Back home

My work in Sayulita is done, and now I'm back in the States. And thanks, but I do not have swine flu. I feel shockingly fine. I even had a fish taco in the Mission the other night. It wasn't as good as the ones in Mexico.

Audrey's fish tacos

It’s only fair that after a week of judging the Sayulita fish tacos, I make my own fish tacos. And I mean make them from scratch, as in, pulling the fish from the sea myself.



Yesterday, I went on my very first fishing trip. For a sport I’d always considered cruel and violent, I was amazed at how much fun it is! After all, what’s the difference between eating something someone else killed verses killing your own animal and eating it.

And believe me, these guys got eaten.



I was SO proud of my very first fish. He was BIG. And strong. I had to wrestle that guy out of the ocean with all my strength.

But last night, we had a feast. And boy did he taste good.



Audrey’s Fish Tacos: perfect 10. ☺



I think now I am ready to go home.

Chilly Willy

Wait, stop the presses! There is another contender.

Chilly Willy is a small outdoor restaurant on the road that leads out of Sayulita. I would never have found it if it wasn’t recommended to by the couple that owns Libreria Sayulita, the bookstore where I took my Spanish classes.



One great thing about the tacos at Chilly Willy: they’re HUGE. And filled with all kinds of sauces and vegetables.



I’m still going to stick by my guns and say that La Fiesta is MY favorite fish taco, but Chilly Willy is at the top of Mike Allen’s list.



Chilly Willy: 9.1

Mami's Tacos

I recognize that my taco judging has been a bit subjective. I prefer simple, grilled tacos. But others may prefer the deep-fried and sauce-covered genre, like my friend Summer. She prefers those kind of tacos, that is – she herself is not deep-fried and covered in sauce.



Yesterday we went to a stand on the street that was recommended to us by another fish taco place. This one has no name, just a woman who fries up fish and shrimp tacos. She goes by “Mami.” And I will admit, her tacos were delicious.



They do not beat La Fiesta in my book. But so far, they’re Summer’s favorite.

La Fiesta

It may be premature, as I still have five more days here, BUT, I may have found the Best Fish Taco in Sayulita. Granted, I had to draw in some reinforcements (my friends arrived on Saturday), and we had to divide and conquer. But so far, this unassuming little to go stand connected to La Fiesta is in the lead:



Grilled Mahi Mahi on soft corn tortillas with cilantro, onion avocado and a squeeze of lime. Washed down with a Pacifico. Pure perfection.



La Fiesta To Go: 9.85

Captain Pablo's

I’m embarrassed to say it, but so far, the fish tacos that are headed for first place are from a cheesy tourist shack on the beach called “Captain Pablo’s.” The marlin is grilled, not deep-fried like so many of the tacos I’ve tried. It’s served on corn tortillas with simple tomatoes, onions and a dollop of guacamole. Squeeze a little lime on there, add a little chipotle salsa and you’ve got perfection.



Captain Pablo's: 9.1

Chile Rellenos Feliz

This is the perfect example of how things work in Sayulita, and why the task I've taken on is so behemoth.

Yesterday, I woke up at the crack of dawn to go mountain biking. Speaking of crack, I fear that my crotch will never recover. I ride my road bike every day in San Francisco; it’s my only form of transportation. So I figured that mountain biking wouldn’t be that different. I was wrong.

Mountain biking is hard. And so it the mountain bike seat. Especially up and down the steep, rock-filled paths of the Mexican jungle. For five hours, my poor nether regions got abused. But I digress.

Crotch-injuries aside, the ride was a lot fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat. My fabulous guide, Lorenzo, showed amazing vistas, cute little towns and beautiful beaches. He chatted the whole time, pointing out trees, birds and animals (did you know that in Spanish, woodpecker is carpinteria? For some reason I find this really cute). He told me all about his son, also named Lorenzo, who rides in BMX competitions, and how the two of them created most of the mountain bike trails around Sayulita.

Of course, I’m just guessing that this what he was saying. I asked him to speak to me in Spanish so I could practice, but it also meant that I only understood about 40% of what he said. Maybe his son is a carpenter and the woodpecker rides in BMX competitions. I don’t know. But I did learn some very useful Spanish phrases such as “cambio los carros” (change gears) and “Tu puedes tu peudes! Arriba. arriba!” (You can do it, you can do it! Higher. Higher!) And my favorite word: “la bomba” (pump). Not to be confused with La Bamba.

When I told Lorenzo of my quest for the Best Fish Taco in all of Sayulita, he told me I must come to his shop for dinner. Not only do they rent and fix mountain bikes at his house, it’s also a restaurant at night. They’re fish tacos aren’t the best, he told me, but they do have the best chile rellenos for miles around. I guess that explains why his bike rental shop is called “Chile Rellenos feliz” (Happy Chile Rellenos).

So, as promised, I returned to Lorenzo’s house last night and his wife served up a plate of the best chile rellenos I’d ever tasted. As expected, his fish tacos weren’t as impressive, a little on the dry side. But I had to try them; it’s my job.

Contestant numero uno

Sayulita Fish Taco: 8.2.

Not enough flavor. The search continues...

A new purpose in life

I am currently in Sayulita, Mexico on a three-week trip. My original plan was to come down here, mess around for a bit - lie on the beach, drink margaritas, the usual vacation stuff.

But yesterday I had an epiphany: I have a clear and very serious reason to be here. My job here in Sayulita, as I’m hereby declaring, is to find the very best fish taco in town. (Or as I've been asking the locals in my mangled Spanish: "The most better fish taco of everyone in all the town.")

This may seem like an easy task in a village the size of my San Francisco flat. However, every restaurant in Sayulita offers fish tacos. And every building in Sayulita happens to be a restaurant. Even if it’s a private home, they have a few tables outside and a heavy-set grandmotherly lady frying up some tacos de pescados. Then there are the street carts, which pop up anywhere from la plaza to la playa selling fish and shrimp tacos.

This is a job I will take very seriously for my next week here. Be it marlin or mahi mahi, deep fried or grilled, corn or flour tortilla-ed, I will rest at nothing until I’ve found the Best Fish Taco in Sayulita.

It’s good to have goals.