Bruce, a self-proclaimed margarita connoisseur (I had no reason to doubt him!), and I visited the new Mexican restaurant in West Hartford, Puerto Vallarta, on the first stop of our quest to uncover the best margarita in the Hartford area. It was a cold, late January evening, and we were glad we'd agreed to meet at the Mexican restaurant at 5:30 p.m., as by 5:40, there was already a line forming in the crowded entryway.
Puerto Vallarta, located at 980 Farmington Avenue (860/231-1612), had only been open for a few weeks at the time. The spot was formerly a German restaurant--Edelweiss.
The Margaritas
Puerto Vallarta's margarita menu had five "flavors" to choose from: Original, Gold, 1800, Miguel's, and Saul's. Bruce opted for Miguel's Margarita, which featured Tequila, Cointreau, Triple Sec, fresh lime juice, and a splash of Grand Marnier. I went with the fruitier Saul's Margarita, which had Tequila, Triple Sec, orange juice, margarita mix, and a float of Grand Marnier.
For $6.00 a pop, we were disappointed with the size of the drinks, though the cactus glasses were "cute." Bruce said his margarita was overloaded with "mix." Mine was a bit better, but strong.
We were glad that there were other beverage options, including Negro Modelo ($3.75), a dark beer imported from Mexico that Bruce compared to a cross between Sam Adams and Guinness, and, for the adventurous, even a flaming shot called a Mexican Flag ($3.50) that Bruce said tasted "like toothpaste" and must have had something the likes of Peppermint Schnapps among the layered ingredients that gave it that "Mexican Flag" color scheme and appearance. We didn't have a whole lot of time to "analyze" the drink, as the waiter who brought the flaming glass to us warned that the glass would get too hot to handle if the flame wasn't quickly extinguished!
The Chips and Salsa
I'm always happy when the chips and salsa are free and abundant at a Mexican restaurant. The salsa that our waiter brought to us originally was mild and tomato-y, very good, but we decided to request a "hotter" salsa as well and were very pleased with the picante he gladly brought us, though as Bruce said, "it catches up to you." Don't be afraid to ask for something spicier if that's your preference. Our chip supply was replenished without our asking, and our waiter even offered to bring us more chips at the end of the meal.
Appetizers
The thrill of our evening was our appetizer selection from the Specials menu, a half portion of Camarones al Mojo de Ajo ($8.45), a marinated prawn and mushroom concoction that was very garlicky and lick your lips delicious. We decided we'd have been happiest had we ordered the full-size portion as an entree.
I also ordered La Tortilla soup ($5.00) from the regular menu. It was served piping hot with crispy tortillas, chunks of chicken, and a healthy topping of shredded cheese. Other appetizer options from the regular menu included:
California Quesadilla ($6.25)
Large flour tortilla filled with your choice of chicken, beef, cheddar cheese, or homemade Mexican-style sausage topped with melted cheese, tomatoes, onions, mild peppers, guacamole, and sour cream.
Nachos with Baby Shrimp ($6.90)
Chips, jack cheese, shrimp, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, and onions.
