Yucatan

I had the good fortune to spend the past week on the Yucatan peninsula. I could go on and on about the very gracious people we met, the splendid atmosphere of the Caribbean coast of Mexico and my fundamental connection with the culture. But I should concentrate on the food.

I live in one of the richest and most diverse restaurant centers of the known universe. In New York I can sample food from just about every culture. So why is it that no one in New York has yet succeeded in truly capturing the flavors of Mexico? I can replicate a few dishes at home with help from smuggled spices and chiles but I have not encountered anything that approaches the richness and depth of the food I’ve tasted in Mexico.

Certainly, you could argue that any meal would be better if you were to eat at an outdoor table under a market umbrella surrounded by the Caribean sea. But if that meal also included the freshest pescadillos (fish tacos), cerveza Sol, savory squash and arroz, then something transformative occurs. The textures of the food meld so well with the spice. The flavor of the cold beer matches the food so perfectly. We found just such a small outdoor restaurant at Punta del Sur on the southern most point of Isla Mujeres. And while the food was truly remarkable, the setting took our breath away.

Closer to Cancun, we found more refined tastes. One night for dinner we ate Sopa Tortilla with such astounding aroma and flavor that I may never experience its match. For our second courses we had Pescado de Dia which that day was a plate of right-from-the-sea grouper nestled in a rich sauce of spice and queso blanco and another dish with anchiote rich braised pork wrapped in banana leaf. All this bounty served with fresh, softly pliable corn tortillas and pico de gallo. For desert, a remarkable Mexican chocolate ice cream and tres leches cake. Oh, and a nice crisp Chilean white wine as a clear background note.

Could be the tacos de pollo and ceviche was the best thing we ate; or maybe it was the tamales at breakfast one morning… I won’t turn it into a contest, I’ll just let all those regional flavors set in my memory until I return.