Thursday, January 19, 2006

A superb lunch and a relaxing resort at the ONE&ONLY PALMILLA in Baja California

On Monday, our cruise ship the MS Oosterdam ported in Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Baja California and we decided to rent a car and spend the day checking out what is considered one of the top resorts in the world. ONE&ONLY has numerous properties around the world and is growing fast, but keeping the best quality possible in its product. For example, at their PALMILLA Resort just 5 miles outside of San Jose del Cabo, the older colonial town at the tip of Baja California (20 minutes from our port of Cabo San Lucas), the fine dining restaurant is run by none other than Chef CHARLIE TROTTER!

Alas, our lunch was at the poolside restaurant, but was no less impressive. As soon as we were seated with Sam, the waiter came over with a huge box of toys, crayons, books and a Shreck Etch-a-Sketch. This kept Samuel busy and quiet while he waited for his Chicken Fingers and Fries. We ordered a bottle of BADOIT from the menu of bottled waters that might included about twenty different types of mineral waters from all over the world. It was a treat to have our favorite bottled water from France that is so rare in the US.

Will & I split an appetizer of the GUACAMOLE that came with the best homemade nacho chips on earth and the preparation was not only beautiful and superb tasting with creamy chunks of avocado, but it was sprinkled with the most delicious bits of crispy duck meat that was like crunchy bacon bits (but duck flavored!).

Will had the excellent ENCHILADAS for this entree while I ordered the caught that morning PARROT FISH served over a bed of sauteed leeks that was my first tasting of this fleshy, flaky and delicious fish. We were too full to enjoy dessert, but did have beautiful afternoon relaxing at the resort's gorgeous pool and beach with perhaps the best staff and service we have experienced ANYWHERE in the world. It truly was the ONE&ONLY PALMILLA.

Phyllis in the Pacific headed back towards San Diego.