Cabo baby!

Ah, the beauty of Cabo San Lucas is hard to describe to those who aren't familiar with the area.

Cabo San Lucas is the town at the southern most tip of the Baja California peninsula, aka Baja California del Sur. It is a town of rising mountains, sandy beaches and sunshine almost year round. The rich and famous are attracted by the posh restaurants and resorts but also the massive marina that can harbor some pretty spectacular super yachts. The rest of us like Cabo for it's sunshine, quiet daytimes and raucous nightlife.

I've been going to Cabo for over ten years. I've gone with friends and family and have come to feel like it is a second home. That being said, the last time I went was four years ago before my most recent visit and things were definitely different. Applebees, OfficeMax, Costco and many car dealerships had popped up along Rt. 1, the main highway/corridor, taking away from the authenticity of the area's Mexican heritage (in my opinion.)

Regardless, San Jose del Cabo, the sleepy town where the airport is, has much to offer of a more traditional old-town mexico feel. Seeing as how the place I stay is closer to this San Jose, that's where we spent most of our evenings out.

We started at the Sardina Cantina on the corridor near Trader Dick's market in San Jose.

Strangely, this little cantina resides in a mini-strip mall on the main highway, in between the two entrances to El Coral Baja Resort in San Jose del Cabo. It used to be a tired diner-type bar which served quesadillas and tacos. Nothing to write home about. Under new ownership, there is now an outdoor terrace and a refurbished interior that is sophisticated and sheek. The menu has a very fresh approach to local foods with specials that are to die for; the Grouper with a lime/caper sauce was magnificent. This was a great start to our vacation.

The following day was raining which almost NEVER happens in cabo! So, we went into Cabo San Lucas so I could show a friend around. The Cabo San Lucas marina is much more developed and again, shows off a clean, crisp area that sort of oozes money. Cartier has a shop right on the marina, and was within view of the patio of the restaurant we chose for lunch, Senor Sweets.

I really can't say this was anything super special though the people-watching was magnificent! The restaurant may not have stood out because we were smart enough to not bother with dessert which seems to be their specialty. Instead, I had a sandwich and my friend had a salad served on top of a pizza. It was good, but plenty of other places to get a good meal so this isn't a "must" on the list of stops.

That evening we went to Mi Casa though.. and let me stop and say this is a MUST VISIT restaurant. The main dining courtyard is outdoors, covered over with a canopy of trees from which basket lanterns hang. There are mariachi bands and a caricaturist who walks amongst the tables for entertainment. Some nights, there are even flamenco dancers and balloon artists - clearly a restaurant that is also very suitable for children.

The reason this is a MUST is the food... the homemade corn tortillas are served warm with an array of salsas as you sit and wait for LARGE margaritas that come perfectly mixed...

The menu has mexican favorites like Enchiladas Bandera ("flag") which are one each of cheese/onion, pork and chicken with accompanying sauces one in each of the flag colors, white cheese sauce, red mole sauce, and tomatillo sauce. YUM. This time I got the Carnitas de Puerco which comes with black beans. The meat was tender beyond anything I've ever had before. Loved it.

That evening was followed by an endless line of Corona Lights as we enjoyed the nightlife at the Giggling Marlin, a standard hotspot on the tour of cabo nights. A little raunch, a little risque, always fun. :)

After a very long night, the next evening wastime for us to return to having a quiet night back in San Jose. (In fact, it took a couple of nights to recover.)

One evening we went to Baan Thai which is an awesome Thai restaurant (and possibly also the best margaritas in all of Los Cabos), and Nick San.

Nick San warrants a special mention. Nick San is a japanese restaurant in Cabo San Lucas with a secondary location at the swanky Tiendas de Palmilla. Palmilla being the uber-famous golf resort often known to house celebrities on their vacations at the One & Only Palmilla resort. It is extravagant, as is the restaurant.

I had a Japanese Yellowtail Sashimi appetizer that was $350 pesos, $29 USD. OUCH. But oh, so worth it. The delicate pieces of yellowtail each had a crisp garlic layer on top and was bathed in a ponzu/garlic sauce. It was divine. It was, though the appetizer, the highlight of my meal which also included a spicy tuna roll and some sushi pieces. O-So-Yummy!

Another peaceful San Jose evening led us to the center of town to the Hotel Tropicana which has a nicely lit seating area on the sidewalk.

Grupo Voces played some traditional mexican music, and we enjoyed some daiquiris and mango margaritas along with our Crab/Shrimp Enchiladas and Shrimp Tacos. Standard fare.. easy for a quiet night. Course, it wasn't complete without some dessert so we went to the MEGA and got ice cream.. baskin robbins doesn't appear to be open any longer. Haagen Dazs from a carton isn't a bad second option!

We were finally ready to face another evening in Cabo San Lucas and went to Pancho's.

This is the first restaurant I ever had Tortilla Soup and OH, is it GOOD. (Mind you, I think Tropicana might be even better!). Chicken, avocado, cheese, onions, peppers in a broth with crunchy tortilla strips. I am now salivating........between that and an appetizer portion of their tamale, I was done. Full. Could eat no more. I could drink though.. so back to the Giggling Marlin to make sure to say hi to long time friends Tony, Julio and Christian. Hey guys!

The last night was just relaxing so we could be sure to get enough rest for our long journey home. We opted for an early evening which I knew could mean we were eating with the older residents of San Jose. I was surprised to discover that at 6pm we had beat them too!

At La Panga, we were seated in the outdoor courtyard with tons of tropical flowers and trees. The lights slowly came on as the darkness grew, eminating a very romantic aire. Being two women, we could still appreciate it as a perfect date night even when we weren't ON date nights. We shared an appetizer seafood sampler (best pick was the calamari fritti), and I had tuna while my friend had whole red snapper. The meal was good, but again, nothing to write home about. That being said, I am writing about it now to let you know, it was a great place for ambiance.. food is just ok.

And so, the trip home began.. in the San Jose airport with the worst meal I've had in a LONG LONG time at "Wings", the airport restaurant. It was the only place with seating and we had a while to wait. The burger meat actually scared me. I didn't eat much at all. So by the time I got to Chicago O'Hare airport, I was starving and scarfed down a plate of Chicken Parmigiana from the Macaroni Grill in Terminal H! Needless to say, I am all set with eating out for a while.

I say that but then again, stay posted, Restaurant Week isn't that far away!