opening remarks: - it’s been just over a month since andres marquez (milagro), howard dubrowsky (l.a.b.) and ernesto rodriguez opened their long awaited mexican restaurant, fonda lola, on queen west. before then, the trio had been popping up at various foodie events, bringing a #mexicanfiesta to places like abbey’s kitchen stadium and the world’s largest tequila tasting. -fl’s concept was born about 5 years ago, when andres met ernesto at one of ernesto’s restaurants in mexico. after ernesto moved up north three years later, they brought on chef howard to start scheming up a restaurant plan. eventually, they landed the former la fayette space and spent a grueling four months in hard-core renovations (believe me, i watched them all via my instagram feed). -the output all that hard work is now an intimate cantina embodying love, home and comfort. even the name itself, selected to honour ernesto’s grandmother (whose photo hangs on the wall), and andres’s great aunt, personifies this sense of warmth. ambiance: -with andres and howard manning the fort, ernesto went back and forth between toronto and mexico to hand-pick authentic décor to complete the 26- seat space. -signage is unassuming, but you’ll know you’re there when you see people peering out the window overlooking the street. the front foyer is protected by cloak, but if you sit near the door, you’ll know when guests arrive. i didn’t mind the random drafts so much because it otherwise felt like a warm night down south in there.-the first thing you’ll notice as you walk in is the mosaic of hand painted tiles brought back from mexico on one of ernesto’s trips. below the installation is a “tequila library” chest for storing patrons purchased tequila between their regular visits. -one of the restaurant walls is lined with thin corrugated panels selected to mimic the tin homes of mexico city. dividing the space between the aforementioned tin and a series of 1920s ceiling tiles reclaimed from a former-restaurant is a mexican madonna shrine lit up by dainty candles. -the room possesses an eclectic and rustic charm, reminiscent of a generations-old untouched home. hanging from the main wall are miniature cages filled with unusual charms and toys – a glistening red heart in one, and a luche libre (mexican wrestler) in another. the team inherited the mis-matched tables and chairs from the previous owners, and created the booths from stacked palettes and plush colourful pillows. even the hand-painted clay dinnerware holds that sentimental heirloom touch.-with the reclaimed wooden hutch on the wall, the eclectic cut out lamps, and the mass of huddled bodies sipping tequila cocktails, the bar is totally where it’s at. it’s hard to see on a jam-packed night like this, but the intricate bar top really sells the space. apparently, chef dubrowsky loves his arts and crafts, setting a collection of 1920s mexican miners certificates and antique cutlery in epoxy to yield a translucent surface upon which to eat. -in typical west end fashion, the demographic is largely 20 to 40 year old hipsters. it’s noisy in there once the party gets going around 9:30 pm, but would be appropriate for date night before that. we mainly saw a lot of groups of friends just out for a fun easy night. service: -service was casual, professional, and incredibly personable throughout the night. after a month of palm beach florida dining where arrogance is the norm, i was thrilled to feel like i could be a little cheeky with the staff. the fun, playful attitude of our server and food runners really matched the sassy attitude of fl. i don’t know ms. lola, but i would bet she’s a whippersnapper, too.-not only pleasant and personable, but the service also checked off all my boxes for efficiency and attention. our water jug was always full, our cutlery and plates were replenished as needed and we never went long without more tequila in hand. the bar and kitchen also work quite effectively with the rest of the team. our cocktails arrived only a few mere moments after ordering, and the pace of the meal was comfortable- top to bottommenuin about an hour and 40 minutes. i didn’t feel rushed, and i didn’t experience any lengthy waits. drink: -the drinkmenuat fl is not surprisingly, mexican themed, with 4 margaritas ($10.50), 2 sangrias ($10), 2 mojitos ($10), one beer on draft ($6), one spanish wine by the glass ($7) and 2 vqa wines available only by bottle (at least for now). -fl’s approach to mexican cocktails is unique in that they utilize unusual ingredients not often seen in other mexican themed restaurants – or really any restaurants for that matter. expect ingredients like locally produced kombucha (a fermented black tea with numerous trendy health claims), local maple water (instead of agave for fewer calories and sugar), and fresh finger limes the look like sour citrus caviar on the glass rims.prickly pear margarita ($10.50) daily special, kombucha margarita ($10.50) smoked horchata & tequila, kombucha margarita ($10.50) smoked horchata & tequila, red wine sangria ($10), tokito ($10) sake mint soda lime maple water, coco loco ($10.50) coconut water, kefir & tequila; if you’re looking for a hard-hitting speakeasy style cocktail, then this probably isn’t your place. all of the margaritas we tried had relatively similar flavour profiles, but with varying degrees of sweet, acid and heat. they’re all really easy to drink (eh, maybe a bit too easy!), but if you’re adverse to fruity or brightly flavoured drinks, then you may want to try a beer instead. if you like a sweet, girly, goes-down-like-juice drink, then start with the prickly pear margarita special, which was the sweetest of the bunch by far. ideally, i would have liked a little more acid to balance things out, but the other regular options were more successful with that. of the bunch, the kombucha margarita was the hands down winner which had a subtle nutty flavour to balance the sweetness from the fruity black tea and the bright citrus. coming in second for me was the sandia picante, which was sweeter than the aforementioned drink from the melon but with a slight kick of heat to balance it out. honourable mention for the tokito for avid sake fans, which had all of the familiar fresh flavours of a mojito but with the smoother flavour of the organic sake wine.food: -unlike a lot of the popular mexican- themed restaurants in the city right now, fl doesn’t just serve tacos a bunch of cheeky ways. actually, the only taco on the menu, you have to assemble yourself so themenudefinitely isn’t tex-mex or mex-asian or mex-italian here. fl offers a small, straight forwardmenuto showcases the native ingredients of latin america, many of which we often don’t see used in trendy toronto restaurants. -it should also be noted for those with strict new years resolutions that fl offers a number of vegetarian options (chef dubrowsky himself is a vegetarian), and 13 of the 14menuitems are naturally gluten free. - dishes are divided into “frio” (appetizers, snack foods and share plates priced between $5-8), “caliente” (your more substantial offerings at $5-14) and of course there’s a dessert for $9. if your dining as a party of 3-4, it’s definitely recommended you just keep things simple and order the whole thing- an option folks here call the #mexicanfiesta ! -themenuis written in the same cheeky, conversational, ironic narrative that you see played out in the space itself. to help illustrate i will transcribe verbatim a la carte. guacamole to keep you busy ($5) - addictive freshly fried chips waiting by a pool of silky guacamole and tangy tomatillo salsa. i know this is a petty thing to say, but i’m grateful they managed to get the chip to dip ratio correct- way too many restaurants seem to skew the portions one of either way which can cause some anxiety if you have mild ocd. i know i’m not the only one who thinks about this. ensalada de kale con chayote ($7) kale & arugula, caramelized pepitas & agave lime dressing - a truly delicious salad that will turn any kale hater into a fiend. the problem i have with kale is that the texture usually is very tough and resilient, so i feel like i’m chewing through heavy stock letterhead. here, however, the leaves had been delicately chopped and almost marinated with the sweet tangy dressing so that its suppleness contrasted with the crunchy chayote and the crackling pumpkin seeds. hand held cesar ($8 for two, we got 2 orders) boston lettuce, cesar avocado mousse, candied jalapeno bacon, cheese! - i’m not sure what part of mexico this dish originates, but lordy, it is good. the dainty yet sturdy lettuce cups encased a flavour-packed salad of creamy herbaceous avocado, lots of salty cheese and sweet spicy bacon. fyi- i’m totally copying this for dinner parties. trout aguachile ($8) rougher & caliente version of ceviche - a fresh and bright dish where the fat of the hearty trout seemed to disappear in the pool of fresh lime. i tend to gravitate towards acidic flavours, so this was definitely my style. candied bacon ($5) pork ok? - because the bacon on the cesar was not enough, we got to appreciate its wonder all on its own. oh heaven. the bacon they’re using is thickly cut, meaty and chewy – not the sad, flimsy, grizzly stuff i grew up with on sunday mornings (hey, i still loved it, i would never turn down bacon of any quality). there’s nothing more to say than that these boys know how to cook pig- the combination of salt, smoke, heat and sticky sweet is enough to make any vegetarian crack. quecas ($5 for two, we got 2 orders) aka mini quesadillas, stuffed with oaxaca cheese & huitlacoche - definitely one of our favourite dishes of the night. the cornmeal dough was light and crispy on the outside, and literally bursting with steaming cheese filling with the first bite. the huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on the husks of corn, had a rich earthy flavour, somewhere between a woodsy mushroom and starchy sweet corn. #mexicanfiesta or not, these little bites are a must order. frijoles ($5) the magical fruit, epazote herb takes the magical part out of it - as seen on the outskirts of the rice & bean combo here, the beans were well seasoned, with a surprisingly silky texture that didn’t leave that unpleasant chalky starch film in my mouth i sometimes get when i eat beans. also, apparently (as suggested by themenudescription) the addition of the epazote herb helps relieve the gaseous qualities of beans. fl suddenly just got a whole more date friendly. cinnamon chili rice ($5) yeah fancy rice - the rice occupied the middle of the aforementioned dish. while i can’t bring myself to devote too much time to rice, i will say the flavour was spot on. well seasoned, perfectly cooked grains with a nice spice balance of smoke, heat and comforting warmth. this is why cinnamon is my secret ingredient. green pozole ($7) hominy corn, veg stock, mexican aromatics, radish - a very light, bright dish. hominy is in my top 10 comfort food ingredients of all time, so scooping up the kernels up in my spoon was definitely a real treat. the thin broth was maybe a touch too acidic for me in bites i didn’t get any of the sweet hominy to balance it out, but i still really liked the layering of aromatic flavours. fl proves here that food doesn’t have to be full of fat and meat to feel like comfort. panela popper ($7) jalapeno marinated panela cheese, coated in corn meal - simple and addictive. i loved the mild heat of the jalapeno with the sweetness of the crispy corn meal, and the stringy yet meaty texture of the cheese. yes, please. taco al pastor ($10) pork with roasted pineapple - the pork here was tender, smoky and sweet, perfect with the candied pineapple to cut the fat. sweet and salty at its best.taco al pastor ($10) tofu with roasted pineapple - i’m no vegetarian but even i enjoyed the tofu dish. my general problem with tofu (other than that it’s not pork) is that it’s often soggy or chalky, but this had a nice firm texture that was pleasantly similar to meat. my only complaint with the al pastor offerings is that i had wished there perhaps were some more accompaniments for us to layer up our tacos. at the media party, i remember getting a dish of house made hibiscus jalapenos, which definitely took the tacos over the top. i would even just appreciate maybe some of their house-made guacamole, or a simple pickled veg, or more jalapeno bacon (okay, yes, i’m just trying to find ways to get more). regardless, i think a solid set of dishes for the price. pescado al mojo ($12) sustainable fishy-sauteed with garlic and pasilla & sweet potato puree - a simple, but well prepared delicious main course. the cod was nicely cooked and seasoned well (which is so important with white fish), and the flavour was neutral enough it didn’t compete with the luscious smoky sweet potato puree. these vibrant root veggies are not just for thanksgiving casseroles and southern pie, anymore. sweet potatoes can become incredibly sophisticated when hit with a little smoky mexican spice to offset their natural sugars. i also thought it was very reasonable price for a good sized dish.churros con cajeta ($9) - even a terrible churro is pretty delicious in my books, but these are definitely special. unlike most conventional mexican bits of fried dough, these are coated generously in a special blend of cinnamon, sugar, salt and three different peppers, delivering a satisfying kick and a nice balance of savoury and sweet. the star, however, was definitely the goats milk cajeta whipped cream, which was lighter and not as cloyingly sweet the typical straight up cajeta or dulce de leche accompaniment.closing remarks: -for 16 dishes and 13 cocktails (oy!) for four people, the bill came to $330 including tax and tip. at first glance, perhaps that looks like a big number but once you do the math and acknowledge how much tequila we plowed through (not to mention their drink prices are far below the west-end $15 standard), it was actually a pretty good deal.-i’ve finally tried everything on the fl menu, and can confidently say it’s a pretty solid spread. a lot of people may complain about small menus, but i say if it means you do every dish well, it’s worth keeping things lean. fl proves that mexican cuisine doesn’t have to be gimmicky or overly heavy to be successful. with good quality authentic ingredients and tried and true technique, the results will speak for themselves. what i particularly love about fl is that between the décor, the vibe, the food and drink and the service, fl delivers that feeling of home, even if home has never been south of the american border. so thanks fl for welcoming us into your cantina- i’m looking forward to another #mexicanfiesta very soon.