DOT'S Thoughts on Hot Spots: La Cevicheria

La Cevicheria
Calle Stuart 7
Cartagena, Colombia

Yes, Katy and I went to Colombia, the country. For Thanksgiving we took the week and flew down to South America. I had always wanted to visit South America and had my eyes set on places such as Rio, Buenos Aires, and Machu Picchu. Over the last year or two I had heard about Cartagena (Colombia) becoming more than just the drug capital that people perceive it to be, and more of an up and coming food capital of the world. After researching, we found that visiting Cartagena would only be a fraction of what it would cost to do any of the other trips to SA; we made up our minds and took the plunge, even with friends and family worrying about our safety.

I could go on and on and on about how amazing Cartagena was...truly. It really was the best, most memorable and amazing place I have ever been. It's a historic, Spanish/Latin/Caribbean town that wants so dearly to rid themselves of the bad rap with drugs and kidnapping; everyone we met was extremely friendly and tried to accommodate, even though most don't speak English. The food was unlike other "Latin" food you find here in the states. We were able to eat at an Argentinean steak house, Peruvian Restaurant, and sample other South American cuisine...but the best was the local.

For lunch one day after we visited Volcan del Totumo, the largest mud volcano in the world, we had lunch at a small fishing village, Manzanillo del Mar, and had a common lunch: fish (caught about an hour before we ate), coconut rice, and patacones (double fried smashed plantains). And of course it wouldn't be a complete lunch without a local Aguila to wash it down.

Again, all of this was amazing and if you want to know more about Cartagena please ask...but if you happen to decide to visit, which I strongly urge everyone to do, make a stop at La Cevicheria for a very local meal. Located on a side street inside the wall it is a very small place with maybe 2 or 3 tables inside and 2 or 3 out front on the street. We ate outside and listened to locals playing music and serenading in the streets. Cartagena is known for its Ceviche, raw seafood that is "cooked" by marinating in citrus. Katy and I tried ceviche the first night in Cartagena which was fish of the day marinated in lime juice and red onions....it was edible, that's all. At La Cevicheria we decided to try it again and went with the shrimp ceviche for an appetizer and both got fish sandwiches for entrees. The shrimp ceviche was amazing, I would go back and eat an entire meal just of that if I ever go back to Cartagena. The shrimp were small, juicy, and the citrus just mixed perfectly. Our fish sandwiches were NOTHING like we expected but were again phenomenal. They looked almost like an open face taco....some sort of honey mustard sauce on the flat bread, chopped fish, lettuce and tomatoes. When it first came out, it didn't look appealing but I will say it was one of the tastiest sandwiches I have ever had- somehow, it just worked.

Get over everything you've heard about how dangerous Cartagena is and make a point to visit at some time in your life. Not only will you see history, beauty, and culture but you will also get to experience some amazing once-in-a-lifetime meals.