The Perfect Caribbean Beach Lunch
By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
It arrives in a black wooden box, its contents concealed beneath a sliding cover. Our beach butler, Bautista, carefully places the load on our seaside cabana bed, and, with a proud flourish, slides the cover away.
And with that, a Mexican bounty from the kitchens of Mexico’s Grand Velas Riviera Maya resort is revealed. Fresh-caught tuna ceviche glistens under a fan of sliced avocado. Crisp corn chips sit beside a heaping platter of nachos, their golden peaks topped with a generous serving of queso and embellished with succulent chunks of grilled steak. Traditional accompaniments of fresh salsa and creamy guacamole are nestled alongside. As for the French fries … well … everything tastes better with French fries, right?
Instantly ravenous, we dig in to our beachfront feast, me scooping up guac with gusto; him digging deep into the meat-crowned mountain of nachos. We’re both uncharacteristically quiet, and not just because our mouths are full.
It’s because this moment – filled with the elemental pleasures of good food, salty breezes, and warm sunshine – needs no narration.
It’s perfect, just as it is.
