Food from Mexico's State of Jalisco on Main Street

El Alteño is at 323 Main St. in Watsonville in a lovely Spanish-style building. The name means "the highlander," for Mexico's mountainous region in the state of Jalisco. I arrived with a friend in the middle of happy hour, between 4-7 p.m. We were the only customers, and the restaurant felt a little lonely. We noticed, however, a very long table near the middle of the room, suggesting that large groups frequented the restaurant. We wondered if the setup was for a special event.

My companion ordered an appetizer, the Tostadas de Ceviche (crisp tortillas topped with marinated, raw seafood), along with the house chardonnay. The server brought her a glass of Woodbridge (Robert Mondavi), which was light and crisp, a decent wine. I ordered the Molcajetes (a meat stew), listed as a house specialty.

While waiting, we surveyed our surroundings. The main dining room was large, with a well-stocked bar. The ceiling was crossed with heavy wooden beams; the walls were painted dusky pink with the faux plaster patina often found in Mexican- and Mediterranean-style restaurants, creating a warm atmosphere. A side door opened onto an enclosed patio with tables sheltered under umbrellas. Our server told us that a Mexican barbecue is held outside on weekends when the weather is sunny.

The ceviche was served promptly. It contained three tostadas that were surprisingly large for appetizers. They were topped with large chunks of raw octopus and shrimp—lightly marinated with lemon—along with cucumber, avocado and lettuce. The octopus and shrimp were tender and clearly fresh. It was a very good deal for $4.50.

Served shortly thereafter, the Molcajetes consisted of chicken pieces in a stew of red salsa, onions, nopales (cactus) and melted Oaxacan cheese. It was served in the traditional heated lava rock mortar (molcajete). The meal was rich, spicy, and satisfying, and the price was right at $13.95; I would definitely order it again.

The dessert menu featured only 3 items: helado (ice cream), flan (custard) and platanos con helado (fried banana with ice cream, strawberry-mango sauce and coconut). We ordered the latter, to share. While the taste of the lone banana encased in crispy coconut bits was decent, and the ice cream (Marianne’s, from Santa Cruz) was very good, the presentation left a lot to be desired. The fried banana (which at first glance looked like a sausage) was flanked indifferently by one scoop of vanilla and one scoop of chocolate on each side, but not touching. The strawberry-mango sauce had no discernable taste and was drizzled on the top of the banana in a way that suggested that the dish was put together in a hurry. At $5, I felt we had gotten a better deal on the ceviche.

As we finished our dessert, the question of the long table was answered as a crowd of happy people began to troop into the restaurant—it was a wedding party. Other guests, who were not associated with the party, also appeared for dinner. The previously lonely dining room suddenly bustled with activity, talk and laughter. The two very busy servers were challenged but obviously up to the task.

El Alteño’s menu contains many seafood appetizers and a tempting variety of house specialties. The food we tasted was wonderful, served in generous portions and priced right. I hope that the desserts will receive as much care and attention in the future.

El Alteño is open Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 831-768-9876.