El Varadero - Mexico

We’ll soon be heading off to a long awaited vacation to Mexico. We’ve been visiting the same small island off the coast of Cancun since 1995 or so, and when we arrive there every year it’s fun to walk around and see what new restaurants have popped up. After a margarita or seven, I mean. The food is crazy good – the freshest fish you'll ever have, lobster or langostino ( in season), tacos, even the hot dogs, everything just tastes better on vacation. We’ll definitely post about some of our best meals when we return, but I thought I’d get you in the mood with a sneak peek.

I’d heard about this little Cuban restaurant, El Varadero, from a guy that has also been visiting the island for years, Holly Moore. His website, hollyeats.com, is a wealth of information on eating well in a variety of locations. He gave it ‘5 greasestains’ - I knew it had to be good. So one day around lunchtime, we hopped in a cab, gave the driver what directions we had (in our crappy Spanish) and hoped he would get us there. He dropped us off by a sandy lot, pointed toward some distant buildings and said “20 pesos.” A short walk later we were at a small boatyard, and there was a little white shack with blue trim and a deck sticking out over the water. El Varadero.

We were a little early as they didn’t start serving until 1:30pm, but they invited us to have a seat and a drink while they finished setting up for the day. No problem, the porch overlooking the lagoon was a perfect place to catch the breeze. This is Mexico after all, you can’t get in a hurry about anything. Holly’s review said the mojitos were the best on the island. Let me just say – that is SO TRUE. As in so awesome I had 3. They were fresh and minty, heavy on the rum and very refreshing.

I’d also heard that the owner catches all of the fish for the restaurant himself. We saw this little beauty parked right by the restaurant and wondered if it was responsible for all that pescado I’d soon be feasting on.

The walls of the little dining room were packed with old photos and memorabilia. Pictures of Fidel and what we assumed was the owner, his friends and family joined old newspaper articles from years ago. It was a really cool place.

When he was ready to cook, the owner yelled to us from over by the grill, “What do you want to eat?!”  So we yelled back. “Filete de Pescado Empanizado” and “Fricase de Pollo!” You can’t put a price on a good time. I love Mexico.

And this was seriously one of the best meals I’d had on the island. Amazingly fresh fish that the owner later told me was Black Grouper, sauteed plantains and beets, black beans and rice - I could have eaten another whole order.

Grant said his chicken fricassee was just as tasty - juicy with a rich and flavorful sauce.

I can’t wait to go back to El Varadero on this upcoming trip. I know the mojitos will be as good as ever, the beer will be muy frio, and the fish will have been caught that morning. I mean, the sign by the door simply says “open for lunch and dinner or until the fish runs out.” Can’t. Wait.