Hola Amigos Y Amigas! And a special howdy and thanks to Charlene from L.A.! Let me “dish” about the terrific food around this part of Mexico - and if you could see my chubby waistline, you would know that I'm an expert!

The Marina Village at CostaBaja – Pueblo Marinero, has three restaurants that I simply adore! The first one is Azul Marino, they serve a modern mix of international fusion. I usually order their Ceviche and it's always incredible. It's fairly mild so I always add a lot of piquante (hot) sauce. In case you aren't familiar with Ceviche (also spelled as cebiche, seviche or cevice), it's a lemon/lime, citrus-marinated seafood salad, popular in many Latin American countries. The dish originated with the Viceroyalty of Peru. Well, la-dee-da! My younger sister, Graciela (you'll hear about her now and then in this column), had their shrimp risotto. I gave it a taste and we both agreed it was delicious.

The second restaurant is the Bismarck, and they are primarily a seafood restaurant known for making awesome lobster. I love their shrimp salad, it's phenomenal! Restaurant Gula is fabulous. I had a meal there just last week that started with fresh, warm bread with herbed butter on the side, and a margarita – of course! For my entr�e, I had their Osso Bucco on a lovely bed of vermicelli noodles with thyme and red wine. The presentation alone was a masterpiece, so you just KNOW the food's going to be great just by looking at it. The service was welcoming, pleasant, and genuine – the server knew the menu by heart and made great meal recommendations. And Charlene, the same meals in L.A. would cost a small fortune. You're going to be wowed by the food but even more amazed by the prices!

La Paz has some good eats also. I'm going to give you three of my favs: Once in awhile, I get a pasta craving that only an Italian knows how to satisfy. When it strikes, I head for Trattoria La Pazta. Pazta – get it? They serve Italian and Swiss cuisine in a pretty, “black lacquer and white tile” setting. On the Swiss side, they make a great fondue, and Graciela just LOVES their beef stroganoff. But for me, there's nothing like homemade lasagna, baked in a wood-fired oven, or pasta with local, fresh seafood cooked in wine and cream sauce. Anyone who puts wine and cream together is ok with me – besides, the French do it all the time!

And speaking of French, Caf� Expresso is one of my hot spots, the pastries ... Oo-La-La! And they also make a superb cup of coffee! But when in Rome...Rancho Viejo is real, authentic Mexican food – so authentic, there aren't even English translations for the dishes they serve. My #1 pick is, well, let's call it “beef tacos,” but really, it's not like the tacos you're used to! The beef is not “ground,” its chunks of spicy, seasoned steak! You get a bowl of beef, a plate of corn or flour tortillas and a platter full of vegetables, like roasted jalapeno peppers, shredded cabbage, cucumber, and marinated onions ... ... mmmm.... along with tomato salsa and guacamole. Then you just go right ahead and build yourself the best darn taco you've EVER had!