Family Affair At El Viento

The cool summer breeze blew gently; the cascading water created a refreshing sound, while the moon lent its glow to an evening sky.

That ambience greeted our family of five. We surely, could have just enjoyed the evening lazing around but found a table near the pool.

A few minutes after we sat down, courteous waiters and waitresses took our orders without much ado as my children already knew what to order.

My children would always settle for pepperoni pizza. There are however more on the menu, like barbeque duck, pizza Marco (similar to a vegetarian pizza), etc.  

The pizza came. Fresh ingredients, thin crust, cheese melting over it, cooked in a wood-fired stone oven.

In a wink, almost half of the pizza was gone.

A waitress came with a sandwich she called chicken salten buca. With specially baked bread, the dish had a certain tanginess that my son liked. He discovered it some weeks ago and since then, he couldn’t help ordering it every time he has a chance.

My daughter tried lasagna. After picking over it, she asked my help to finish her food.

While we were not looking, my 3-year-old son picked all the pepperoni from what’s left of the pizza and put them inside his mouth.

My wife asked if I would care for a rib eye steak. The succulent, tender steak was too much for my small stomach, so my son helped himself with my plate.

For drinks? There’s a variety of fruit juices, soda pops, wines and liquors at the bar.

The group Caliente began their evening gig. My son started to tap the table as if he was playing the drums and my daughter began humming a tune. Caliente was halfway through their second song when my daughter asks for a paper and pen to write her request for the group to sing.

My oldest son dictated the songs he wanted but my daughter demurely told him to get his own paper and pen. He found a paper and pen and scribbled some notes.

My three-year-old began to move about. He slipped past us, got to the edge of the pool and felt the water. He aimed the camera to our group and started clicking while the four of us held out breath and pray that the camera would not fall into the pool.

Another song…and before we could sing along, it was time to leave.

If you haven’t had a clue yet, my family and I were enjoying an evening at El Viento, the poolside, open-air restaurant of Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, enjoying the food, music and a perfect summer evening.