Beach Dinner

Imagine having dinner here.

For two years I did, and on July 4th it happened.

Our first trip to Cabo San Lucas in August 2008 was very memorable. The last night we went for a moonlit stroll after dinner and came upon a candlelit couple on the beach. They were completely solitary, the beach was their own and it was one of the loveliest and most romantic things I'd ever seen. When we decided to come back to the same resort this year I really wanted to find out more about it. Ray was worried it would be incredibly expensive, but lucky for us it really wasn't.

We made the reservation with the concierge and set it for the 4th of July so we might see the fireworks scheduled nearby. At 7:15 we sat down, and by the end of the meal all the light was gone. At the beginning of the meal we were able to enjoy the incredible show of waves before us; we had a good amount of wind most likely from some storms raging on the other side of the country.

The sand was combed all around our table and our personal bed (yes, our personal bed that we could lounge on all night after dinner if we chose) on the beach, to make walking easier. It was a small detail that made a big visual impact. As with the couple two years ago, we had the beach to ourselves.

The dinner is prepared and served by Siempre, Pacifica's restaurant. The four course menu began with a selection of breads accompanied by basil and red chili oils. I selected an onion roll and some sun-dried tomato bread. Both breads and the oils were fantastic and by the end of the meal I had consumed them all.

The first course was a scrumptious array of grilled vegetables with goat cheese, thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil. Carrots, cauliflower, onion, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms were all perfectly grilled and the goat cheese was a nice compliment.

For my second course, I had one jumbo scallop with shiitake mushrooms, a sunchoke puree, and more thyme. The scallop was hidden under the mushrooms and was nicely cooked.

Ray's second course was a pretty green salad with fresh raw pears. He deemed it nice and fresh, but not terribly exciting.

For the third course we both selected the rib eye- medium rare for Ray, medium well for me. Despite my need to have well-done meat, the beef was flavorful and still fairly juicy. It was served with a cabernet jus and some rosemary and thyme. On the side were some potatoes that had an elusive but yummy sweetness, a corn mash that we both favored the most, and a fried potato tower with a bit of mashed potato underneath. The presentation with the tower was fun.

In the darkness after dinner, the fireworks show began. It was short but very enjoyable and we had a wonderful view from the beach. I tried to take a few pictures but I couldn't master the flash or lack of flash to capture the color, so I stopped trying and just enjoyed it.

And finally, dessert. . . . which was half consumed before I took a picture. A mini tres leches cake and some strawberry ice cream sat next to a jumbo sliced strawberry. Alongside some chocolate sauce and creme anglaise, my plate spelled "Enjoy" while Ray's read "the Night." Very sweet. The dessert was nice and I did finish it; I had been craving something chocolate but I do not fault the plate for that.

We sat and enjoyed the sound of the waves after eating and moved to the bed for relax under blankets before heading back to the hotel to catch the shuttle back to Sunset Beach. It was a special night, our favorite on this trip.

~:::~

More of our previous trip to Cabo San Lucas:
Not your average trip to The Office
Siempre at Pacifica