Western Caribbean Seafood

For me, viajar ES comer. Literally, to travel is to eat. That’s what I do! That’s how I roll! I plan my trips by what types of food I wanna eat. Don’t shake your head, you know you do it too. You crave pasta and gelato? Welp, a trip to Italy might be necessary. Yea, me too! I make my destination choices in accordance to the food I’d like to try or the food I already love but miss. Don’t @ me. Furthermore, to be truthful, what I crave most in warm weather: seafood. Because Florida is pretty hot like 96% of the year, I’m dreaming about mariscos (crab, shrimp, scallops, ceviche, pescado, octopus, etc.) round the friggin’ CLOCK! Sometimes, I think that I could legit be a pescatarian… if it wasn’t for my overpowering weakness for burgers. Anyway, that fiending for seafood led me to the western Caribbean this year. And DAYUM, I got exactly what I was looking for.

“I’m on a seafood diet.
I see food and I eat it.”

The whole familia, extended Cuban familia too, took a cruise around the Gulf of Mexico this summer. We sailed for 5 days and hit up The Cayman Islands as well as Cozumel. We had a simple 3-part plan. Eat. Drink. Relax. That’s it. Ok, maybe add hangiuar to that list. But that’s all. So eating was 30% of our vacay, and that meant that we had to do it RIGHT or the whole vacation could be ruined. Couldn’t have THAT!

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
–Virginia Wolf

So, yea, I did research and found out 2 things about our first stop. Grand Cayman is KNOWN for its Jerk Chicken and then, further down the list, it’s also known for its kick ass seafood. The only problem is that the touristy restaurants serving these types of dishes ABOUND. It’s hard AF to find the best one. So I didn’t try. I know I sound loca, but at the end of the day I figured that they’d all be similarly good, so I opted for best bang for my buck. I took ‘el gang’ to the Royal Palms Beach Club for 3 reasons: #1 reviews were amazing, #2 it sits ON the famous 7 Mile Beach and has beach access available for something like 3 bucks, and #3 their cocktail game was top notch. It had the makings for a perfect spot. And guys, it really was. The place was airy, and breezy, and shady. The view was like something you see on a computer wallpaper screen… the ideal “paradise” shot. And there was music. It was a total vibe. I had 2 dishes. Mine and the Marido’s. I said “we could share” so that I could try both of the things I really wanted. We tasted the Jerk Chicken and the Octopus Salad. Listen, the Jerk Chicken was scrumptious. Not too spicy, juicy, and super flavorful. It gave me the “island life” feels. But I won’t lie to you, as soon as I took a bite of the Octopus Salad, there was no turning back. That chewy, fresh pulpo took me to the stars. It was light and seasoned and paired with a zesty quinoa salad. Y’all! I could stop the post right here, and it’d be enough. That’s how good that damn dish was.

Our second stop had a lot to live up to, but its MEXICO for Pete’s sake, so it did just fine! I knew not to eff up a good thing, so we followed the formula from our previous dining experience ( best bang for our buck) and ended up at Mr. Sancho’s Beach Resort. Its one of those places where you pay a day pass and eat and drink and eat some more. My kind of place. There were so many delicious choices, we knew we couldn’t go wrong. Add the cabana bed and the beautiful views of el mar, and we’re talking heaven. We laid around, we sipped on frozen fruity cocktails (tamarindo margaritas were my favorite) and we ordered all the yummy things. Don’t worry, not one meal went to waste. Ha! Our favorite platos tho, were the Ceviche platters and the Pescado a la Plancha. Lordt! Flaky fish, lime-soaked shrimp, and tortillas… I almost didn’t come home. I almost didn’t come home!

Here’s why I love seafood though, for real. First of all, it’s frigging delicious. And the caribenos know how to season it to perfection. Secondly, its light. Like the kind of light that you don’t have to fret about. Low on calories and high on flavor. And that brings me to 3, because its so light and fresh, you can eat more and drink more. And the drinks taste better cuz you aren’t about to pop. Haha. In all seriousness tho, the reason I love it is because its local. It’s an integral part of the local culture, of the lives of the native people. That’s what they eat in the Western Caribbean, because that’s what’s readily available. So not only is it tasty, but when you eat this food from the sea, you are understanding a teensy bit more about the place and its history. And that’s what travel is really all about, right? That’s what takes it from just a trip, to a truly memorable, life-enriching experience.