Cabo San Lucas, a restaurant review

Hi All:

I hope you enjoyed my introduction to Sex and Suburbia. If you haven't read it yet, please scroll down and take a look! I intend to post a new "Sex" column each week. In a couple of days, I will post Sex and Suburbia, Never say Never. In the meantime, as promised, I will include posts of my unsolicited opinions about restaurants, vacation spots, shops, bargains and just about anything I think is worth talking about.

I am a total "foodie" and lately I have been writing restaurant reviews. Since I also love to travel, I am posting my review of a restaurant in Cabo San Lucas. While cruising is my favorite way to vacation, my family also enjoys hanging out in Cabo a couple of times a year. Several months ago, we stayed at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach (which we loved!). Here is my review of one of the hotel's restaurants, La Nao.

La Wow at “La Nao!”
Ideally situated just steps from the sparkling Pacific Ocean in Cabo San Lucas, on the grounds of the spectacular Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort, sits La Nao, an internationally themed restaurant with upscale service, superb food and a breathtaking view of the azure blue sea.

While dining at La Nao, the sound of the crashing waves and the sight of the setting sun glistening off the water provide the perfect transition from your day in paradise to your evening in paradise. And if your view of paradise includes al fresco dining on an elegant veranda while sipping a peach daiquiri, umbrella and all, you’re in luck here. If wine is more your style, however, La Nao’s extremely knowledgeable sommelier will happily help you choose the perfect bottle from the restaurant’s impressive cellar (I hope you have your Platinum Card for this though - - wine here is about the only thing I would say is very expensive). At this outdoor oasis, each table is adorned with a candle and fresh flowers and is shaded by an oversized, romantically lit palapa. Of course, every outside table has a magnificent view of the ocean. Should you prefer sitting indoors, La Nao’s glass and marble pavilion also offers ocean view tables, but the atmosphere inside is a bit noisier, more hectic and more generic than the relaxing and serene loggia.

La Nao features a wonderfully diverse menu consisting primarily of California cuisine with Asian and Mexican undertones. Among our favorite dishes were the crab-stuffed jalapenos, the ahi and mango ceviche (which was so fresh that each bite was like a burst of the tropics) and the grilled-to-perfection guajillo marinated lamb. In addition to the regular menu, each evening La Nao offers an internationally themed buffet, different every night of the week. The first night we were there, the buffet was Italian and included everything from fresh antipasto and heirloom tomatoes with imported buffalo mozzarella (which melted in my mouth) to a cooked-to-order pasta bar with a myriad of sauces to choose from, a variety of specialty pizzas, a wide selection of hot delicacies such as osso bucco, spinach aglio olio, twice baked potatoes and much more. The selection is sure to satisfy any palate. Amazingly, the food on the buffet tasted like it was made especially for you upon order.

It doesn’t end there. Each night, the buffet also includes an abundance of sumptuous desserts to match the theme. On Mexican night, we ordered the buffet simply to try the more than 20 mouth watering desserts beautifully displayed. We were not disappointed. The Biscochitos, traditional Mexican sugar cookies which are very thick and dusted with cinnamon-sugar, were to die for, as were the Bananas Foster Chimichangas, fried and sweet burrito-like bundles generously stuffed with banana slices, butter, brown sugar and spiced rum! Simply delicious.

Wait, there’s more. If excellent service is what you seek, you will definitely find it here. The several times we dined at La Nao, at least two wait staff took care of our every need. They were friendly and attentive, but never intrusive. A further benefit, La Nao features nightly live music to match the theme of its international buffet. The music is set up inside, but piped through the superior stereo system to the outdoor eating area for all to enjoy.

And perhaps best of all in these crazy economic times, the buffet costs only $30.00 US per person. A true bargain given the quality of the staff and the food coupled with the unbeatable ambiance of a candlelit dinner overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Among the array of Cabo San Lucas’ restaurants, La Nao is a “Wow!”