La Siringitu
October 5th, 2006 by Laura_P
1501 Mountain Rd NW
244-9105
Wed-Sat, 12-7
*****Closed, no knowledge of it’s return******
Last week, a friend, my eight-month old daughter, and I headed toward Old Town for dinner at La Siringitu, a vegetarian café at 15th and Mountain. First off, when you walk in the door, you feel at home. Literally. The floors are wood, there’s a fire place in the corner, animal-themed knick knacks fill the window sills and shelves, and the tables are arranged across hardwood floors as though for a holiday dinner at your favorite aunt’s house. Diners can also peak right into the cook and prep area, where a curtain is held back for those nosey enough to wander in (or actually, for those confused enough to wonder if there’s more seating beyond the curtain.)
The night we ate at the café, jazz piano was on the stereo, only one other table was occupied, and a shy-seeming, smiling young man was running the kitchen and the dining room. He was obviously short-handed, but didn’t come across as harried or hurried. And with the homey atmosphere, good music and clean décor, we were more than willing to wait for some home-cooked vegetarian fare.
I ate the jambalaya rice boat for $3.50. It was delish. Plain and simple and good. I also had a soft taco with black beans, garnished with lettuce, tomato, cheese and salsa ($3). Nothing to write home about – especially here in New Mexico – but it was tasty and fresh.
My companion had the Soul Food Mix-It-N-Match ($8.50). Diners can choose from BBQ tofu, mac and cheese, fresh veggies, yams, black eyed peas, jambalaya rice, mixed leaf salad or the soup de jour, and my friend choose the veggie mixture (decent, but “unsatisfactorily seasoned”), mac and cheese (“good, but not too heavily cheesed”) and the tofu BBQ (“great”). She’d hoped for some black eyed peas, but the kitchen was out of them that night.
Other items on the menu we’d both been tempted by: hummus with pita bread, seasoned curry tofu salad on a bed of lettuce and assorted veggies and the cucumber and tomato medley (The most expensive plate is $6.50). Sandwiches and wraps include BBQ burgers (vegan or vegetarian), BBQ tofu with veggie bacon and fruits and veggies, sea weed wraps, PB and J, grilled cheese and an African Burrito – none of these exceed $8 in price, by the way. The café also serves customized smoothies and desserts, including fried plantain.
Overall, the food is good to great, though the portions are probably too small for your average American diner who’s used to overflowing plates and leftovers. But that was a big part of the appeal for us. We left La Siringitu feeling satisfied, not stuffed, relaxed, not hurried, and ready to come back another day.
Taste:
[rate 6.5]
Service:
[rate 8]
Ambiance:
[rate 8]
Overall Reader Rating
[ratings]
