Restarante Mandingo

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La Comida Vericruzana

Mexican cuisine is known throughout the world. But the cuisine of Mexico differs radically from place to place throughout the country. Certainly, the Yucatan is known for its Mayan spices while Oaxaca is justifiably reknown for its moles - but when it comes to seafood, almost all agree that "Veracruzano" is the epitome. If you study the culinary history of the region, you find that the stile known as "Veracruzano" originated in Boca del Rio, with its plentiful freshwater and marine deilicacies. Much of the cooking style was perfected in a small village on the brackish wetlands named Mandingo. So what better name for a restaurant designed to celebrate the culinary glories of the region?

Located in the Hotel Costa Sol, which lies on the southeast end of the Boca del Rio hotel zone, the Retaurante Mandingo offers some specTACular gastronomical pleasures. I recommend highly the Antojitos Veracruzanos. The variety of local variations of traditional Mexican dishes is overwhelming. Some of the entries were lightly fried in a tortilla so fine that I initially mistook it for a fine, flakey pastry crust. Chef Emiliano Cruz still had new variations coming out of the kitchen after I could no longer stuff down another morsel - and I AM a culinary heavyweight!

Chef Emiliano Cruz

When you're ready to settle in to some seafood, be sure to start with a cocktail. The shrimp are superb, but you can get a shrimp cocktail at home. Be brave! Go for a "coctel de mariscos mixtos" and enjoy the variety of Veracruz seafood! Not only shrimp, but octopus, squid, conch - yum yum yum! If you're lucky, they may have some of the famous Boca del Rio freshwater crabs for a unique and memorable cocktail. The special "Jarocho" style sauce is so good you may be tempted to dine on nothing but cocktails and ceviche. But don't yield to that temptation. Just have a small cocktail so that you can save room for the entre. Perhaps Huachinango al Veracruzano? Fresh Red Snapper cooked in the special Veracruzano sause and spices, a dish fit for royalty!

Breakfast is available every morning, but it's really special on the weekends. Weekends find the Restaurante Mandingo offering an extensive buffet, with a variety of breakfast meats; numerous egg dishes; a plentiful variet of seasonal fruits; hot pancakes and/or waffles; yogurt; assorted cereals; fabulous fresh juices; teas, and shade-grown gourmet coffee from the high mountain regions of the state. To aid in your digestion, artisits in traditional Jorocho costumes play the guitar and harp and sing the songs of the Gulf Coast. With the haunting strains of "La Bruja" in the background - well, breakfast just doesn't get much better than this!

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