Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Eating Mexico: Art & Beer

You've waited long enough. I can now tell you where to go to have the best drink in the world.
But first, a little back-story.


Two years ago Ed and I took an unplanned day trip from Cabo to Todos Santos to get out of the tourist clang. We liked Todos so much we decided to stay overnight.


That afternoon we swam in the ocean, then we drank beer and danced to a reggae band under the stars with a bunch of California surf dudes. And the next day, on our way back to Cabo, we stopped on a whim at a little place next to the road called Art & Beer.


That stop changed everything.

I personally believe there's a good possibility that they put "something" in the drinks. I can't prove it, and I honestly don't care. It's just that I can't figure out any other explaination for the overwhelming sense of well-being that overcame us while we were sitting under the palapas, gazing out at the ocean in the distance.



Back home, the thought of Art & Beer brought on fuzzy gazes and caused us both to go to la-la land every time someone asked about our trip to Mexico.

So it's not an overstatement to say Art & Beer was Mecca to us on this trip. Ed even said--as we were pulling up--that he was nervous that it wouldn't be everything we remembered. But the instant we entered it came back.

This is it. This is what you waited for: the Clamato.



A drink like no other, and I mean that. Seventeen (that's 17!) ingredients go into this puppy, including at least three and sometimes four clams, fish roe, worcestershire sauce, something-something, something else, and so on til you get to 17. Oh right, and there are raw scallops on the garnish.

We also ordered the deceptively simple-sounding "whole fried fish."

At Art & Beer that means a whole fried fish plus a whole crab, seven giant scallops, five mussels, a few more clams, homemade beans, fresh tortillas and five just-made salsas. No, seriously.






Another Clamato? Hell yes, senora.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Todos Santos! Great photos. I can't believe Ed drank the clamato. Ugh!!! No way. Make mine a fruity cocktail.
Shells

Anonymous said...

That clamato drink looks absolutely horrifying! almost as scary as the antipasta bloody mary from olive garden. Shivers.........

Ali Scheff said...

What a bunch of wussies! The clamato is a thing of true beauty.

Anonymous said...

i LOVE art & beer. heaven on earth. my hubby and i got married in cabo in nov and went up to todos santos for a day trip; stopped by art & beer on the way back for the best pina coladas and sunset ever. http://www.flickr.com/photos/eskimo/1985895746/in/set-72157603115495757/ - scroll through for the fabulous sunset!

Ali Scheff said...

We had the pina colada the first time we were there. Incredible! I mean that. It really is.

I really think I could move in with the owners.

Anonymous said...

Recently in Mexico staying outside Cabo my wife, brother, and my friend Zuba went for a day trip to Tados Santos. On the way there we stoped at Art and Beer. It was without a doubt the best experiance we had the whole week in the area. The drinks were the best the food was the best. The experiance has to be lived. If you are ever in the area you must go. If tequila is a drink you love you have found the best I have ever had in the world at any price. I could go on and on, it's truely a slice of heaven.