations, we work with him to plan everything so it can be just as he wants it.”Bishop has assembled and trained a top-notch staff to keep the special events moving smoothly while keeping the regular hotel and restaurant guests happy and comfortable. When I dropped in recently for dinner and to hear Blue Velvet, the low-key polished jazz group that is playing at Hacienda del Lago on Thursdays nights at least through May, my friend, Chef Lorraine Russo and I had to hunt to find a flaw in the operation. We were watching for something, a restaurant review which recounts only perfection isn’t believable.
Our table was on a patio bathed in the golden light of dozens of lanterns, skillfully served by attentive but never intrusive wait staff we tasted one wonderfully prepared dish after another. That we barely noticed the mature bus staffer constantly scanning the tables for empty glasses or plates gently nudged aside speaks of his exceptional skill.
Even the beautifully appointed table setting added pleasure to our dining experience. The ever-changing array of shapes and sizes of stunning white dinnerware was only overshadowed by the elegant wine glasses and the heft and balance of the quality flatware.
Simply put, our food choices were superior. As Russo noted, “The test of a really good restaurant is the quality of the soups and sauces.” Following her guidelines, I ordered onion soup au gratin and she chose her favorite, escargots. The soup’s broth was home-style thick and rich. We happily dipped bread into the garlic and parsley butter sauce from the escargots. Both exceeded our expectations.
Russo’s main course choice was boneless lamb loin in fines herbes served with potato puree and young green beans topped with sun-dried tomatoes. I chose the fresh tuna in a champagne tarragon sauce on wild rice and served with glazed carrots. Again the dishes were top-notch. The herbed sauce on the lamb provided interest without masking with the delicate flavor of the meat. The tuna, which seemed to be sushi grade, was perfectly cooked: seared on the outside, hot and still red in the center and the meat was flaking yet juicy.
Oh … and the flaws? We were surprised that our desserts didn’t match the quality of the other courses. Russo ordered the le mont blanc described on the menu as a “small French cheese cake with chocolate dots, topped with Bailey’s and walnut ice cream.” Her dessert didn’t resemble the description. It looked like two small muffins; she compared the taste to that of a madeleine.
I struggle to resist chocolate and so ordered the gateau noir which, according to the menu is “baked chocolate mousse topped with almonds and vanilla ice cream.” The powdered sugar-covered chocolate rectangle was somewhere between a dry brownie and a flour-less cake with too much cocoa powder. Raw sliced almonds were baked in the batter; that didn’t improve their naturally limp texture and mild flavor. The wonderful coffee that Bishop assures me is never brewed and always fresh from a French press, the delicious ice cream and gorgeous fresh berries that garnished the plates saved our final courses. The truth is that after two courses of overly generous servings, we were too full to care.
Bishop has organized both his lunch and dinner menus to feature multiple courses at a single fixed price. The selection of luncheon dishes changes each week, but the price for two courses plus wine remains at 250 pesos. On Thursday through Saturday evening, diners are offered their choice of an appetizer, main course and dessert, wine, and coffee for 460 pesos.
Admittedly these prices are higher than most lakeside residents usually pay for a normal single-course lunch or dinner. On the other hand, I can’t think of anywhere else at lakeside where the ambiance, music, food, and service combine to relax the mind and restore the soul. Tucked inside the gates of the luxurious Hacienda del Lago, we kept reminding ourselves that we were in the center of Ajijic. As we left we felt as if we were returning from a satisfying vacation instead of dinner just across town.
Hacienda del Lago Boutique Hotel and Restaurant is at Privada Ocampo 1 in Ajijic. Call (376) 766-0685 for restaurant reservations. Visit www.haciendadellagoajijic.com for more information about the hotel.