La Fondita Restaurant

MÉXICO 🇲🇽

After undergoing a recent renovation and sitting empty for a while, the two story building here at the southern reaches of Woodside finally has a new tenant that has settled into the space. La Fondita is now a bit over one month old, and offers a bright and welcoming face both inside and out to 69th Street.

Recently while walking down to Maspeth, the hand-written sign below stopped me in my tracks from across the street and altered an entire day's eating plans. What is this you say? A mole from Guerrero? Wandering in to pick up a menu, a conversation confirmed that the chef was from this southern state. Usually known by outsiders for Acapulco and nearby coastal paradises, Guerrero is actually very mountainous and travel through it requires long rides on small, winding roads.

Because of limited options for work in Guerrero outside of tourism, it has been a source of many immigrants to the United States, but for the most part these folks have not made their way to New York City yet. Seeing a chef take the initiative is always exciting, and hopefully success can lead to an expansion of comida guerrerense on their menu.

On this day, some other plans were scrapped, and a plate of the mole tradicional guerrence ($16.95, below) was ordered and immensely enjoyed. Along with rice and beans, the mole comes out almost glowing, a bright red and deep burgundy somehow cohabitating. The sauce has a granular quality to it, thick with sesame seeds and half the spices in the pantry. The heat tickles the front of your tongue right on the first bite.

Recipes online seem to favor both pasilla and guajillo peppers, which would explain some of the coloring and roasted flavors as both are dried. On another visit the quest will need to include a list of important ingredients as the sauce is still lingering through my thoughts.

For the time being, this is the only item from Guerrero available, but the reply from the server hinted at the possibility of more in the future. This should be everyone's cue to go and show interest so that they know the market is hungry for traditional foods from the state. I remember a fresh and light green mole in travels through Guerrero as well and can only hope this makes its way to the restaurant.

Besides that sign in the window, La Fondita Restaurant could seem like any other run of the mill Mexican restaurant in the city with colorful green, white, and red papeles picados, the cutout banners hung from the ceiling, wooden Aztec art, and a corner dedicated to the Virgin of Guadeloupe.

For the foreseeable future you can also enjoy some live music on Saturdays, when the place promises to be very festive for drinkers. If and when some other menu items are added, updates will of course be right here.

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WOODSIDE Queens
49-11 69th Street

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