Cabo’s most
indulgent dishes
BY SANDRA A. BERRY

Sometimes you just have to spoil yourself. That’s especially true when you are on vacation in Los Cabos. Now is the time to indulge. This region is rich in restaurants with wickedly delicious temptations, so why not be a little daring, even naughty? Enjoy succulent seafood, bountiful breakfasts, and creative cuisine with just the right amount of spice to give you an adrenaline rush. Just be warned: These dishes will likely have you coming back for more.

Start with breakfast at Solomon’s Landing (www.solomonslandingcabo.com). The strawberry-banana French toast stuffed with cream cheese and smothered in strawberry compote is beloved by locals, and considered by many to be a hangover killer. This was the favorite of Food Network’s Guy Fieri on his popular show Diners, Drive-ins & Dives when he visited Cabo.

Speaking of the most important meal of the day, some may consider having cheesecake for breakfast overindulgent. Not I. This is just the perfect amount of indulgence with a cappuccino at Pan di Bacco (www.pandibacco.com).

We’re not talking about just breakfast sweets or desserts. La Dolce Ristorante Italiano (www.restauranteladolce.com) caters to various cravings with its antipasti. Think sautéed mushrooms with garlic, red pepper, and white wine or sautéed calamari rings and shrimp.

There are main dishes served at Pitahayas (www.pitahayas .com) that are healthy enough for an Olympian, but they taste absolutely sinful. The explosion of flavors between sweet and salty in chef Volker Romeike’s roasted seabass is a perfect example. It comes served with sweet potato ginger mash, sautéed vegetables, red beet mole, and lemon marmalade. The pork belly at Pitahayas is another wonderfully overboard moment: jalapeño-honey glazed pork belly with plantain mash and Hawaiian barbecue sauce accompanied with Asian ratatouille.

Chef Paolo della Corte touts his baked porcini oyster dish made with fresh local oysters, porcini mushrooms, and drizzled with truffle oil at Sunset da Mona Lisa (www.sunsetmonalisa.com) as being over the top in decadence.

At Vela Restaurant in the Hilton Hotel (www.hiltonloscabos.com/indulge/dining/vela), executive chef Mauricio Lopez recommends the eggplant Parmesan. Offered as an appetizer, it is fried in extra-virgin olive oil, layered with creamy burrata cheese and topped with Parmesan. He says that if you want to truly sin and are a fan of beef, the 22-ounce aged rib eye is a must, along with cauliflower crème brûlée. A dish that appears sinful but isn’t really is Vela’s mole linguini, a true delicacy. Devour shrimp with black and white pappardelle pasta with pesto (as long as cholesterol isn’t a concern). The aromas and spice will stimulate the senses with a rich feeling of aroma, texture, and great taste. And all of those with a weakness for cheese and butter just have to go for the hearty, buttery mushroom risotto porcini.

There is a dish at the Japanese restaurant Daikoku (https://loscabos.daikoku.com.mx) called gyumeshi-don that has thin slices of rib eye steak and vegetables on top of white rice with a sweet house special soy sauce. It’s healthy, but tastes anything but. My favorite treat there is the baby soft-shell crab; it’s a nightmare for those watching their cholesterol but oh so good. I know I cannot eat it often, but when I do, I am in heaven.

The same goes for the way I feel about the lobster at Baja Lobster Company in the Golden Zone (www.goldenzonecabo.com). I also love the shrimp tempura at Nick-San (www.nicksan.com). Add some veggies to your order, and you won’t feel so guilty. Give thanks for the pork shanks at María Corona (www.mariacoronarestaurant.com); they’re marinated in achiote chile, orange juice, and spices, then rolled in banana leaves and slow roasted. Avocado is rich in good fat and absolutely delicious stuffed with shrimp at El Coral (624-143-0150) as well as at Cabo Wabo Cantina (www .cabowabocantina.com) and Solomon’s Landing. Don’t hold back on ordering Mexican food because of the caloric content. One of the reasons you’re in Cabo is to indulge in probably the best chile relleno in all of Baja at Pancho’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar (www.panchos.com).

As surprising as it may sound, Los Cabos has an overabundance of excellent authentic Italian cuisine. We’re especially fond of the pizzas offered at Romeo & Julieta (www.restaurantromeoyjulieta.com), Pan di Bacco, Captain Tony’s (www.piscesgroupcbo.com), and Sunset Point (www.sunsetmonalisa.com). You’ll find everything you could imagine, from veggie-forward pies to those that celebrate the bounty of the sea and other bold flavors.

Skip the main course and hold nothing back with a supreme dessert. We think of desserts as being sinful, and chef Paolo della Corte of Sunset da Mona Lisa makes an incredible one with caramelized bananas, sweet milk, and lime and banana ice cream. Tiramisu is decadence defined, and it can be found at the multitude of Italian restaurants around Los Cabos, including Invita Bistro (www.invitabistro.com) and Alcaravea Gourmet (www.alcaraveagourmet.com).

Go for the gusto with the French Riviera’s (www.frenchrivieraloscabos.com) selection of pastries and breads in a glass case. And, of course, you can’t pass by Señor Sweets (www .senorsweets.com) in the Puerto Paraiso shopping center without sneaking a peek at what is behind the counter. Campestre Restaurant Bar (www.restaurantcampestrecabos.com) puts on a fabulous light show with their flaming desserts, as does Daikoku. A surprising list of house-made desserts awaits at Cabo Wabo with banana bread pudding and chocolate and caramel tart as an example. But, first try its decadent coconut shrimp with ginger and soy sauce and sautéed mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese, dried chiles, and herbs.

Want to be bad, really bad? There are perfect wines to go with sinful food at spots like Cabo Wine & Jazz (www.cabowineandjazz.com). While indulging in house-made ravioli in a creamy sauce, sip a rich blend while listening to jazz. Sunset Point boasts hundreds of wines from all over the world to pair with their indulgent pizzas, while Pancho’s offers an impressive selection of tequilas that go perfectly in margaritas.