Dining Out With Friends
La Niña
Perdida
with Ron
and Addie
Habit
Written By
Larry J. Mickartz
Our Gilroy friends, Ron and Addie Habit, joined us for our second Dining Out With Friends adventure to La Niña Perdida (The Lost Little Girl),
a classical and refi ned Mexican restaurant in Morgan Hill. The menu was full of unusual and delicious dishes… and it was a restaurant well
worth a visit. The cozy space is decorated with brightly-colored, hand-crafted unique art and a full bar offers a marvelous selection of tequilas
and an array of authentic Mexican beers.
W
e started the evening with
drinks, Mexican Spirit Lickers.
Addie, ordered El Vernado
with the chili rim (Tequila Cazares
Reposado, Grand Marnier, Lime, Agave
Nectar, Salted Rim) and was transported
to a café on a beach in Mexico. Ron,
the straight man of the group, had a
traditional margarita. Ron coined his
phrase of the night, “good and fresh”
while enjoying his drink. J. Chris tried
a La Palma
(Tequila El Jafe
Silver, Coconut,
Agave Nectar,
Citrus, Chile
Rim.) She loved
the coconut fl a-
vor but was not
sure of the chili
on the rim.
Mindful of
the tequila sins
of my youth,
I chose a Estrella Jalisco…the old-
est beer in Mexico. It has only recently
been introduced in the U.S.. Watching a
Giant’s-Dodge’sr game, I had seen it adver-
tised on a stadium wall at Chaves Ravine.
96
Moving
on to the
appetizers,
small plates
or “Para
Empezar”
we ordered
Guacamole
Rustico,
Queso Fundido and Esquites. These
dishes set the tone for the evening…
wonderful, bright, unusual flavors! The
guacamole had big ripe hunks but was
creamy “like butter. With the salsa and
hearty chips, it was “heavenly.” We were
enjoying it so much our waiter, Dan, had
to remind us there was more to come.
The Queso Fundido was a Mexican take
on a fondue, thicker than most fondues
with mushrooms and chorizo. It was
served with small soft blue corn tortillas.
The earthiness of the local mushrooms
offset the saltiness of the chorizo…a
wonderful combination. One of the big
surprises of the evening was the Esquites
(Sweet white corn sautéed with onions,
jalapeno peppers, and epidote. Finished
with cream and queso fresco, a squeeze of
lime and a sprinkle of chili powder.) The
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
dish also, as Ron said, “good and fresh.”
We later learned that it is a common
street food in Mexico. We put decided we
would take some home to our respective
households!
While we waited for our main courses,
Ron and I sampled some beers. Cabezón
was light and refreshing with just a
hint of bitterness at the end. Jefezón
was heavier with a hint of non-sweet
caramel that went well with heartier
foods. The bartender, Armand, explained
that Mexican beers take on some of the
characteristics of the region…the water,
local hops and minerals.
Addie and J. Chris tried the bottomless
mimosas. They tested a few of the
champagne mixes: Mango, Passion Fruit,
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