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The sign on the side of their marisco cart reads: "Del Mar a su Paladar," which translates loosely to "From the sea to your palate;" that is the mission statement of Mariscos Olas Atlas, located in Tijuana Zona Centro, at the corner of Av. Negrete and Calle Benito Juárez, two blocks east of downtown Tijuana and Av. Revolución.
Photo: Note the advertising painted on the marisco cart and the awning, and the handy cinderblock fence in the background that makes for a comfy place to sit, while enjoying a delicious mariscos. Friday, March 13, 2009 found me exploring the streets of downtown Tijuana, and after consuming a couple of beers and hiking several dusty miles, I was getting a bit on the hungry side. Street tacos... I love 'em, but I'd already eaten at least eight of them today, and I was in the mood for something different, specifically I was in the mood for something cool and relaxing... like a mariscos. When I spied the gaudy, aqua-painted cart, sporting slogans such as "Fresh cocktails," and "Delicious cocktails," (translated to English) I knew that I'd found the next place where I wanted to have a bit to eat.
Photo: Here's the busy neighborhood that Mariscos Olas Atlas lives in, across from the Pemex gas station. Zona Rio can be seen in the background of the photo. Mariscos Olas Atlas is operated by two gentlemen, and features just about every type of cold seafood that you could want in your cocktail, including shrimp, clams, oysters, octopus, crab, and a large variety of clams, known locally as "Pata de Mula" or mule hoofs, due to their large size. Mariscos are very popular in Mexico, especially among males, as they're considered an aphrodisiac, so you see marisco stands everywhere, especially in cities in close proximity to the coast.
Photo: The "boss mariscos" guy, who made my mariscos, shows his helper how to handle a large clam. Describing Mariscos Olas Atlas as a restaurant, or even a trailer would be quite inaccurate, as it's neither. I would describe it as a wooden cart on wheels, with the wheels being small, swivel wheels, the kind that you see on the large roll-around toolboxes that professional mechanics store their tools in. It's made out of plywood, with a stainless steel work area, and staidness steel storage bins for various ingredients, and appears to be custom made, e.g. home constructed. An umbrella protects the marisco chef from the elements, and also serves as a billboard to advertise the various wares that the restaurant offers. On the ends of the umbrella are a couple of interesting statements, translated into English read: "You come with your vice, asking a simple question, in the style of Sinaloa." What? I couldn't begin to figure that one out, and I couldn't quite formulate my Spanish to ask one of the guys what it meant, but I assume it makes reference to the aphrodisiac qualities that fresh seafood is supposed to possess.
Photo: Chop-chop-chop... Who needs electricity or a food processor when you can handle a knife as fast as this guy can? Note the large clams (patas de mulas) to the left of the photo. Olas Atlas is very primitive, and very basic, as it lacks such amenities as running water, electricity, and, course, a restroom. Water is provided by a five gallon water cooler, and the seafood is kept on ice, in a couple of ice chests, one on the cart, and another one resting on the sidewalk. Sanitation is non-existent, as employees do everything "by hand," including the fresh seafood, without the benefit of latex gloves or hot, running water. God only knows what condition the seafood is in as it reposes in an ice chest under dubious conditions... if one is afraid of a little bacteria, or is a sanitation freak, you'd best avoid this place, but all the aforementioned aside, Mariscos Olas Atlas is my kind of place.
Photo: The mariscos guy is cutting clam meat and is about ready to place it into the bowl, along with the shrimp and the other goodies that make my mariscos. The older of the two guys seemed to be running the show, so I asked him if he could make a mariscos for me. He asked what sort of seafood I wanted in it, and I replied that I wanted shrimp, clam and octopus. In a flurry of activity, he took our a large knife, plopped a red onion, and a white one, along with a handful of cilantro, a couple of key limes, and a couple of stalks of celery on a cutting board, and began chopping them into small pieces. Next, he reached into the ice chest, and pulled out a handful of shrimp, a clam, and a hunk of gray meat with little suction cups, which I assumed once had belonged to an octopus. Again, in a whirl of activity, he made the knife a blur; I could hardly see the individual strokes. Without electricity and the benefits of a food processor, it's all in the wrist... When all ingredients were diced to his satisfaction, with the palm of his bare hand, he scooped them into a plastic bowl. Next, he chopped the limes in half, and squeezed the juice into the bowl, carefully catching the seeds that fell into the mixture. Then, he grabbed a squeeze bottle of catsup and squeezed some of it into the bowl, followed by a dash or two of bottled hot sauce, and shook a little salt over the mixture. He reached over and took a plastic spoon from a coffee can, and used it to mix everything together. By now, the bowl was nearly overflowing with diced seafood, but he wasn't finished, as he reached up to a shelf located at eye level, grabbed a cocktail glass, and poured the mixture in it. To finish his creation, he added a couple of sprigs of cilantro, stuck a plastic spoon in it, and with a smile, handed it to me.
Photo: Mr. Mariscos proudly shows the wonderful seafood cocktail he created for me.
Photo: My mariscos, in a cocktail glass on the cutting board where it was created. Note the cast metal lime juice squeezer and the skillful presentation of the marisco. Since the cart is located at the edge of the street, next to the sidewalk, there is no "official" seating, nor are there tables and chairs where you can enjoy your mariscos, but there is a low wall, made of cinderblocks, which makes convenient seating. There is nothing like eating a freshly-made marisco, on the dusty streets of downtown Tijuana, watching a couple of entrepreneurs at work, listening to the roar of traffic, and breathing a few diesel fumes from the countless busses and trucks that rumble by this street corner. If you can look past the lack of sanitation, and the primitive storage facilities, and the fact that the restaurant is located on a busy city street, Mariscos Olas Atlas serves delicious mariscos, which are as good of a mariscos of that I've enjoyed in classy seafood restaurants, for over twice the price. The seafood was fresh and delicious, the veggies were crisp, and snapped when you bit into them, and the sauce was flavorful, and packed just a little "kick," but not enough to be considered even warm. Factor in the very reasonable price of MEX $40.00, the fast, friendly service and the funky, urban atmosphere, and I'd call Mariscos Olas Atlas a winner.
Photo: I toast Tijuana, Mexico, the Zona Centro and Mr. Mariscos, while holding my mariscos, as Mister himself graciously snaps the photo with my digital camera. By the way, I woke up fresh and alert the next day, suffering no ill-effects from eating the delicious mariscos, prepared under dubious, and primitive conditions... Mariscos
Olas Atlas Copyright(c) 2012 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custon photography for any occasion...
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