Our first nice meal was spent at La Golandrina, a pleasant outdoor grill in the Cabo San Lucas area. The weather had been pretty chilly through the day with steady winds and little to no humidity - both weather factors which should be accounted for this time of year. Like most beach destinations, it’s really easy to believe the weather’s going to always be hot but that’s definitely no guarantee for early spring in BCS.
Having made “Trapper’s List” - not sure if that’s Trapper John, MD or some other lesser known Trapper - the strong review and our understanding of the surroundings led us to believe this was going to be a great experience, and it was.
When we arrived, we saw reasonably prevalent entourage of Californians staring at us on our way in (I think Virginians look weird to Californians and vice versa, though we tend to look down more rather than stare). We lack tans, enemas, facial peels, skin (and other body) surgeries but we’re pretty easy to get along with if that can be overlooked in favor of a reasonably cerebral bent.
Once we were properly put away (er, sat down), we were shown the local rules: head down to the giant menu board, and choose from what would seem to be an endless range of options for meat. You’ll see the usual quality meat choices - alone or in tandem - scattered throughout the board, and a few possibilities that we definitely think shouldn’t be overlooked despite their inconspicuous placement.
There are plenty of options up and down the bill, running anywhere from $25-30 for single items to $45-50 for combinations, but that’s not to say that no great combinations can be found in the $30-35 range. My dinner choice was the Seared Ahi Tuna and Shrimp combination, and both were fresh and cooked as expected.
Again, there’s really not much complexity here: you look at the board and return to your table, you order your food, and - if the food quality is good and it’s cooked right - you’ve hit the jackpot in much the same way you would at any grill. With respect to food quality, on a 1 to 10 scale I’d give my Ahi Tuna a strong 8 or 9, the shrimp an 8, and the lobster tail I stole from a neighboring plate a solid 8 (you need to favor warm weather lobster over the cold weather creatures to truly enjoy it, though).
Now for what you need to know… the can’t miss menu item is the caesar salad, prepared fresh at the table. This was without a doubt the best caesar salad I have ever had, prepared with incredibly moist, fresh romaine lettuce and paired with a dressing created right in front of you with the focus and capable results of a fine chemist. I truly have now idea what went into the end concoction - it’s consumed consistency seemed much thinner than a typical caesar despite what looked like a mayonnaise-like substance going into the mix with an egg or two early in the process. This was one of those items on my ’still can taste it’ list, and I’m inclined to see how to import it to the states for several attempts in the home kitchen.
Now that I’ve raved about the first item last, let’s get to what matters… the summary.
Location:
You’ll like it if: you enjoy freshly grilled food in a festive, yet refined outdoor patio environment and aren’t bothered by an occasional West Coast sniff (yes, we know we look pale, misshapen, unblonde, and all that)
You might not like it if: you’re expecting some strong Mexican or Latin-fusion experiment from each of your BCS dining experiences
If you could only order one thing, it would be: the caesar salad
Overall rating: 3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars
Is it on my list of “must eats” in the area? Definitely
Post a Comment