Garlic and Mango Summer Festival at the River Cafe Gary R. Beck - River Cafe
July 11, 2014

The River Café is sponsoring their seventh annual For the Love of Garlic and Mango Summer Festival now until July 31. This is a special menu of dishes highlighting garlic and mango, a truly wonderful combination of flavors in many creations offered by Executive Chef Roberto Chavez. The menu is composed of three courses with choices and the meal starts with Amuse Bouche.

Owners Eva Sanchez and Margarito Larios operate The River Café in the heart of Puerto Vallarta on Isla Cuale, an area of land situated between two branches of Rio Cuale as it heads west to the Bahia de Banderas, separating Old Town and South Side (Colonia Emiliano Zapata). Since founding in 1993, they transformed this secluded lush and tropical paradise into a worldwide destination for fine and unusual cuisine and great service.

The sounds of soft live music and bubbling water invite patrons into a leveled dining area highlighted by a gazebo jutting out to the river, providing a special setting among creeping iguanas seeking sunlight during the daytime. The walls are lined with beautiful local art, blending into the artistically designed and decorated place.

There is nothing quite like fresh mangos for a nutritious use in cooking. The tropical fruit is available almost year round here. The world's top supplier is Mexico and their mangos are often considered the gold standard.

Amuse Bouche is garlic confit and mango chutney with cubes of fresh chutney ripe fruit, red bell pepper and cilantro. A whole roasted garlic head in centered with the chutney in a miniature stew pot alongside long toasted croûton toasts. Spreading the garlic and mango onto the toast entices the diner to what lay ahead. The presentation was smartly distinctive due to its rectangular black slate base.

Yellowfin Tuna Ceviche, a Peruvian version, was chunks of fresh tuna, Japanese cucumber, fairly crisp mango, habañero, red onion, cilantro and julienned seaweed, offering a hint of the sea. What makes this dish such a highlight to remember is the "Leche de Tigre" sauce, a mixture of ginger, molasses, soy and brown sugar. The mango used in this creation is unripe since ripe sweetness would interfere with the sauce. It was a party in the mouth, tastes combining the various flavors. The dish has proved popular with diners.

Mango Salad was based on spring field greens with semi-ripe mango chunks, avocado, cherry tomato. Crispy, very thin deep-fried won ton strips which were non-greasy added surprising flavor. Passion
fruit vinaigrette was light and dressed the salad well.

Grilled Mahi Mahi was a thick large fillet over basmati rice and vegetables with raisins, remoulade of mango, mint and sweet pepper chimichurri and almonds. The fish was moist, flaky and bold.

Come to be expected here and eagerly awaited are the homemade flaky rolls (croissant-like) stuffed with cream cheese. One must show restraint so the appetite remains vigorous.

Grilled Sonora Beef Tenderloin brought a most generous thick tender filet mignon, quite possibly the center cut of the loin which is known as Chateaubriand. Meat sources have been explored with the current choice having the most flavor and good texture, a very fine free range beef. Accompaniment was a baked potato which was sliced and coated with lime cream, mushroom ragout and grilled al dente mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli. Coating the base of the platter was a mushroom wine balsamic sauce.

Sauces are the basis of a recipe. Here each sauce is created carefully so as to enhance not overwhelm the main ingredient. When well-designed, the result may elevate everything to a higher level of pleasure.

The sun set over the fan-cooled establishment, replaced by the flickering of table candles and exterior icicle lights.

Desserts climaxed the wonderful meal. Mango Mousse was topped with a thin chocolate layer and a triangle of dark chocolate. Chamoyada, sweet and spicy jelly, was dripped alongside. Mango sorbet sprinkled with tajín, a condiment of Mexican chiles, lime and salt was garnished with blueberries and mango.

This festival menu of four course is comfortably priced at 295 pesos, plus drinks and tip.
 
The River Café is always a destination for very fine food, ambiance, decor and service. Now do not miss this fabulous exploration of mango and garlic.

For more information and reservations, visit The River Cafe online or telephone (322) 223-0788.

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