Island Dining

Island Dining

The aromas of sizzling shrimp, grilled chicken and steak, spicy sauces, and crisp pizza fill the air of San Miguel in the evening. Waiters deliver platters of enchiladas, tacos, and fajitas to sidewalk tables along pedestrian walkways, while people stroll along eyeing others' dinners before deciding where to stop for a meal. At rooftop restaurants, groups gather over Italian feasts; along the shoreline, lobster and the catch of the day are the delicacies of choice. There's no shortage of dining choices on Cozumel, where entrepreneurs from Texas, Switzerland, and Italy have decided to make a go of their dreams. Foods familiar to American taste buds abound. In fact, it can be hard to find authentic regional cuisine. Yucatecan dishes such as cochinita pibíl (pork with achiote spice), queso relleno (Gouda cheese stuffed with ground meat), and sopa de lima (lime soup) rarely appear on tourist-oriented menus, but are served at small family-owned eateries in San Miguel. Look for groups of local families gathered at wobbly tables in tiny cafés to find authentic Mexican cooking.

Even the finest chefs tend to emphasize natural flavors and simple preparations rather than fancy sauces and experimental cuisine. Trends aren't important here. There are places where you can wear your finest sundress or silky Hawaiian shirt and dine by candlelight, for sure. But clean shorts and shirts with buttons are considered dress-up clothing suitable for most establishments. At the finer restaurants, guitarists or trios play soft ballads while customers savor lobster salad, filet mignon, and chocolate mousse. But the most popular dining spots are combination restaurant-bars in the Carlos 'n Charlie's style, where diners fuel up on barbecued ribs and burgers before burning those calories away on the dance floor.