The last time we visited Cozumel, it was 5 years ago and we docked away from the Downtown area. Furthermore, we booked a taxi to take us to the Mayan ruins a little ways out. Therefore, we really didn't "see" the city portion of Cozumel. This time around, the pier was right in Downtown and we merely made a right hand turn out of the terminal. Much like our Mexican cruise last December, the people were friendly, but also very aggressive in trying to sell us something. Hey, people have to make a living right? After a great day of sunshine and Margaritas, we settled in for dinner #3.
For starters, my daughter had the Seared Tuna with Romesco vinaigrette, cucumber salad as well as balsamic & parmesan pearls. Thinly sliced, the tuna couldn't have been more perfectly prepared. It was only lightly seared on the outside, hence the rest of the fish was rare and buttery. The spice rub on the outside had a bit of a kick to it. On top, the balsamic pearls added an appealing sweet tanginess. My son didn't go far from his meatatarian ways and had the Baked Meatballs in a smoky tomato sauce. These were lean and meaty while mildly seasoned. I found the tomato sauce to be tangy and fresh-tasting with only the slightest amount of smoke.
Viv decided on the Braised Rabbit served in a puff pasty shell. This was a nice little bite that consisted of hollowed-out puff pastry stuffed with tender rabbit that was in a rich sauce. It exhibited strong hits of red wine in a reduced sauce with tanginess and a background sweetness. To top it all off, the pastry was baked properly where it was not undercooked, thus, it was flaky throughout. For myself, I went for the Tortilla Soup with Braised Chicken. Unlike the soup I had in San Antonio, this version was zesty and spicy. There was a nice consistency to the soup where it was smooth and slightly thick. In addition to the zestiness, there was a pleasant tang too.
For my main, I decided on the Rosemary Lamb Shank with roasted cauliflower and root veggies. This was pretty good where the lamb was tender and gelatinous throughout. I liked that they had removed the bone as it made eating it much easier. It was dressed in a light curry sauce which was pretty mild in terms of taste and spice. Loved the copious amount of fresh rosemary as it added a nice woodsiness. The root veggies were texturally on point by not being overdone. Viv opted for the Steak Tacos with pico de gallo, cilantro and avocado-arbol chili. The made-to-order steak was served hot and nicely charred. Most pieces were tender, except for 2 strips. Other than that, they were solid tacos.
My son went for the Veal Parmesan atop spaghetti. This was a rather large piece of veal that was aggressively breaded. It was good though where the veal was tender and remained moist. The breading was buttery and crunchy staying that way throughout the meal. Underneath, the spaghetti was fairly al dente and was tossed in a tangy and slightly sweet tomato sauce. For my daughter, she had the Seared Tilapia with a caper and parsley butter, succotash and whipped potatoes. Nicely seared until golden brown, the fish remained moist and flaky. It was well-flavored by the buttery and slightly salty sauce. Not sure how whipped potatoes went with this dish, but it was creamy and light nonetheless.
For dessert, I had the Tres Leches Cake with cocoa meringue, chocolate cream and finished with chilled dark chocolate soup. Okay, I've never had a tres leche cake like this before, but it was good though. The moist cake was soaked in a chocolaty sweet milk (maybe a touch too sweet) that didn't make it mushy. I found the meringue on top to be interesting, but it did provide a textural crunch to the soft cake. Viv decided on the sugar-free Praline Cake with grated meringue and chia seed crumble. If on one told us this was sugar free, we wouldn't have known. The cake was uncharacteristically soft and moist for a sugar-free version. Furthermore, it was just sweet enough. Once again, a pretty good meal. Liked how the proteins were prepared this time around.
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