I find it de rigueur to begin with a margie at Mexican restaurants, as we did at Fonda, ordering their Cadillac ($16) with a salted rim. That’s Maestro Dobel Reposado tequila, Grand 
Marnier, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar. Fonda is one of chef and cookbook author Roberto Santibañez’s New York restaurant.
I suggest ordering a couple of their tasty apps with those libations, including the two soft corn tortillas filled with tender braised duck with smothered in a roasted tomato-habanero sauce with a soupçon of cream, (zarape de pato $12.95). The tlacoyo con hongos, their layered black bean masa “boat,” sound delicious, but our friendly waiter said the croquetas de jaiba were better. That’s three mostly lump crab 
croquettes each sitting a top a different sauce: avocado serraño, pickled jalapeño mayo, and a spicy — but not mouth-burning — habañero roasted tomato ($12.95).
I should have also listened to the waiter who tried to steer me away from ordering the ensalada de sandia. I didn’t as the description of the diced watermelon, cucumbers, queso fresco and chives tossed with lime juice and olive oil ($9.95) reminded me of the flavorful feta and watermelon salad that Food Network’s Too Hot Tamales Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken then from Border Grill introduced in the late 80s, I ordered Fonda’s version of that. Fonda’s version needed the spicy kick found in theirs.
Don’t miss the enchiladas de mole negro oaxaqueño three corn torillas filled with braised chicken, coated 
with stone ground Oaxacan black mole, chopped onions, cream, queso fresco, cilantro and sesame seeds($23.95). Also try the salmon en pepita, requesting that they slightly under cook the salmon. Ours was a bit overcooked, which sadly is something I’ve been seeing more and more of around town. The pumpkin seed crusted Atlantic salmon fillet topped with watercress came over roasted Brussels sprouts with diced bacon and a pineapple salsa verde ($25.95) Good flavor.
Chocolate lovers may like their morenitas, their bitter-sweet chocolate brownie drizzled with cajeta sauce, ($9) generally served with vanilla ice cream. We asked them to skip the ice cream as we also were sampling their kitchen-sink sundae. That sundaisito ($15) came with chocolate, vanilla and salted caramel ice cream topped with a piloncillo and guava sauces, whipped cream, peanut brittle and chocolate cupcake crumbles ($15).
Be sure to end with a café Mexicano ($9), coffee topped with a bit of whipped cream with a side of Kalua to pour in. Yum.
– bonnie
Fonda
Chelsea
189 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(917) 525-5252
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