Besito
I had the pleasure of finally visiting Besito, Sunday, January 8th. This establishment is an authentic Mexican Restaurant located in Ardmore Pennsylvania (105 Coulter Ave. Ardmore, PA 19003) which is less than ten minutes away from Philadelphia. I was invited to host a private happy hour event there. I couldn't pass up this special opportunity. I've always driven by Besito but I haven't had the chance to stop in. When passing by, you can't help but notice it's beautiful exterior with umbrellas, outdoor fire place and the top looks like a pointed dome from outside. You have to see it for yourself.
Upon my arrival, I was taken aback by the decor and ambience of Besito. As you enter, there's a very nice bar near the entrance that showcases an extensive selection of tequila. When you turn around, you're faced with a gorgeous dining area. It has a high ceiling that's made out of eucalyptus wood/beams and there's a beautiful candle wall along the side. It made me feel as if I was at a home away from home. I met the manager, Ricardo, and he ensured that there was going to be a lot of fun in store for the evening. A few foodies, bloggers and a photographer accompanied me for the happy hour. If you're gonna dine with anyone, you have to be surrounded by people who love and appreciate food just as much as you do. It makes the dining experience more fun and guilt free. Indulge, unwind and be merry is what I believe!
As guests arrived, we started off with around of drinks and guacamole. One thing I admired about Besito is that they make their guacamole right in front of you. Our server, Eduardo, walked everyone through how it's made. We had non-spicy, medium and spicy. The spicy was my favorite. It was the best guacamole I've ever tasted. It was very fresh, chunky and the flavors from the cilantro, jalapeño and onions were amazing. One of the attendees who was never a fan of guacamole ending up saying how great it was. Bravo Besito for winning over their hearts with your fabulous guacamole! After that, an assortment of appetizers were served to us. We had the queso fundido (like a cheese fondue with queso Chihuahua and house-made chorizo), flatutas de pollo (crispy chicken tacos, one with salsa guajillo and one with salsa verde cruda), tacos de pescado (crispy fish tacos), taco de carne asada (grilled skirt steak tacos), tacos de camarones (crispy shrimp tacos), ceviche del dia (it was a sweet ceviche with shrimp marinated in citrus juices with apples, pears and grapes that were soaked in white sangria). I have to say that everything was outstanding! If I had to pick a favorite appetizer, it would be a tie between the ceviche del dia and the tacos de camarones.
If you thought that was a lot of food already, we had more coming up! We were served their iron skillet fajita style taco (With grilled chicken and a side salad that had jicama in it). Following that, we had filete de res (2 pieces of 4oz filet mignon with chipotle quemado salsa, queso chihuahua, plantains, topped with smokey pepper, cactus salad, cilantro, queso fresco). We also had Mole manchamanteles (salmon, plantains, drizzle of crema, pineapple pico de gallo with green apples). The salmon practically melted in my mouth. This was a top favorite of the evening. Next came Enchiladas Mixtas (chicken, steak, chorizo with plantains on top to sweeten it a little). The last entree served was a special dish by request, the enchiladas carnitas (pork carnitas with a tortillas on the bottom with a black bean jalapeño salsa, topped with bacon, queso fresco, cilantro and onions).
Dinner isn't complete without dessert Yes, we still had to make room for dessert! We enjoyed their fried ice cream and the pastel de chocolate (chocolate layered cake with a pomegranate cabernet reduction), Pudin de Chocolate (rich Mexican chocolate and European Chocolate and whipped cream with fried tortillas with a cinnamon sugar), and then we had the Tres Leches cake (vanilla sponged cake with whipped cream, blueberry and strawberries). To end the dessert portion, we enjoyed the Cafe' Agave (Patron XO cafe, Baileys, rimmed with condensed milk and crushed cookie).
Fun facts about Besito, every month there's a new item featured. Every week or every couple days a different ceviche is featured. When it comes to their fish tacos, it usually is made with the catch of the day. If you order a cocktail, they're made with different kinds of tequilas, 100% blue agave and made with the freshest ingredients. They also have a signature barrel of Patron which has truly been a hit. We were also told that every dish served at Besito has a story behind it. It comes from certain areas and regions in Mexico and this shows the strong passion behind Besito. For the non-meat eaters, they also have an all vegetarian menu for you to indulge.
Overall, my experience at Besito was more than wonderful. Words honestly can't express how great the hospitality was. The food was phenomenal and the love and authenticity was felt in each and every moment that we spent there. Besito is definitely a hidden gem in our area. If you haven't dined there yet, please do. I promise you they'll take you on one hell of a ride and show you Mexico through their eyes. Superb food, outstanding service and delicious cocktails. What more can you ask for! Thank you to Besito for hosting everyone that evening. And a special thanks to Ricardo Lopez, Eduardo, Chef Kevin Clements and Crista Patino for such an amazing dining experience. I'll definitely be returning! For more information about Besito in Ardmore, please visit www.besitoardmore.com/ardmore
