It is not often that I am smitten or impressed by a place. And this review is purely for the food. Located adjust the hustle and bustle just off Baga beach is Alex Bar & Restaurant. As you walk up the stairs to Alex you see the food offerings, which sets the tone for what the place is about, which is the food(like duh). The restaurant is no Michelin star, but in my opinion, food is not necessarily the best at those places either. After eating at about a dozen venues across North Goa, I just couldn't stop raving about Alex and decided to make a second stop soon (which I did).The chef of the restaurant is known to every boy and girl. She is the one that cooks us scrumptious food from childhood just for the joy of the one eating the meal. Yes, I'm talking bout Mom's traditional cooking and those secret recipes, made yummilicious with love. The chef is none other than Mrs. Gorrette, who was ushered into the kitchen to cook our meal as we placed our order. The masalas and the marinades are made in house by Gorrette, which is why it tastes so fresh and lively. We had our beers and conversations about the day. The atmosphere of the restaurant is relaxed and truly is the spirit of Goa(Susegad). You just have to lay back and take your time, to enjoy the life given to you. In fact even a sign reads so (Good food takes time, please be patient) and after a while the food came. Till this moment we were hungry after being disappointed bout the service at another popular joint and were at the peak of our appetites. The food was so good that we forgot about the wait. We understood the sign. We heard just what the food was trying to say, "Eat me, Cherish me, Remember me". It no longer was a restaurant to us. The place transformed to a distant relative's terrace, one that we met after a long time. We ordered just a simple chicken fried rice and the calamari masala fry. The squids we're cooked to perfection with an impeccable blend of flavors and spices.In my experience it has been only thrice that I haven't been able to decipher ingredients to the dish. The calamari masala fry is one of them. That's how rounded the flavors of the calamari are. That's what food is supposed to taste like. Every bite was an experience of food made with love and blessed from heaven from the very first bite to the last.Thank you Alex and Gorrette, you not only gave me an experience I craved for in Goa, but you increased my food acumen. One I will take with me to set the bar at all the places I go.P.S : For the record, this was the first restaurant I have ever rated a 5-star.