| Gay
Business of the Month: DECEMBER 2004 |
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PUNTO
Y APARTE
Amberes
62 Zona Rosa
tel
5533 5442
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Once
upon a time, the area that today is known as Zona Rosa was
an elegant and fashionable urban residential neighborhood
for the upper middle class. From the last decades of the
19th century until the Revolution in 1917, this
was the status address in town, and surviving
fragments of former glory can still be discovered
in-between glossy, over dimensioned and tacky examples of
contemporary Mexican beton and cement architecture covered
with screaming neon signs and commercial ads. Several of
the surviving Art Nouveau and neo-colonial buildings are
quite beautiful and one might often wish them a better neighborhood…
In
a newly renovated Art Nouveau building, the restaurant
Punto y Aparte opened a couple of years ago (2002?) and is
one of the area’s few examples of an attempt of a
relatively respectful renovation. The restaurant which is
located on the first floor, provides a nice environment
and seems to be frequented by Lesbians and Gays to an
almost equal extent. This is a cosy place for an intimate
dinner for two or a perfect place to pop in for an
afternoon drink and a little tête-a-tête with a friend.
The music volume is not too high, and allows for an
intelligent conversation across the table. Punto y Aparte
is actually one of the few gay places in Mexico City that
seems to have understood the true meaning of table
music…
Non
smoking visitors will appreciate that half of the table
are reserved for them, although their smoking policy may
seem somewhat ambivalent and confusing…
The
place is nicely furnished and decorated with matching
colours. It was almost disappointing to notice that the
flowers on the table were artificial… On the walls there
is a certain variation. Some of the standard kitsch and
framed posters that often are encountered in gay
establishment, yet somewhat out of place in this
environment in combination
with some glossy reproductions of pop art.
The
menu has a good selection. There should be something for
every taste. We have not nearly tried everything of
course, but several dishes look quite interesting, at
least promising. In particular the variety of pasta is
good. During one of my first visits, I had a fettuccini in
spinach and I must say it was delicious, although the
portion was not huge, but still fair. We should also
mention that pasta may be ordered in 2 person portions
too.
The
price level is high, also for Zona Rosa. Several dishes
were priced at 150 Pesos and upwards, and it is not our
impression that this is always justified, despite the good
variety. The quality of the served food does not always
meet our expectations, I am sorry to say.
At
our last visit, Agustín had already eaten before he
arrived and settled for a coke. Cesar and Lars only were
more in a snack mood and decided to try the empanadas de
la casa.
The service varies too. It is our distinct
impression that the restaurant needs more personnel.
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