This post is sort of a tribute to the amazing meals we had at La Calenda, Thomas Keller’s Oaxan Mexican restaurant. We loved the restaurant so much on our first visit, we came back on our last day in California before flying back to Hong Kong. Little did we know that in just one more month, the restaurant would close for good. 🙁
Some fond memories:
The Food
Of course the food was amazing. The corn tortillas are all freshly made, and the ingredients are top notch.
We loved everything we tried, from the green salsa breakfast nachos to the beef tacos with dipping sauce.
The Service
The server Juan was soooo friendly. He gave us very honest suggestions on what dishes to order. We loved everything we tried.
I was so excited about the beef dish that he even emailed me his family recipe for that dish. (It looks complex, and I think I am going to have a hard time finding all the ingredients for it in Hong Kong, haha.)
I even ordered some of the freshly made corn tortillas to go, which they lovingly vacuum sealed for me so that I could freeze them in Hong Kong.
The Ambiance
They had a lovely outdoor patio, which is where we chose to sit both times we went. The inside space is festive and nice too, and you can watch the open kitchen make tortillas, roast chickens, cook things on the grill, etc.
A SURPRISE
One of the best surprises? We saw a RAINBOW while eating outside the second time we were there. It was such a gift, and that memory of La Calenda will always stay with me.
I worry about all the workers that were at La Calenda. I do hope they all landed new jobs in the area. The second time we went back to Yountville in March, we noticed that the La Calenda space is still empty and not yet filled by anyone else, YET.
I still dream of those tacos and nachos!
La Calenda (now closed)
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