05 Feb Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Tamarindos Mexican Farm to Table in San José del Cabo, Mexico

When my friends invited me to join them in San José del Cabo, Mexico for the weekend to celebrate a birthday, I did not hesitate. A weekend getaway to relax was not something I would decline. While we relaxed during the day at the hotel, when it came time to celebrate my friend’s birthday, we went out to dinner. There are many restaurants to choose from in San José del Cabo and my friends chose Tamarindos Mexican Farm to Table. Freshly grown vegetables, locally sourced meats and fish, and friendly personalized service make Tamarindos Mexican Farm to Table in San José del Cabo, Mexico the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Located only five minutes from downtown San José del Cabo, Tamarindos is set in a rural environment. To get to the restaurant, our taxi drove through dirt roads. When we arrived, we stood looking out at the large expanse of property.

Originally a sugar farm dating from 1888, Tamarindos was opened 18 years ago by Owner and Chef Enrique Silva, who has other locations, one in downtown San José del Cabo and one in Tulum, Mexico. With freshness and quality at the core of the restaurant, Tamarindos grows all the fruits, vegetables and herbs that they use on-premises.

Pasta is handmade daily. They raise their own Cornish hens and quails. The fresh fish they serve is caught daily by independent local fishermen and hand-selected by the chef and the lamb and pork are sourced from a nearby farm.

Upon arriving, we were greeted by restaurant manager Mauricio Dominguez. Personable and welcoming, he was at our service the entire evening.

We walked over to La Venia, the outdoor bar that overlooks the farm, for some drinks and appetizers. My first cocktail was a refreshing Smoked Pineapple Margarita.

My second cocktail was a spicy cucumber Mezcalita made with Chef Silva’s own brand, in partnership with master Mescalero Celestino Sernas Lopez of Oaxaca, of organic, artisanal mescal called La Venia.

We also enjoyed a few appetizers, including tuna tatare made with freshly caught tuna and roasted zucchini and eggplant topped with pesto and tomatoes. The freshness of these dishes excited my palate and I knew we were in for a treat.