Mariscos Hector's - Chula Vista

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog you are reading. Lately, Cathy has been writing about her "staycation" walks around the beautiful County parks while Kirk has been updating his Turkey and Greece vacation from this year and ed(from Yuma) has let us in on his vacation to Julian.  Cathy is back with something different.

One of our recent walks was quite educational as well as a bit challenging (downhill from the start, therefore uphill to return). This time, we had beautiful views- one, of the Otay Lakes Reservoir...

  

 while walking the one mile path...

with a beautiful view North

and many, many athletic venues- courts, fields, tracks, this archery range...

Yes, the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.  There is a path and the public can walk it and view the various venues from it (access directly on the fields is restricted).

There are three BMX riders at the top/starting gate behind the Field Hockey field (court?). You can see we aren't very close to the track.  However there is a  BMX Development Track closer to the main building and it has several sets of bleacher seats close to the field. The BMX Supercross World Cup will be held here September 30-October 1 (www.ababmx.com) (www.uci.ch)

So anyhow, we walked and enjoyed this new-to-us venue (the Olympic Training Center opened in June 1995) which has a great audio tour as well as the views. Then we drove through the Eastlake section of Chula Vista, looking for something different.

There was a major intersection with three of the corners filled with stores and shops.  In the one which had the Kohl's, I spotted this.  Of course we stopped.
It was quite large and clean inside, with a bar which had a view of the kitchen,
as well as a bar which was alcohol centric.
We were seated in a booth with very a large, thick granite table and corn chips, a very good spicy-hot fresh salsa and cut limes were placed on the table.

 
I wanted a champechana cocktail, but also wanted to try other items on the menu.  When I saw there was a champechana tostada on the menu ($5.95), I decided that would get me the flavors but not be overwhelmingly filling...but it was huge! Lots of fresh shrimp, octopus, bay scallops cooked in lime juice with added cucumber, tomato and cilantro. This was definitely fresh made for me with tender octopus, fresh shrimp and flavorful, small, bay scallops.  There are oysters in the champechana coctail and I can get that next time, if I am so hungry.
The Mister saw a calamari tostada on the menu for only $1.95, so he ordered it for us to share.  This was not your typical squid.  First, this must have been a very large squid since the pieces had a good diameter.  The meat was tender and meaty.  It was sauteed, cooked in a salsa which made it tender...almost stew-like.  It was very good and I'll order it again.
On the menu, the tacos were priced as "Piece" and "Order". Piece meant one taco; order meant two tacos plus rice and beans.  The Gobernador was $3.95 for the single taco and $7.95 for the order.  I pulled out my phone and used its handy calculator...

ANYHOW...the gobernador was *wonderful*. This version had a lot of chunks of mild chiles in an almost cream sauce...or really melty cheese and were filled with shrimp. (Gobernador tacos, Sinaloan in origin, have the common denominator of shrimp and cheese and then each chef seems to make it their own...this is a great version).

One note- the corn chips that came with salsa, the corn tortilla with the tostadas and the corn tortilla used for the tacos were each unique and flavorful and very very different in texture.  That was another delightful surprise.    We will be coming back to try the Parrillada dishes (barbecue) which include carne asada, kabobs and lobster as well as the various fish dishes. Oh and there is a breakfast menu! I guess we'll go back to the Olympic Training Center more often...

Hector's Mariscos 2305 Otay Lakes Road Ste 201 Chula Vista 91915 (619)421-1300 Website

(yes, the website is www.hectorsmariscos.comand the sign above the door is Mariscos Hector's. You'll find it)

Comments

[caninecologne]

Ooh, let me know next time you're in the area. I haven't been to Mariscos Hector's yet. It used to be "Wanna Taco" (yes, that was the name) but it went out of business several years ago.

[baltimore jack]

what's with this "...the mrs.... the mr....??"

[Kirk]

Hi BJ - What's with this Baltimore Jack stuff??? Why...why...why??? Why not???

[yummieyummy]

I went there almost a year ago w/ the Mr :D Their margarita is decent.

[ed (from Yuma)]

Nice discovery. Pretty walking area too. I'm amazed that you can keep finding these places.

[Cathy]

It was completely unplanned this time, cc, but next time I'll let you know. The whole mall looked so new as well as the interior, I thought it ws a newer place. Excellent food.
Welcome to our blog, BJ. We all like to remain anonymous here; there are so many kooks on the interweb.
Excellent interrogatives, Kirk.
It was lunch time and we had just walked so didn't think of alcohol, yy. Food was excellent and will bring us back.
Just put me behind the wheel of a fueled up vehicle, and I'll find something interesting as I drive about aimlessly, ed. It is our idea of a 'vacation'...no schedule, stop when we see something interesting- to walk, shop or eat...no rules. So far it's been fun and I am glad I can share.

[Janfrederick]

Man, what a HUGE menu! All of it looks tempting. Why can't there be a location further north, like right across the street from my office? ;)

[Cathy]

The menu is variations of the seafoods and sauces, JF, kind of like a giant Deli menu. When family comes to visit and wants seafood, I always try to take them to a Mariscos place. Do you have any fruiterias or Mexican Markets near your work? Those places have hidden treasures.

[Janfrederick]

The nearest place is a small market on Camino Ruiz in Mira Mesa in the same strip mall as R&B Filipino food. They don't have anything prepared, but I do go there when I need supplies for home. There is a small place that makes good lengua in the same mall.

Also, a new place recently opened in the Target Mall where Rice King used to be that serves champechana and seven seas soup. But not the variety of seafood you'd find in a real mariscos place. I'll have to drive out to Clairemont Mesa for an extra long lunch the next time I need a fix.

[Cathy]

La Playita, or did you have someplace else in mind, JF? Palominos has good cocteles and soup but is concentrating on chicken rather than fish dishes. Hectors seems to be wonderous and will be one of the 8 days of birthday feasts for the two of us later this month...as will El Titanic.