6 days of eating in Cabo with photos: 2007

[The Blissful Glutton]

Our annual family trip to the beach took us to Cabo this year. I am lucky to have Mexican parents who know their way around the area and cuisine. I am normally the one who chooses where we eat, but I just let my Dad do the organizing--I was not sorry.

Our first meal was at the ceviche bar at our resort, Las Ventanas. I chose the local white fish ceviche and a margarita on the rocks.

Fresh totopos (chips) and salsa for the ceviche

My ceviche--is there a more perfect food?

Random beauty

Whenever we are in Mexico, my folks load up on all their favorite goodies at the grocery stores. The great thing about the supermercados is that they normally have some food stands. We chose gorditas at Dona Tota--a chain.

Gordita guru at work

Good foods takes time

The finished product: gordita with beans and cheese

We then headed to a seafood spot called Rossy that serves huge cocktails full of local seafood and some amazing fried fish tacos.

Menu at Rossy

Aguachile: Raw shrimp, cucumbers, and red onions in a very spicy chile water. So fresh I thought the shrimp were going to jump off the plate.

Seafood cocktail full of snails, octopus, scallops, shrimp, and white fish. The fill the glass with chilled shrimp stock and you mix in of the many salsas at the table to your taste.

Fried fish tacos before and after toppings

Afternoon michelada with Pacifico

Dinner that night was an odd little place in San Jose del Cabo called El Chilar. They aim to be a wine an tequila bar with some very off-putting fusion dishes (e.g. pasta with cilantro pesto and ground beef), but there are a few dishes that are amazing. Great selection of tequilas and their sangrita is spicy and tart--a perfect compliment to the heat of any of their tequilas.

My Dad found this spot called La Fonda which features specialties from all over Mexico. Nice spot with an open kitchen and great service. I would definitely recommend it if you are in the neighborhood.

Sopes with green chorizo

Sope Aztec-broth is beneath the platter with all the toppings

Quesadillas with shrimp, huitlacoche, and squash blossoms.

Towards the end of my trip, we got very lazy and had lunch a couple of times by the pool.

Here is a photo of my lunch one day. That habanero salsa was killer.

My view at lunch

On our last night, we went to a restaurant called Don Emiliano in San Jose del Cabo for dinner last night and it was a big surprise. Seems the chef is a member of the Slow Food and her food was better for it. The thing I liked was how she featured dishes from her friends on the menu.

Antojitos platter

Closeup of the guacamole--grasshopper tacos, anyone?

Huitlacoche quesdailla--yum

My main was the lamb cooked underground in a banana leaf—so tender and delicious.

The chef makes a special salsa with chorizo fat and ten chiles that was so good, we asked for some to go which they were nice enough to put in a water bottle for us to take home.

It was a lovely vacation with plenty of good eats and I can't wait to go back soon. Our next trip is Asia in the fall/winter...stay tuned.

I'll leave you with some more random beauty from Cabo.

Edited August 11, 2007 by The Blissful Glutton (log)

[docsconz]

Excellent report, thanks! Don Emiliano looks like a must and Rossy is certainly on my list. Were the grasshoppers in the guac or were they an addition for a special dish? How were they?

[The Blissful Glutton]

Excellent report, thanks! Don Emiliano looks like a must and Rossy is certainly on my list. Were the grasshoppers in the guac or were they an addition for a special dish? How were they?

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Thanks. La Fonda is also a great option with a large menu so everyone found something they liked. We had a lot of food there and I liked the atmosphere. A welcome change from the tourist traps most people seem to end up in Cabo.

The grasshoppers were part of the dish. They were just ok--kind of smoky, earthy, and very crunchy. I had not had them since I was a kid, but I can't say I will be running to order them again.

Edited August 11, 2007 by The Blissful Glutton (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Any idea what the ingredients and ratios are for that habanero salsa?

[The Blissful Glutton]

I don't have an exact recipe, but do have one that I created over the years for when I make ceviche at home. The ratio pretty much depends on your taste and heat tolerance--there should be more onion than chile.

Working with gloves on, I seed and finely dice the habaneros and red onions. I then do a quick pickle (using a little sugar, water, white vinegar, and salt) and bring to room temperature before chilling until very cold. I like to make it a few hours before I plan to use it. Never fails.

I'll see if I can find a real recipe for you.

Edited August 12, 2007 by The Blissful Glutton (log)

[Genny]

Jennifer, thanks so much for sharing! We're getting ready for a trip down there and plan on stopping in Cabo so this is very timely! Is Rossy in the mercado as well? Could you PM me with general streets or address information for the mercado, La Fonda, Rossy and Don Emiliano?

Also, what is Huitlacoche? It looks like black cheese .

[dls]

Also, what is Huitlacoche?  It looks like black cheese  .

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Corn smut or fungus. Wonderful stuff.

[docsconz]

Jennifer, thanks so much for sharing!  We're getting ready for a trip down there and plan on stopping in Cabo so this is very timely!  Is Rossy in the mercado as well?  Could you PM me with general streets or address information for the mercado, La Fonda, Rossy and Don Emiliano? 

Also, what is Huitlacoche?  It looks like black cheese  .

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Jennifer, if you have this information, please post it here.

Huitlacoche is a fungus that infects corn. It grows between the husks and kernels. While not pretty, it has a subtle earthiness that is delicious and particularly prized in the Mexican kitchen.

[The Blissful Glutton]

Sure thing.

Rossy is not in the supermercado. I don't have the address for the mercado, but I will check and see. It looks like a huge shopping center in the center of town. You can't miss it. If any of these are hard to find, ask your concierge and they should provide you more detailed directions.

Don Emiliano: Website for Don Emiliano

La Fonda : Website for La Fonda with menu and address

Taqueria Rossy's: Open for breakfast through late lunch - until the fish runs out

Carreterra Transpeninsular KM 33 * San Jose del Cabo * (624) 42-6755

[docsconz]

Thanks!

[Genny]

Thank you Jennifer. I'll be able to find the mercado just fine then, it sounds like the one in Guatelajara. I've just seen many (on tv) that are for much smaller communities and appear to be tucked away more.

[docsconz]

Sopes with green chorizo

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Going back over your original post, this caught my eye. What is "green" chorizo and how does it differ from regular Mexican chorizo?

[The Blissful Glutton]

I asked the same question. The waiter told me that the green chorizo comes from Toluca and the difference between it and the red version is simply a matter of what chiles they use. I don't know what type though. The brightness of the green was amazing--it made me think that there must be some food coloring in it--and there was very little difference in flavor vs. the red chorizo. Hope that answers your question. I am still learning about all the different facets of Mexican cuisine. Even my folks, who grew up in Mexico, are constantly discovering new dishes on our trips. Ain't food grand?

Edited August 18, 2007 by The Blissful Glutton (log)

[docsconz]

I asked the same question. The waiter told me that the green chorizo comes from Toluca and the difference between it and the red version is simply a matter of what chiles they use. I don't know what type though. The brightness of the green was amazing--it made me think that there must be some food coloring in it--and there was very little difference in flavor vs. the red chorizo. Hope that answers your question. I am still learning about all the different facets of Mexican cuisine. Even my folks, who grew up in Mexico, are constantly discovering new dishes on our trips. Ain't food grand?

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Indeed and thanks again! I had never previously heard of green chorizo.

[dls]

I asked the same question. The waiter told me that the green chorizo comes from Toluca and the difference between it and the red version is simply a matter of what chiles they use. I don't know what type though. The brightness of the green was amazing--it made me think that there must be some food coloring in it--and there was very little difference in flavor vs. the red chorizo. Hope that answers your question. I am still learning about all the different facets of Mexican cuisine. Even my folks, who grew up in Mexico, are constantly discovering new dishes on our trips. Ain't food grand?

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If the chorizo is neon green, most, if not all, of the color comes from commercial food coloring. In the more desirable, and duller, green chorizo, the color is obtained through the addition of items such as chard leaves, parsley, spinach, etc.

Edited August 18, 2007 by dls (log)

[Peter the eater]

Fantastic photos!

I have to get me some huitlacoche - apparently it translates to "Raven feces".