El Mexicano, Clifton NJ

El Mexicano

Clifton, NJ

The Clifton downtown area, as with most NJ towns, has struggled to maintain its downtown businesses ever since malls and franchise restaurants dominated the shopping/entertainment/dining industry.  New restaurants especially have had a hard time getting a foothold.  I'd say things have been turning a corner in the last two years or so.  El Mexicano has been one of few with staying power, which is saying a lot. Furthermore, there has been a goodly influx of central Americanos here in the area--- putting the two together, we anticipated that this place would be above average.

And so on one fine Sunday evening, we checked it out.  It wa pretty crowded and very festive (lots of lights, music and very happy people).  The wait staff was dressed in jeans and honest-to-goodness gaucho hats.  A promising start indeed.  

House sangria.  Was not very flavorful (from a mix?) and was on the weak side, in fact.  That's ok, because sangria is more Spanish than Mexican.  I was willing to give this slide.  

The highlight of the night was the mariachi band (on Sundays)... they were singing a very rousing birthday song for one of the tables.  This was one of the several happy birthday songs we heard that evening. 

The menu itself was not too impressive, and by no means was authentic.  Which jarred with our initial assumptions about the place.  And so here's my vegetarian burrito.  I could have used more guacamole and sour cream.  It was quite meh (the filling was also from a mix?), the paltry salsa was devoid of flavor, and I think was too pricey for what it was. 

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show
http://www.theflowershow.com/home/index.html

The Philadelphia Flower Show is an annual extravaganza of the showiest flora in these parts.  Part showcase, part keen competition and part smorgasboard of plants, seeds, flowers, etc., it's a huge draw for this time of the year (early March, about the time everybody's heartily sick of winter). 

This show is venued at the Philadelphia Convention Center, and this is a pretty big place.  If you want to check it our, definitely have comfy shoes and be ready to brave the crowds.  Weekdays are the better times to go, when there are less people.

And bring cash too... it seems to make the transactions (especially at the marketplace) smoother!

Hall A of the Convention Center has the big exhibits.  This year's theme was "Passport to the World"

Bamboo forest.  This was designed by a landscaping company, I think.

Live music and sexxy dancers!

This giraffe is made of knotted pieces of willow and has orchids in vases suspended all over.  Very pretty!

Hall B is the main draw, and has the prizewinning exhibitions.

Urn design.   What's nice about these collections is that the plants are labeled.  The competitions are the best place to scope out the upcoming trends and new plant varieties.  Last time we went (I think two years ago), the big-leaf begonias were all the rage and were selling at a premium.  Nowadays, you can pick some of them up in your local Home Depot!

Window box entry.  This one has a lot of tropical flair.

Front porch entry.  It even has a little front lawn!

These next few pictures are of pressed flowers and plant material.  There is also a separate category for jewelry design, with the main elements comprising only of plant material (seeds, flowers, etc).   

This grabbed the blue ribbon for its class... the judges critiqued that the sky was "too busy" and detracted from the overall picture.  I think it's perfect, though.

These next few pics are entries in the miniature setting category.  The one above is an interpretation of "Eloise at the Plaza."

I liked this one a lot; it really looks like it's an overgrown ramshackle spot in the woods. 

This one was really funny.  I like how the stated intent begins,"For sale 1967 Chevy..."

Here are pictures of some of the entries that we really liked:

This one looked as dead as it did in real life.  Or like a stealthy underwater creature. Very spooky.

This looks like something that would belong in Dr. Seuss' world.

Doesn't this one look eerie too... it looks like a naked person curled up and crying.  

This one is just so symmetrical and so beautiful!

Male (left) and female (right) forms...

The two pictures are teeny-weeny plants that were just simply perfect.

Of course orchids are well-represented. 

DJKung liked this one; it reminded him of little flies hovering about.

And if nothing else, Hall C is their awesome marketplace, where you can get lots of fresh flowers, bulbs, seeds, indoor and outdoor plants, and loads of garden and home accessories.  I must say that this is really the highlight for me, because there is just so much on sale and the prices are fantastic. 

That said, depending on your fortitude, the last day of the show is either the best day for bargains, or the worst.  Best, because everybody's trying to unload their merch (less to bring home, because the vendors here are really from all over the country).  Worst, because everyone is out to get deals and it can get a bit hairy.  I was witness to a meltdown this one lady had when told that the three-dozen-roses-for-ten-dollars sale did not appear exactly at 3:00 pm, as promised.  This lady was almost threatening bodily harm to the staff (for grocery store-type roses, mind you...).