Bear with me on this one. First, I’ll tell you about one of my favorite Cuenca restaurants. Then, I’ll tell you about a couple of low-cost eating alternatives interlarded with cautionary tales about how to avoid the “gringo gouge.” I wrap things up with with a rant against cretins and a little political commentary.

Creta, in the upper level of Mall del Rio, bills itself as "a fusion of exquisite flavors" and the tag line lives up to my recent experience. Service is wonderful, the ambiance pleasant and the bill manageable.

Before I describe Creta’s menu, a word about prices in Ecuador: they’re going up and we’re seeing this especially in restaurants. The reason is the new 30% to 35% tax on imported booze, food items as well as other things the government, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that we can do without. A stroll through La Taberna liquor store might convince you, in fact, to start drinking Zhumir, the locally produced aguardiente –firewater in English. It’s still about $3 a liter. A better choice is San Miguel rum, also a Cuenca product, that runs about $4 a fifth. 

On to the menú. Creta’s entradas run from $4 to $6, and include calamares, camarones, carpaccio, ceviche and tartare de salmon. Ensaladas range from the Caesar to the Caprese, the latter made with real buffalo mozarella, and a balsamic vinaigrette for $4.80.

Creta also has a very good onion soup; it’s a locro, meaning is has a potato base. Other soups include an asparagus with crab and a seafood medley.

There are also some marvellous chicken dishes, ranging in price from $5.30 to $6, including a rolled chicken breast stuffed with red pepper and prosciutto in a delicious sauce with phyllo dough garnish.

And then, there are the usual pastas (always perfectly cooked "al dente").  The most expensive, at $7, is black fettucini with seafood sauce.

Fish dishes are very good too and are served with one of a variety of tasty sauces including fines hierbes, leeks and saffron and an orange sauce with Cointreau and macadamias.

Meat dishes run from $7 to $16 (the most expensive item on the menu).  For $16 you get an imported from New Zealand rack of lamb with a mint and naranjilla sauce. 

Creta’s great desserts all cost under $3. There's also a full bar and wine list. The prices do not include 12% IVA. The 10% service charge is figured into your bill.

Be forwarned about the sound effects at Creta. There’s a bowling alley next door and unless you aware of the fact you might think the revolution has started when the pins start falling. This can be particularly distracting when the piano player is on duty.

Creta is open daily from 10 until 10; upper level, Mall del Rio.

And another thing ...

Someone commented that I don't review cheaper restaurants (not entirely true, but they may have a point), so I decided to tell you about a couple that I have enjoyed ... with qualifications. The first is Pizza Clasica, located on San Sebastian Square, opposite the Museum of Contemporary Art (it used to be on Av. Juan Jaramillo downtown). My lasagna was delicious and my friends enjoyed their personal pizzas.

When it came time to leave on a recent visit, the owner, Luis, presented us with a bill for $42. Yes, we'd had a couple of drinks, but this seemed excessive. I asked for a breakdown: $6.75 each for the lasagne and pizza (actually $4.75 on his menu posted outside the restaurant), $2.25 for beer ($1.50 on the menu) and $3.25 for an inferior glass of wine. Either Luis thinks we're stupid gringos who will pay whatever is asked without question, or he is desperate for income. His explanation for bad math was that he was busy preparing a dinner for 20, which I didn’t think was true.

Another of my economy favorites is "Mi Bella Estacion" on Av. Heroes de Verdeloma, one of the few places in town that is open all day on Sunday. I often go there for the $2.25 almuerzo since they do a great job on soups. On a recent visit, we ordered a bottle of wine (Santa Emiliana) which was almost undrinkable and which used to cost around $4 (now $6.50) in the supermarket. When the bill came, the wine charge was $25!  Yes, you read it right, twenty-five big ones. After a fuss with management, we ended up paying $18, which is still excessive considering the quality of the wine. Once again, the "luxury tax" takes a bite.

Again, I have to wonder what’s going on. I understand that a a global economic meltdown is underway. Yes, Ecuador is battling for its economic survival, just as many other countries are. And yes, President Rafael Correa has to do something to stop the outflow of Yankee dollars, although I seriously question the effectivenss of the new import taxes.

I’m not sure how to solve the global or national economic crises at this point. One thing that those of us living in Cuenca can do, however, is to make sure we are not gouged by the local restaurateurs. Times may be tough and the luxury tax will take a toll, but we should not pay more than our fair share (the posted prices). Let’s all do our part to keep the good times rolling in Cuenca.