Geoff G.
Yelp
Upon entering the colorfully painted restaurant we were greeted at the door, taken to a table for four, and given our menu. The first thing that became apparent was the affordability of the items on the menu. The Mexican peso is roughly valued at 20 pesos per U.S. dollar; roughly one peso equals a nickel, so we purchased several appetizers including ceviche, pico de gio, and creamy homemade guacamole as well as the traditional house salsa with light, crispy, white corn tortilla chips sprinkled with sea salt. All of these items were unique in their own way but also had a common theme among them: they were all served chilled, raw, and extremely fresh, exploding with flavor and freshness. I had never eaten raw shrimp ceviche, but the firm yet tender texture of the shrimp popped under the bite of my tooth and the juices of the raw shrimp cooked in the acids of the tangy lime, cilantro, crispy onion, celery, and seasalt were extremely addictive, and I instantly fell in love with the dish. The crisp cracker-like tostadas that came with the dish created a salty contrast to the cool, naturally sweet ingredients of the appetizers. This portion of the meal was unforgettable, but only served as a prelude to what was to come with the main course. we had not really sought out a restaurant on our journey about Cabo due to any overwhelming hunger; we simply wanted to experience the region through its diverse and unique foods. We soon achieved this goal. While we were seated waiting for our server to take our order, we continually saw one specific item pass by our table enroute to other customers in the restaurant: a large platter containing a reddish earthen terracotta-type of charcoal grill contraption that I had never seen before. As these items passed by our table, you could feel the warmth radiating from them: the pottery of the device containing the warmth of the burning coals yet allowing the aroma of the roasting seafood, the mixture of peppers, onions, and other vegetables sizzling in the butter and garlic, to escape into the restaurant's atmosphere. The smell and sizzling sounds emitted from that clay device were absolutely intoxicating. This charcoal-filled dome of delights represented everything that we had been seeking on our quest for the seafood of the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez, a taste of the region's fare. "We will have what they are having" is what we told our server. What they were having was a combination of charbroiled seafood that had just been caught that morning and delivered to the restaurant to be prepared. A combination of shrimp, lobster, and blue crab filled the plate on top of the terracotta grill, but the absolute stars of the show were the charcoal broiled octopus with its bits of blackened, slightly crispy tentacles and the firm, buttery Chilean sea bass. We had died and gone to heaven. Both of these items were like the firmest, most succulent piece of king crab meat that I had ever eaten, only better and for a fraction of the cost. They were absolutely decadent. We continued to gorge ourselves on this buttery feast.
Many would say that the most complete way to experience a culture is by eating the food of that culture. Not to overstate this, but the deletable meal that we had at the Mazatlan Restaurant that afternoon was literally life changing.
