Friday, July 06, 2012

roof in the road


I thought I had missed a disaster here in town.  A wind storm or an earthquake.

It appeared that one of my favorite restaurants (the Red Lobster -- not the abysmally mediocre north of the border franchise -- but the local trademark-infringing Mom and Pop operation in Villa Obregon) had suffered some form of mishap.  What had once been the palapa on the top of the building was now in the street.

Or, rather, the palm fronds that once formed the roof of the papa on the top of the building (not of the house that Jack built) was now in the street.

That is one of the odd things about renovation.  Whether it is done by nature or by owners, the result looks the same.  Like a disaster.  And that may be one reason so many people are afraid of change.  It simply looks disorderly.
 
But if I had looked closer, I would have seen the pile of freshly harvested and split palm fronds piled in their Niles Crane anal retentive orderliness next to the avalanche of soon-to-be-discrarded dried fronds.

I love the smell of freshly-split palm fronds.  It reminds me of a cross between mown grass and crushed Sitka Spruce needles.  Almost as if a bit of the Pacific Northwest had been re-packaged in a tropical bundle.

One of the nice things about palapas is that there is little waiting for "out with the old and in with the new."  By that afternoon, the project was done.

What had been so fresh and green on the ground had already started to fade into Tiki Lounge brown.  A day later, there is no green.  The palapa looks as if it has stood there in its eternal shade of tan.


By the way, the name of the restaurant really is just the Red Lobster.  Despite what the sign says.  It is not "to the Red Lobster."

When the owner had the sign made, he wanted the title in English -- to lure in language-handicapped northerners.  Like myself.  But his sign maker spoke only Spanish. 

So, the owner gave him a copy of a menu with the phrase "Welcome to the Red Lobster."  How only a portion of the phrase was transferred, we will never know. 

It is just another of those mysteries of Mexico.
 

28 comments:

Felipe Zapata said...

Hey, watch it, Bub! The Gringo Red Lobster was one of my mama's (RIP) favorite restaurants.

Irene said...

How do they put the palm fronds in place?  Are they woven together or tied to a framework?  

Steve Cotton said...

 I believe these were tied.  But I did not witness the construction.

Steve Cotton said...

I have similar tastes in my family  that tends toward Olive Garden.  But we do not speak of such things.

Shannon Casey said...

For the same reason as the restaurant being named " To the Red Lobster" I don't like it when I am given a menu in English in restaurants here. The translations are often so bad that you could understand it much better in Spanish.

Andean said...

A few years ago, when I was in Melaque, my sister announced to me she had made reservations for a large party at Red Lobster. I could just imagine the look on my face when I replied, "I did not come to Mexico to go to Red Lobster!"
I don't think I have to relate the rest of that story...

Steve Cotton said...

I wish they had stuck with "la langosta roja."

Steve Cotton said...

Funny you should say that.  I was in a Puerto Vallarta restaurant last year with friends and started to order in Spanish -- as I do in Melaque.  The Mexican waiter interrupted me, and rapidly said: "I don't have time for that.  Waddaya want?"  I could have been in a Manhattan deli.

Andean said...

I wonder if they even have an inkling...
It is nice to see that they care about the facade being presented.When I was there last I can say they had some very nicely prepared ceviches, one of my favorites, not everyone makes them the same.

Andean said...

When I was down around your area with my son last year, we went out for brunch and he said mom I can't read spanish, so I handed him the English menu. After a few minutes he handed it back and said, Apparently, I can't read English either...

sparks said...

They are either tied or nailed.  Mine were nailed

Steve Cotton said...

And it would be difficult to check on these.  The palapa is not part of the restaurant.

Daphne_Moon said...

It doesn't look very well insulated.  Their A/C bills must be through the roof.

Cineguy said...

WHAT?!! A Mexican not having time for social hour and Spanish lessons?  Unheard of...

sparks said...

You can always ask if that interested

Las palapas están clavadas o amarradas

Felipe Zapata said...

Olive Garden, my father's (RIP) favorite! What can I say? They were genuine Crackers.

Steve Cotton said...

In Puerto Vallarta, everything seems to be done in the northern European manner.

Steve Cotton said...

My goodness.  I think I can see the Space Needle from here.

Steve Cotton said...

Lucy already corrected my Spanish yesterday when I was inquiring about the palapa.  I should stop by for cross-examination.

Steve Cotton said...

And if I say much more, I will be slipping deeper into the mire of Niles Crane.

Nita said...

This has nothing to do with your Red Lobster. Just thought you might want to know it's "cherry time". Ate the first yesterday. Yummy as usual!!
 

Steve Cotton said...

Well, both cherries and lobsters are red.  Sounds relevant to me.

But I will miss the full season this year, I fear.

Tomrice said...

Saw the mention of the Maddow show and after reading the rest of the comments, went to see - and, guess what ad greeted me? - Red Lobster!

Michael_Scott said...

That's what she said.

Steve Cotton said...

Well, it appears that mediocre food and -- oh, forget it.

John Calypso said...

 I liked Red Lobster's biscuits ;-0  Just saying.

Babsofsanmiguel said...

Fun and reasonably priced place to eat when in Melaque.  They have good garlic flavored fish with rice and salad for very few pesos......YUM

Steve Cotton said...

It is a fun place. And one of the first places I ate when I first came to Melaque.