Appropriately located in Cabofornia this is a nice place on Calle de Tourista serving a mish mash of things with just a hat tip to Mexi-fare by offering Nachos and few enchiladas...big deal. There is some seafood, a burger, some pizzas and a whole lot of conejos that eschew going to eat where the gente goes.
It is set in the courtyard of the La Marina Inn formally owned by the late George himself who spent most of his time creating or sponsoring unbridled hedonism to the great delight of the first pilgrims to land in Cabo. The atmosphere now basically channels the legendary Tropicana Motel in Hollywood sans denizens of the night staggering through the door decked out in full outrageous regalia. A moment of silence for George and the denizens. You can check some of the open room doors in the Inn while you dine and see who got Cabo-lucky.
Are you craving really good Mexican food? Keep craving. Here, the pitch is seafood, fresh off the boat cooked by dudes as if they were fresh off the boat.
Don't be fooled by the ambitious menu, the kitchen can get aburrido in minutes.
The Vibe: Loncheria on steroids.
The Food: A canasta of totopos (chips to you in that new Guayabera Shirt) arrives
Mex-immediately which means after you've been there for 25 minutes. The chips are crisp and thicker than the store boughts. The Pico de Gallo that comes with it in a small ramekin is as lame and tame as Mike Pence. However, in all fairness, our server, a hale fellow, cheerily brought more baskets and more mini ramekins on request and these bar nibbles can be salvaged with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of sea salt. Alas, there is no heat to eat.
Menu memorized, specials recited, the orders go in. I ordered a Mariscos Bomba. Why? Because it just sounded good. A Flour Tortilla stuffed with Seafood Medley (always a scary ingredient as I think its the leftovers that didn't sell last week), deep fried with Black Beans and Cream. As most of my favorite food groups were represented I stepped up and asked to have this.
This was a beggar's purse of shrimp and scallops gathered together and tied with corn husk dental floss. The beans were blended to a gravy with a Star of David cream design to make all pretty. It was the best thing brought to the table all night besides the check. I wish the order had three of them, better yet, a Baker's dozen along with a straw for the sauce. I expected to be underwhelmed but the dish was elegant, sophisticated and interesting. A little dash of herby Epizote and a gentle kick like a mule wearing booties made this a wonderful dish.
The main event was fresh (fingers crossed), sorry ass Sea Bass with Mojo de Ajo (chopped garlic, butter and shredded Basil). It came with some sleepy carrots, mushy overcooked Spanish Rice and a mini pile of gummy Spinach Salad. The fish was crisp on the bottom from having held onto the grill for a click too long. Alas, the Sea Bass was flirting with being dry.
My error was in letting George do it. Would I race back? Probably not, by George. read more