Veracruz — Excellent Seafood in Oaxaca, That Simple (a Oaxaca Restaurant Review)
December 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Travel Tips
Alvin Starkman asked:
We non-native Oaxacans have our rules…don’t drive outside the city after dark, never eat fresh unpeeled produce, be cautious feasting on the street or in markets. For me, after less-than-orgasmic culinary experiences, there was “wait ‘til you’re on the coast to eat fish or seafood.” Thankfully all changed after starting to dine at Veracruz a couple of years ago. For over 10 years owners Leo and Rosita have been serving up some of the best seafood I’ve ever eaten, anywhere. Perhaps because as native Veracruzanos, mariscos is in their blood. Perhaps because they take pride in their fresh, and exquisitely prepared and seasoned dishes, as is abundantly evident when you see Leo continually seeking assurance from his patrons that all is well.
Located a few kilometers out of Oaxaca proper, Veracruz has a quaint coastal flavor to it, one side simple marine décor and the other a palapa. I prefer the atmosphere of the beachy palm leaf roof with walls of reed construction, so for this comida we dined in the palapa.
Friendly and attentive staff promptly present an array of complimentary starters foreshadowing the rest of the meal….each dish distinctly flavorful, not too spicy, light, cold when it’s supposed to be, and hot when that’s what you would expect!
Crisp tostadas appear almost as quickly as you are seated, with sides of green and red salsas and requisite mayonnaise and saltines. Next a meaty crab leg salad in a light spicy vinaigrette with chopped tomato and green pepper, lime and chile. Your intermezzo is steaming crab leg and pincer tomato based soup ready to give your teeth and fingers a workout.
We decided against the cocktails (octopus, shrimp, crab, etc) which come in 50 and 90 peso sizes, and the larger meal sized broths and bouillabaisses ranging from 85 to 150, opting for cold seafood platters. First came the lightly dressed shrimp salad with sliced red onion, lime and habanero chiles, followed by large triangles of sea scallop combined with white onion, chile and orange slices, each of these plates having been prepared with attention to color and flavor combinations. Finally appeared a tray of still steaming succulent cracked crab pincers over a bed of citrus slices and ice.
Entrees, ranging from 125 pesos, arrive appropriately garnished, together with baskets of sliced oven-fresh baguette style bread. My wife’s giant split-shell shrimp were served in a chipotle sauce, almost in defiance of the traditional strong flavor of this chile, alongside a healthy dollop of melted Oaxacan string cheese. Our daughter opted for shrimp in a semi-sweet white wine marinade, with sides of cooked cubed veggies, and undressed mixed salad. My whole sea bass, Veracruzano style, was served in a savory sauce with tomato, olive, caper, carrot and chile. The red snapper of Fernando Gonzalez our culinary cohort for this meal, still enveloped in aluminum and extending well beyond the edges of the plate, was baked with pureed green tomato and spices, the steamy aroma of hierba santa filling the air upon the foil being stripped away.
After a feast of such Bacchanalian proportions, which included several copas of the best house mezcal any of us had previously tasted, coffee and dessert were out of the question, although we yielded to temptation and finished off with the sweet Spanish liqueur, “43”, chased with soda over ice.
NOTES:
Full bar
Credit Cards
From noon, 7 days
Margen Izq. Del Rio Atoyac #250, Col El Pilar 51-27610
We non-native Oaxacans have our rules…don’t drive outside the city after dark, never eat fresh unpeeled produce, be cautious feasting on the street or in markets. For me, after less-than-orgasmic culinary experiences, there was “wait ‘til you’re on the coast to eat fish or seafood.” Thankfully all changed after starting to dine at Veracruz a couple of years ago. For over 10 years owners Leo and Rosita have been serving up some of the best seafood I’ve ever eaten, anywhere. Perhaps because as native Veracruzanos, mariscos is in their blood. Perhaps because they take pride in their fresh, and exquisitely prepared and seasoned dishes, as is abundantly evident when you see Leo continually seeking assurance from his patrons that all is well.
Located a few kilometers out of Oaxaca proper, Veracruz has a quaint coastal flavor to it, one side simple marine décor and the other a palapa. I prefer the atmosphere of the beachy palm leaf roof with walls of reed construction, so for this comida we dined in the palapa.
Friendly and attentive staff promptly present an array of complimentary starters foreshadowing the rest of the meal….each dish distinctly flavorful, not too spicy, light, cold when it’s supposed to be, and hot when that’s what you would expect!
Crisp tostadas appear almost as quickly as you are seated, with sides of green and red salsas and requisite mayonnaise and saltines. Next a meaty crab leg salad in a light spicy vinaigrette with chopped tomato and green pepper, lime and chile. Your intermezzo is steaming crab leg and pincer tomato based soup ready to give your teeth and fingers a workout.
We decided against the cocktails (octopus, shrimp, crab, etc) which come in 50 and 90 peso sizes, and the larger meal sized broths and bouillabaisses ranging from 85 to 150, opting for cold seafood platters. First came the lightly dressed shrimp salad with sliced red onion, lime and habanero chiles, followed by large triangles of sea scallop combined with white onion, chile and orange slices, each of these plates having been prepared with attention to color and flavor combinations. Finally appeared a tray of still steaming succulent cracked crab pincers over a bed of citrus slices and ice.
Entrees, ranging from 125 pesos, arrive appropriately garnished, together with baskets of sliced oven-fresh baguette style bread. My wife’s giant split-shell shrimp were served in a chipotle sauce, almost in defiance of the traditional strong flavor of this chile, alongside a healthy dollop of melted Oaxacan string cheese. Our daughter opted for shrimp in a semi-sweet white wine marinade, with sides of cooked cubed veggies, and undressed mixed salad. My whole sea bass, Veracruzano style, was served in a savory sauce with tomato, olive, caper, carrot and chile. The red snapper of Fernando Gonzalez our culinary cohort for this meal, still enveloped in aluminum and extending well beyond the edges of the plate, was baked with pureed green tomato and spices, the steamy aroma of hierba santa filling the air upon the foil being stripped away.
After a feast of such Bacchanalian proportions, which included several copas of the best house mezcal any of us had previously tasted, coffee and dessert were out of the question, although we yielded to temptation and finished off with the sweet Spanish liqueur, “43”, chased with soda over ice.
NOTES:
Full bar
Credit Cards
From noon, 7 days
Margen Izq. Del Rio Atoyac #250, Col El Pilar 51-27610
Finding the Best Adelaide Restaurants For Your Budget
Vikram Kumar asked:
Are you travelling to Adelaide, Australia? If so, you may be wondering what kinds of food will be available there. You are in luck, since Adelaide restaurants range from fine dining to fast food and you will find something to suit any taste or budget.
Fusion cuisine has become one of the largest movements in dining recently and Adelaide restaurants offer a wide range of dishes. Combining Asian cooking and ingredients with more western tastes, fusion cuisine can be a wonderful middle ground for food lovers and those who may be less adventurous. There are a number of amazing food guides that can help you find the style of dining that you want and will often give valuable information such as price and an idea of the menu choices.
Online restaurant reviews can also be a wonderful tool when selecting which Adelaide restaurants you would like to eat at. These can be great because they are usually written by people who have visited the restaurant and can be a wealth of information that may not make it into the published guides. They can also give updates on establishments which may be too new to make it into published guides. Keep in mind that when you are reading these reviews that you should take their advice as a guideline only. A restaurant may have improved or gone downhill since a review was written.
When you are looking for a place to eat in Adelaide Australia you should pay particular attention to any requirements such as dress code or the need to make a reservation. If you do not follow these guidelines you may find yourself disappointed if you are turned away at the door. Many of the popular restaurants may be heavily booked, especially during the tourist high season when there may be many more people trying for the same number of seats. If you are on holiday at certain times of the year it can also be good to know if the restaurant may be closed because of any national holidays and what their hours of operation will be since some may not be open for all meals.
Adelaide, Australia has a wide variety of native foods and wines to offer diners. From the world class vintages of the nearby Barossa valley to fresh seafood and amazing beef and lamb, Adelaide is a gourmand’s paradise. Adelaide restaurants offer cuisine from all around the world. There are a few areas in Adelaide Australia where many eateries are located. These include Hutt Street, Melbourne Street, O’Connell Street and Rundle Street. These areas also have a large number of bars and pubs as well. The Central Market also has restaurants located in it as well.
You may be a bit overwhelmed by the range of Adelaide restaurants that you have to choose from. Reviews can help you avoid surprises and find the eateries that suit you best. By knowing your budget and looking at restaurant guides you can find the best dining that Adelaide Australia has to offer.
Are you travelling to Adelaide, Australia? If so, you may be wondering what kinds of food will be available there. You are in luck, since Adelaide restaurants range from fine dining to fast food and you will find something to suit any taste or budget.
Fusion cuisine has become one of the largest movements in dining recently and Adelaide restaurants offer a wide range of dishes. Combining Asian cooking and ingredients with more western tastes, fusion cuisine can be a wonderful middle ground for food lovers and those who may be less adventurous. There are a number of amazing food guides that can help you find the style of dining that you want and will often give valuable information such as price and an idea of the menu choices.
Online restaurant reviews can also be a wonderful tool when selecting which Adelaide restaurants you would like to eat at. These can be great because they are usually written by people who have visited the restaurant and can be a wealth of information that may not make it into the published guides. They can also give updates on establishments which may be too new to make it into published guides. Keep in mind that when you are reading these reviews that you should take their advice as a guideline only. A restaurant may have improved or gone downhill since a review was written.
When you are looking for a place to eat in Adelaide Australia you should pay particular attention to any requirements such as dress code or the need to make a reservation. If you do not follow these guidelines you may find yourself disappointed if you are turned away at the door. Many of the popular restaurants may be heavily booked, especially during the tourist high season when there may be many more people trying for the same number of seats. If you are on holiday at certain times of the year it can also be good to know if the restaurant may be closed because of any national holidays and what their hours of operation will be since some may not be open for all meals.
Adelaide, Australia has a wide variety of native foods and wines to offer diners. From the world class vintages of the nearby Barossa valley to fresh seafood and amazing beef and lamb, Adelaide is a gourmand’s paradise. Adelaide restaurants offer cuisine from all around the world. There are a few areas in Adelaide Australia where many eateries are located. These include Hutt Street, Melbourne Street, O’Connell Street and Rundle Street. These areas also have a large number of bars and pubs as well. The Central Market also has restaurants located in it as well.
You may be a bit overwhelmed by the range of Adelaide restaurants that you have to choose from. Reviews can help you avoid surprises and find the eateries that suit you best. By knowing your budget and looking at restaurant guides you can find the best dining that Adelaide Australia has to offer.
