Upon arriving in Mexico at midday, we were hungry, and decided this would be a good time to get in the groove of a Mexican eating schedule: big, late, lunch, and very light dinner (breakfasts to be described in another post). So we decided to walk to Contramar, allegedly one of Mexico City´s more upscale restaurants but with prices still at barely midscale for New Haven.

We acquired a pair of quite strong sangrias (possibly a mistake), some fish tacos al pastor, and some sort of spicy shrimp substance that I was never quite able to identify served with salsas, onions, limes, and piles of tortilla. The fish tacos were extremely good, but it was the shrimp that was truly astounding. These were tiny, malformed shrimp, the kind that normally sell for cut rates at my Trader Joes, but they had undergone some sort of transformation and become salty, powerful, vessels of chili and the essence of the ocean. We devoured them enthusiastically.

We attempted to order, as an entree, the Filete de Tuna Contramar, a filet of tuna split lengthwise, smeared with chili and parsley sauces, and grilled, served with more tortillas. (It was at nearly every table). Somehow, we ended up with a very large piece of tuna steak cooked (to describe it charitably) rare. It was still quite good, even if less unique (and very inexpensive for a piece of fish that size). I can´t imagine there are many Crescat readers in Mexico City, but for those who find themselves there, this is a place to be happy.