Sometimes the fastest way into a place is through the table.

Food has a way of doing something a map can't.

It introduces you to ingredients, traditions, neighborhoods, families and people — often without anybody needing to explain that they're introducing you.

And Cabo gives you plenty of opportunities to eat extremely well.

There are beautiful restaurants overlooking the water. Neighborhood places people return to every week. Seafood that makes perfect sense when you look at the ocean. Tacos that turn into a conversation about where you're eating tomorrow.

We want room for all of it.

Don't start with “What's the best restaurant?”

It's a reasonable question.

It's also almost impossible to answer without asking another one.

Best for what?

A romantic dinner?

Tacos after a day on the water?

Somewhere the whole family will enjoy?

Fresh seafood?

A celebration?

Something quick before heading to the marina?

A place where lunch can accidentally become three hours?

The best restaurant isn't the same for everyone. Start with the meal you want.

Sound familiar?

It's the same way we think about boats, fishing trips, golf courses and adventures.

The right choice starts with the experience you're looking for.

Eat more than one version of Cabo.

One of the easiest mistakes to make is deciding what kind of food trip you're going to have before you arrive.

Cabo doesn't require you to choose.

The beautiful dinner Dress up, order something great and enjoy the view.
The taco stop Sometimes the meal you talk about most comes on a much smaller plate.
The seafood day You're surrounded by water. Let that influence lunch once in a while.
The recommendation Ask somebody where they eat and follow the answer.

Have the resort breakfast.

Have tacos for lunch.

Make the reservation for dinner.

Stop somewhere tomorrow because somebody told you to.

That's a pretty good way to eat through Cabo.

Ask what they're ordering.

Menus tell you what a restaurant serves.

People can sometimes tell you what you should pay attention to.

Ask the server what they like.

Ask what people come back for.

Ask if something is especially good today.

Look at the table next to you.

If something looks amazing, ask what it is.

Curiosity works at the table too.

Don't only ask where to eat. Ask what to eat when you get there.
This space is waiting for a real Cabo table: tacos, seafood, a family meal, a chef at work or something Wendy tells us we absolutely have to try.

Follow the people who eat here.

Reviews are useful.

So are recommendations from people whose lives actually happen here.

Ask the captain where he eats after a morning on the water.

Ask the bartender where she goes on her day off.

Ask the driver where he'd take his family.

Ask someone who has lived here for years which place they would be genuinely disappointed to see disappear.

Those questions often produce a different kind of list.

And that's exactly the kind of list we're interested in.

Go back twice.

We said this when talking about experiencing Cabo generally, and food might be the easiest place to practice it.

Travelers sometimes feel obligated to try somewhere new every single meal.

But if you loved somewhere yesterday, go back.

Order something different.

Say hello to the person who served you.

Ask what you should try this time.

Restaurants feel different on the second visit.

So do people.

Recognition is a small thing, but it can turn somewhere you ate into somewhere you know.

Food tells people stories too.

The Food side of The Heartbeat isn't going to be only restaurant reviews.

We want to meet chefs.

Talk to restaurant owners.

Learn about family recipes.

Understand ingredients.

Find out why somebody cooks something the way they do.

Ask how long a place has been there.

Ask what changed.

Ask what hasn't.

Because behind the plate there is usually a person.

And behind the person there is usually another story.

Not every meal needs to be “authentic.”

That's another word travel writing can make unnecessarily complicated.

Sometimes you want traditional Mexican food.

Sometimes you want sushi.

Sometimes you want a steak overlooking the ocean.

Sometimes you want tacos standing outside.

Sometimes somebody in the group wants a cheeseburger.

Everybody is going to survive. 😂

The goal isn't to pass some imaginary traveler test.

The goal is to have a great meal and maybe understand a little more about where you are along the way.

The table is another way to meet Cabo.

That's ultimately why food belongs inside The Heartbeat.

It's not separate from the people and places we're exploring.

It connects them.

A restaurant introduces you to a neighborhood.

A dish introduces you to an ingredient.

A recommendation introduces you to a person.

A second visit starts a relationship.

And suddenly dinner is part of the story you bring home.

Eat somewhere beautiful. Eat somewhere simple. Follow a recommendation. Ask what they're ordering. Go back twice.

Come hungry. Stay curious.

We're going to use this part of The Heartbeat to share the meals, places and people we think are worth knowing.

Some will be restaurants you've heard about.

Some might be places you've driven past.

Some will come from Leo.

Some will come from Alex.

Some will come from Wendy.

And hopefully a lot of them will come from people we meet who simply tell us:

“You need to go eat here.”

That's usually a conversation worth following.