With an enormous thank you to Scott Allison for his photographs.

It’s become a bit of a ritual, an annual event. It’s when I get a group together and ask Mario’s Mariscos Frescos to bring in the very best that the Pacific Ocean has to offer.

Oysters, scallops, shrimp, crab, octopus and lobster. Plus a couple of plain but certainly not ordinary fish. Some served raw, some lightly cooked, some lightly battered. Some dishes very simple, some quite saucy. Everything scrumptuous.

Eight, maybe nine…I lost count…small courses. Most served family style in the middle of the table.

A feast for the eye, the tongue, the body and the soul. A dinner party that puts as much emphasis on the word party as it does the word dinner. Thanks to the warmth, charm and hospitality of Mario Cabrales and his staff.

If you want Mario to bring in a seafood feast from Mazatlan for you, you’ll need eight or more people and he’ll need at least a week’s notice. Or you can enjoy many of the dishes that we ate that night every single day at Mario’s.

Mario’s Mariscos Frescos Estilo Mazatlan is located at Salida a Celaya #83A in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The restaurant is open from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, seven days a week.