SEAFOOD TOSTADAS. San Juan neighborhood and surroundings, Historic Center.

ATOLE CAMPECHANO 1

*Texto en español abajo.

What encouraged me to stay in the second location of La Piraña, instead of the first one —which seemed better stocked— was the music. This is a good song, dude, said a guy who stood at the counter with the guy in charge, at the beat of the kettledrums and the congas…

Por la esquina del viejo barrio lo vi pasar

Con el tumbao que tienen los guapos al caminar…

There is something about the combination of salsa and seafood which presents itself as an irrefutable offer. And I'm not just talking about the Blades-Colón duo, but also, about Valentina and Búfalo, Tabasco, Chimay, Huichol, La Viuda, El Yucateco, La Callita, La Negra... The most beautiful thing about the marisquería tables and bars is the spontaneous rainbow that is drawn over them with the various types and styles of salsa bottles, all perfectly aligned. To the repertoire of hot sauces, we must add the non-spicy ones, but which add umami such as Worcestershire, Maggi, ketchup, mayonnaise...

With their colorful marine aesthetics and the creativity of folk Mexican lettering and illustration art as a backdrop, these unassuming venues are like small oases amidst the urban hubbub and the eternal summer that the city of Mexico has been turned into, lately. Eating at a marisquería —whether on the street or inside a market— is like being in the city without being in the city, it's like working in Reforma and having lunch at Puerto Marqués, like vacationing without leaving the office, it's 30 minutes that taste like sand and sea, with each crunchy bite of tostada, soft and juicy seafood, a touch of acid, chopped vegetables, avocado, mayonnaise, salsa... Every place has a "secret recipe" to make its customers fall in love.

Shrimp, squid, and octopus tostada, and complimentary shrimp caldo from Mariscos La Piraña.

La Piraña

I came to this place with the idea of ​​having a ceviche tostada, but they were out, and, since the music was good and, as I said, the decision to stay had already been made, the waiter offered me, instead, a very successful combination of a little bit of everything that he did have left: octopus, squid, and shrimp. The tostada was medium sized and well served; the seafood was fresh, the avocado just right, the repertoire of sauces was varied and sufficient, and the dish was accompanied by a complimentary cup of shrimp broth. All of the above, for the beautiful amount of 35 pesos, a very generous price-quality ratio, which meets what it offers and a little more. I don't know if it was the best toast I tried on this tour —in reality, none of them was and, in their own way, they all were— but the truth is, that you’ll hardly ever feel so close to the beach for so few pesos, like in this humble stand located on Avenida Morelos close to the corner of Humboldt.

A more generous option —although, a little more expensive too— is the following…