Tag Archives: rick bayless

Where to Eat in Cabo


When we arrived in Cabo we had one goal: eat as much fresh fish and produce as possible.  And, we did.  We scooped up fresh salsa by the chipful, we slathered chunky and smooth guacamole on everything (even eggs at one point) and dined with the fishes.

Before we went to Cabo I did my research, I searched all the travel sites, food sites and blogs, and then I was given the gift of Rick Bayless’ guide to the Baja Peninsula in Food and Wine.  Thank you!  Bayless is the expert, in my mind, for all things Mexican and so his suggestions rose to the top of our list.

First Stop: The Office This is the sister restaurant to one of Bayless’ suggestions, Edith.

What to Expect: Expect a crowd, make a reservation.  This spot is well liked loved by las turistas, and I imagine that is not going to change any time soon.  It is a casual spot, as in wear jeans and you’re over dressed.  The music is playing, your feet are dug into the sand and there is vibrant and bustling energy.

What to Order: We started with some BIG margaritas, and chips and salsa (this is the recurring theme of the trip), then shared a ceviche that was fresh, bright and delicious.  Then we settled in for a second Honeymoon, a special that night, featuring two lobster tails, four prawns, a filet of sea bass, rice beans, and tortillas that were made just a few feet away.  Each bite of the fish was juicy and perfectly cooked.  My favorite was the seabass.

What to Skip: The dessert.  I am really never one to skip dessert, even when I am wearing a bikini the next day, however, this just missed the mark.  Every other dish was so spot on with local flavor and this was a big slab of a banana chocolate cake that we could have found at any Cheesecake Factory around the country.

Why You’ll Love it:

Next Stop, Don Emiliano.

What to Expect: A quieter experience, artfully plated dishes, and unexpected flavors that sing.  This was a great spot to end our trip; al fresco dining – all the tables are outside – and the ambiance of eating in someone’s lovely backyard with our sky dotted with Moroccan lanterns.

What to Order: Do not skip the salad.  We shared a jicama, tomatillo, cactus salad that was incredible.  Bright green and full of flavor this was a salad I only wish we could replicate at home.  For dinner Mark again won the ordering contest with his entree.  Try the short ribs, they are fork tender, and glazed in an aromatic, smoky, rich sauce, and served with orange zested mashed potatoes.

Why You’ll love it: The food is all locally sourced, and while it doesn’t fight the American palate it really stays true to the local flavor, and that includes heat and spice, even in the dessert.  The chocolate tart with salted caramel ice cream had sweet, salty, spicy and savory notes in every bite.

Have you booked your flight yet?  Make your reservations!

Hungry for the Weekend


I keep toying with the idea of traveling to a city and just eating.  This is what it would look like:  Welcome to NY, enjoy your stay please visit Russ and Daughter’s for a bagel and shmear, grab a slice on the street, pop over to Levain Bakery for chocolate chip cookie goodness, go to Eataly to savor all of Italy…  Looks like soon I will be able to cross off one of those visits as Eataly will be coming to see me (and the rest of DC)!

Eataly Partner Lidia Bastianich, Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali

This week’s Hungry for the Weekend features lots of cultural foods, a little Jewish, Italian, Mexican and American flavors.

If you, like me, are hungry for the weekend please, enjoy these links:

Have a delicious weekend!

Red O-M-G


Back to Beverly Hills.  After escaping the traffic, it was time for dinner.  To say that we were looking forward to this meal was a major understatement.

We have been a fan of Rick Bayless ever since I saw one of his cooking shows and the variety of ways he made salsas and guacamole.  Bayless is the American master of Mexican cuisine.  He focuses on local flavors and authenticity.

Red O is at 8155 Melrose Avenue and walking in from off the street is like being transported from the busy city street to a gourmand’s playground.  The large restaurant has high ceilings and compartmentalized spaces: a large dining room and enormous bar area with swing seats and of course required of any “hip” scene, communal tables and lounge seating.

Red O via Citybuzz

My way of verifying if I like a space is if it pulls from me the response, “this would be great for a party.” – and it would be.

But, what about the food?  The food is what would make me want to move to that tony little neighborhood of Beverly Hills.

Mark and I started out our dinner like I wish we always could with margaritas and the Yellow fin Tuna ceviche.  The fish was fresh and bright and the flavors were beautifully and boldly accented by the light sweetness of the cucumber and fullness of the avocado.  The avocado addition to the ceviche was brilliant, and a delight to eat with the warm tortilla chips.

To the entrees…  Mark and I are big into sharing, which means that we try to always order completely different entrees.

Red O Chilapachole via HauteLiving

Mark ordered the Chilpachole, which on first glance looks like a bouillabaisse or cioppino dish.  It is described as “velvety seafood broth with chipotle & epazote, Mazatlan shrimp, Viking Village scallops, Carlsbad mussels, striped bass, roasted potatoes and chayote”.    If you’re like me your understanding of those ingredients might be limited to our ocean fare.  Here is what I can tell you: velvety smooth is an understatement.  The soup is a bowl of freshness, the flavors sing, the heat doesn’t overpower, it only emboldens the rest of the ingredients.  Order, share, enjoy.

Camarones al Mojo de Ajo via WeezerMonkey

I had the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, growing up in Florida there are a few key Spanish words I recall, and yes Camarones, mojo and ajo are top of the list.  What hooked me on this dish was that it included sweet plantains – what had me raving, was how it was presented.    The large portion of shrimp was presented with lightly wilted Bloomsdale spinach in a fragrant and flavorful garlic sauce.  The Veracruz rice and sweet plantains were served in a pyramid shape with the plantains cut into small pieces and hiding in the rice – the result equal flecks of the savory garlic and sweetness of the plantains.  It was love at first bite.

For dessert we shared the Veracruz-style bunuelos on the recommendation of our waitress.  To be fair, we were both very full and up until this point I was keeping Kosher for Passover, but, homemade donuts and a trip to California were reason enough to break all dietary rules.  They were fresh and hot from the oven, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and ready for dipping in the Kahlua hot chocolate sauce and salted caramel ice cream.

The entire experience from first sip to last bite had us saying, Red O-M-G, muy delicioso!