Casa Ortega — Restaurant in Town of Wappinger

Two of the best meals I've ever eaten have been at Casa Ortega. I'm over sixty, dine out regularly, know how to cook and have spent time in Mexico, and the food at Casa Ortega is the best Mexican food I've ever had. In Wappingers Falls and Poughkeepsie, towns saturated with Mexican eateries, Casa Ortega distinguishes itself by the quality of its dishes. The cuisine explodes with flavor - subtle, intriguing, complex - and tantalizes with texture and color. The poblano pepper stuffed with quinoa, mushrooms and pepitas, and topped with crema and queso blanco, was served over one of the best tomato sauces I've ever tasted. This hearty dish, green and red like Christmas, was equally delicious reheated the next day. The shrimp stuffed with crab meat that I chose on our second visit was just as delectable, accompanied by a zesty red-and-yellow chipotle sauce and served with a substantial side of mashed potatoes and spinach. The spinach was barely blanched, so that it was still bright green and at its most flavorful. Our brisket-filled, corn taco appetizer was also just right; the meat was slightly charred and the sliced radishes, chopped avocado and lime wedge added punches of color, silky softness and crunch. The icy coconut, watermelon and mango sorbet trio we sampled for dessert was refreshing and served with a bold fruit compote: diced mango and bits of blackberry dredged in salt and what may have been balsamic vinegar. Skilled chef Fermin Ortega serves up bites of heaven on a plate. If this small restaurant was packed by the time we left, it's...

The kitchen is great, the price maybe reasonable but not as far as the cocktails went. The cocktails were not made well, I ordered a margarita and it tasted like an orange popsicle. I sent it back only to be disappointed again. The wait staff was never around to check on me, the service was not only dismissive of an requests, but they were not cleanly and would bus old plates, silverware, and glasses, allowing them to pile up on the tables. It created a chaotic and uncomfortable atmosphere that made my experience unappetizing and inconvenient. There was no host present upon arrival because the service seemed more preoccupied with socializing in the back than tending to thier customers. It seemed like no one was aware they were on the clock. It's sad because this was restaurant came highly recommended but the lack of service made reasonable pricing not worth the hassle. After having to send drinks back, and politely trying to communicate I received no compensation for both my time and patience. I heard these drinks were good but that was a while ago, when i finally went to check it out I found that that is certainly no longer the case. Would not recommend unless you're looking for a sub par dining experience. And a "below par" "mixologist." The lack of attention to cleanliness in the dining space has to make one wonder if it was the same...

Waited 25 minutes to get the Cocktail Specials, which were highly recommended, then they went to the wrong table. At that point they then had to remake them. Of course we waited another 10 minutes to get them finally served to our table. Bartender couldn’t have cared less! While they were tasty, they lacked any noticeable alcohol. By that time though, we had already finished our appetizers. Our server, who was terrific and understanding, did her best to keep us happy. Then the bartender came walking over to our table with a shot, we’re thinking she was hoping to make good on her inadequate mixology abilities, but to our surprise, she began to explain that the jalapeño infused tequila in the cocktail shouldn’t have a tequila taste! Evidently she knows better then we do. Except we know tequila! We added the shot to our cocktail and it certainly then tasted the way a proper cocktail should. While we understand the constraints of a new opening and the need to figure things out, there is definitely room for improvement and hopefully the focus will be on the bar staff! I’m sure there are more qualified, authentic candidates out there. Besides that, the meal was pretty good. We’ll give it another try, but if we walk in and the same bartender is there, then it’s...