Chance of Rain low 73°F high 89°F
La Cueva del Leon, Te Amo Lucy’s, Topolos
We wanted you to pick your Three Favorite Restaurants – and boy, did we ask for it! A flurry of voting yielded some very clear winners as well as a number of other top contenders for this coveted title. In alphabetical order, you chose La Cueva del Leon, Te Amo Lucy’s and Topolo Restaurant & Wine Bar, all Centro restaurants within easy walking distance of each other.
La Cueva del Leon is relatively new, but quickly made a splash and now has become one of the top restaurants in town, on TripAdvisor online as well as an obvious local favorite; the cozy Olas Altas café is full almost from the moment it opens till they close. The secret? Probably the winning combination of a big menu of consistently great food – and low, low, low prices. (Like $55 for a fresh shrimp dinner!) Owners Manolo Cardona (formerly of Topolo) and Alejandro Castillo rotate through breakfast, lunch and dinner, and although service can be slow when it’s crowded it’s definitely worth the wait. And some of us year-rounders are waiting for the quiet summer so we can once again enjoy what used to be a peaceful café to linger at and watch the sunset. (ahem). Favorites mentioned: the Mango Shrimp, Cobb Salad and, oh yes, the 2009/2010 Mazzie Award-winning Best Margaritas. (www.la-cueva-del-leon.tk)
Those of us lucky enough to live near Te Amo Lucy’s have learned to love Lucy’s cooking almost as much as hubby Tony does. He’ll tell you, too, that that’s the secret: Lucy puts love into her cooking, and it shows. The giant menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner is full of authentic, traditional Mexican foods from Lucy’s talented hands, and other options, too. Breakfast – served till 3pm, ranges from a bagel & lox to Nopales a la Mexicana; then the menu runs the gamut of soups, taqueria fare – including Lucy’s mole, a 2009/2010 Mazzie Winner – House specialties and desserts (featuring housemade ice creams). The charming, eclectic restaurant is bigger than it looks – there’s a back dining room, too. (www.teamolucys.com)
With its romantic greenery-filled open courtyard, warm colors and small, intimate dining rooms (one even has a fireplace), Topolo Restaurant & Wine Bar is a favorite for romantic or special dinners. There’s a magical ambience as soon as you step inside, and an excellent menu, full wine list and, especially, expert service add to your experience. Owners Eileen and Fernando have myriad years of restaurant experience between them – and it shows. Topolo might just be THE place to go for a romantic occasion in Mazatlan. Open for lunch and dinner. (www.habanerosmazatlan.com)
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