The Best Soups Du Jours in Nayarit
 Ed Schwartz - PVNN
December 07, 2009
Beautiful soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop! Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening, Beautiful, beautiful Soup
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Today, I, too, sing a song of soup; two songs, in fact. The two soups were two of the best I’ve ever slurped in my entire life and that goes back a looooong way.
The first soup was the fish soup at El Coral in Punta de Mita in the hotel, but on the beach. Most of the time when one orders fish soup it comes in a cup size portion. This soup came in a large bowl. The stock was simply delicious; clear and full of subtle spices. The aroma was a veritable perfume du poisson.
What was in the bowl was worth noting. At least a dozen shrimp, many morsels of different fish, fine pieces of octopus, and finely cut vegetables like tomatoes, onions and mild green pepper. That briny brimful would have been more than enough, but topping this soup treasure was a half of Pacific lobster! Then, on the side, four pieces of warm French bread with butter and garlic. Very promising!
I started spooning up this elixir and about a half hour later, I realized that, incredibly, I wasn’t going to be able to finish it. I had to rest and dab my brow with a napkin. My daughter, Victoria, could not believe that I couldn’t get to the finish line. It was true. This great soup got the better of me. However, I certainly will try again, and this time, no chips beforehand.
Who would figure that the very next day I would find a soup that was equal to the first? It was the corn chowder at Sandrina's in Bucerias. First of all, the outdoor dining room in the back is so beautiful it would make anything taste better.
But the chowder was wildly delicious. The stock base was creamy, but not the least bit heavy. The soup was full of fine pieces of potatoes, corn and bacon. The bacon gave the soup a distinctive and savory flavor. It was served with puffy, soft, house-made rolls, warm from the oven.
I spent a good part of the next day trying to decide which was the better of the soups. I came to the conclusion that it was a delicious draw. And, with two prize-winning soups like these, there should be no loser!
 Ed Schwartz has been involved in many aspects of fine wine for 30 years and has worked with top wineries in California, Italy and France. His writings on wine, food and travel have appeared in the SF Chronicle, LA Times and Image magazine.
Click HERE for more articles by Ed Schwartz |
Vallarta Weddings
Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | December 2009 
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