5 must-have dishes
There is no better way to court reader outrage than to create a best-of list. Nevertheless, we at Los Cabos Magazine have decided to brave the storm and name five must-have dishes that are quintessentially Cabo. It’s a daunting task, and we are not so crazy as to call these dishes better than the rest—not when Cabo is also home to such fantastic menu highlights as Nick-San’s famous spicy tuna, Los Deseos’ tequila-style queso fundido, and king-size lobster at La Golondrina. Like many of our readers, we love the lobster burrito at the legendary Cabo Wabo Cantina and the seafood pasta at Romeo & Julieta.
And so we will instead spend the next couple of pages highlighting those must-have meals we tell our friends about; these are the repasts that can make us salivate from more than a thousand miles away. Please read on, then tell us what you think about our selections as well your favorite Cabo dishes over on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/loscabosguide.
Tortilla Soup at Mi Casa
Tortilla soup, also known as sopa azteca de la tortilla, is shrouded in mystery. Nobody knows where it came from, not even Mexican cooking authority Diana Kennedy. But Kennedy, like most, has a favorite style of tortilla soup. In 2005, she told the L.A. Times, “To be really authentic, the soup should have only a little white onion, raw not cooked, blended with roasted tomato.” She continued, “A tortilla soup without epazote is not worth eating, to my mind. But I’m a purist.” Los Cabos Magazine readers rightfully go gaga for the tortilla soup at Mi Casa, a Cabo San Lucas institution that has served up authentic Mexican cuisine for more than two decades. Our readers’ devotion is understandable. Mi Casa’s sopa de la tortilla is made with a rich broth of tomato, ground tortilla, and epazote. Cream, cheese, and avocado add richness, while chile pasilla rings spices up the flavor profile. Mi Casa, Avenida Cabo San Lucas S/N, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-8245, www.micasarestau rant.com.mx. Also: Calle Obregón 19, San José del Cabo, (624) 146-9263.
Almejas Chocolatas (Chocolate Clams) at Mariscos Mocambo
Whenever I find myself chatting with someone in the airport or on a plane to Los Cabos, I make the same emphatic suggestion: “You absolutely have to try the chocolate clams!” Known as almejas chocolatas in Spanish, chocolate clams are named for their uniformly brown color. Don’t worry: They’re not covered in chocolate, and they don’t taste anything like a Hershey’s Kiss. Instead, chocolate clams are large and meaty with a slight hint of brininess. You’ll find several types of preparations in Los Cabos, but I most enjoy chocolate clams when they’re served raw and in their shell: just as they come at Mariscos Mocambo, a Veracruz-style seafood restaurant in the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas. Make like a local, and top your chocolate clams with lime, salt, Huichol hot sauce, and soy sauce. Others sometimes add everything from ketchup to mayonnaise. Slurp directly from the shell or scoop with crackers, chips, or broken tostadas. Mariscos Mocambo, Leona Vicario and 20 de Noviembre, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-2122, www.mariscosmocambo.com.
The Slow-Cooked Beef Rib at Chamuyo Parillada Argentina
Chamuyo Parillada Argentina is an effortlessly chic amalgam of moonlit alfresco dining, a bold Argentina-sourced wine selection, and a menu built on a chef’s love affair with beef and garlic. Indeed, the experienced team behind Chamuyo—they also own and operate sister restaurant Corazón de Alcachofa—has introduced the best of Buenos Aires to Los Cabos. The setting is as sexy as a dance hall tango, and the high-protein menu would impress any gaucho worth his rebenque (“leather whip”). We are big fans of the parillada para dos (“grill for two”), which includes ribs, skirt steak, Argentine sausage, green salad, and a bottle of wine. The fried empanadas are mouthwatering, too. But nothing quite compares with the enormous 22-ounce beef ribs, which are grilled for an absolute minimum of four and a half hours to lock in the flavor and juices. The ribs are, simply put, amazing: unbelievably rich and tender. Want to sound like a real Argentine? Pronounce the restaurant’s name as “shamooshow.” It means, by the way, “to shoot the breeze.” Chamuyo Parillada Argentina, Paseo del Pescador at Acuario, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-4900, www.chamuyo.mx.
The Short Rib Pizza at Bar Esquina
The sexy theme continues at Bar Esquina, the sleek on-site restaurant at the darling boutique-style resort Bahia Hotel. The mystique of the Alhambra is in every detail of Bar Esquina, from its hanging lights to the exhibition kitchen’s tiled walls. Small tabletop flames dance about as a breeze sneaks its way up from nearby Médano Beach. Servers helpfully guide you an inventive menu crafted by Puerto Rico–born, Tennessee-raised chef Laurent Saussy. There are many, many winners on Bar Esquina’s menu: We’ve enjoyed everything from chilaquiles verdes to lobster spaghetti and spicy yellowtail. But it’s the short rib pizza that takes the wow factor to a whole new level. The perfectly crisp personal-size pizza is topped with tender short ribs, fresh arugula, and potent blue cheese. On our most recent visit to Bar Esquina, dinner companions—a chef at a competing restaurant among them—were so impressed by the pizza that upon sampling it, they immediately ordered two more. Taste one, and you’ll understand why. Bar Esquina, Bahia Hotel, Avenida El Pescador S/N, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-1890, www.baresquina.com.
The Canoa at Baja Cantina Beach
Our fifth and final must-have Cabo dish is not so much a dish as it is a concept. The owners of Baja Cantina Beach—and its sister restaurants, Baja Cantina Marina, María Corona, and Tiki Bar—did the near impossible and improved on perfection with the introduction of a canoa, or “canoe.” The canoe recreates a centuries-old culinary tradition, when long-ago fishermen would arrive on the shore and sell their catches. Today, guests at this Médano Beach waterfront restaurant and beach club are invited to visit Baja Cantina’s canoe and select their protein. Freshly caught options include lobster, shrimp, scallops, and in-season fish. There’s also imported USDA steaks and chops. You then tell executive chef Javier Galindo and his team how you would like your entrée prepared; servers will bring it directly to your table, accompanied by house-made bread, stuffed baby potatoes, and seasonal vegetables. While you wait, peruse the robust Baja Cantina menu, quaff one of the expertly prepared cocktails from the full bar, dig your toes into the sand, and look out toward Land’s End, the Sea of Cortés, and the starry night’s sky. After dinner, treat yourself to a selection from Baja Cantina’s collection of cigars. Baja Catina Beach, Médano Beach, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-1111, www.bajacanti nabeachclub.com, callcenter@bajacantinagro up.com.
