Page 163 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2023 DISCOVERING TURKEY

businesses include a restaurant and seven
street stands specializing in birria. We sam-
pled the savory goat stew in golden fried tacos
and cups of fragrant consommé. As the tour
continued, we visited with cheery Carmen as
she ladled cups of aguas frescas made with ce-
bada (barley) and maracuya, guanabana and
other tropical fruits. Mariscos Cisneros, our
next stop, started with a simple stand 25 years
ago and now serves up seafood-stuffed
jalapeños and crab enchiladas in an old house
with a blissfully shaded courtyard.
Gray continued sharing tidbits as we wan-
dered along, telling us Mexico is the leading
consumer of Coke in the world and Jalisco
(PV’s state) is the fattest state in the country.
As lunchtime approached we joined the crowd
at Carnitas La Santa Cruz for more irresistible
tacos, stopped by Vallarta Factory for rich
Mexican chocolate, cooled off with popsicles at
Palatería Villaseñor and finally pulled up
chairs to the dining table at Gaby’s for mole,
tequila and flan. I barely made it to my hotel
for a much-needed siesta.
The following day, the Seafood Lovers Tour
As we wandered narrow streets, guide Joana Gray kicked off with a super-fresh, poke-like tuna
tostada at Tuna Azul (my favorite item in
both tours). Next came shrimp tacos and
margaritas at De Cantaro. We sampled fish
maintain proper standards, Gray said. Bottled water tacos and squid machaca, then sat awhile
is used for cooking and disposable cornstarch covers while enjoying mahi-mahi ceviche tostadas at
keep plastic plates sanitary. Licenses and street cor- Mariscos El Guero, another old-timer packed
ners are closely guarded and passed down within lo- with happy fans. Our tour ended at Lix ice
cream shop, where I was actually too full to
try the homemade ice-cream sandwiches my
fellow eaters were devouring.
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