Restaurants set in restored historic buildings, such as El Presidio (pictured here), are revitalizing Mazatlán. Opposite: Riding the waves at Playa

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1 34 SPRING 2019 Restaurants set in restored historic buildings, such as El Presidio (pictured here), are revitalizing Mazatlán. Opposite: Riding the waves at Playa Olas Altas, a beach near the boardwalk.

2 MAZATLÁN, REVISITED TASTEM A K ERS A N D ENTR EPR EN EU RS A R E R ESTOR ING THE FOR MER PA RT Y CA PITA L S R EPUTATION ALONG WITH ITS HISTORIC BUILDINGS. BY MARIBETH MELLIN PHOTOGRAPHS BY LINDSAY LAUCKNER GUNDLOCK

3 I N R E C E N T YE A R S, travelers have thought of Mazatlán as a wallet-friendly beach getaway on central Mexico s Pacific coast. But lately the city s cultural roots have resurfaced, helping turn Mazatlán back into the fashionable international port it was centuries ago. Few realize the city was one of Mexico s wealthiest in the mid-1800s, when cargo ships laden with silver from Sierra Madre mines sailed between Mazatlán and San Francisco. French and German immigrants enriched by the mining industry built neoclassical mansions in today s Centro Histórico and influenced the region s landscape, music, and cuisine. The 20th century brought modest hotels along downtown s waterfront and lavish resorts on the sands of the Zona Dorada, another neighborhood along the shore. Mazatlán was one of Mexico s first major tourism draws, attracting notable visitors such as Jack Kerouac and John Wayne. But in time its fame faded, and in the 1970s, Mazatlán became known as a party town. The 21st century followed and with it a renewed passion for the historic neighborhoods downtown the seeds of Mazatlán s revitalization. All around the city, forwardthinking chefs, shop owners, and entrepreneurs began creating vibrant restaurants, boutiques, and breweries with ties to Mazatlán s glamorous history and distinctive character. The result is a sophisticated yet traditional Mexican city that embraces guests and transplants from other lands. $50*). The restaurant adds a European touch to the food scene, with its pâtés, carpaccios, and killer sticky toffee pudding. Down the street, Diego Becerra oversees El Presidio (2345 Niños Héroes; ; elpresidio.mx; dinner for two, $35) in his grandparent s former home, a rambling brickand-concrete complex dating back to the 1870s. Friends sit among the trees and vines of its central courtyard while juggling small plates of hamachi sashimi or pork tacos. Mezcal cocktails are all the rage at the cantina-style Compañía Minera, in another part of the building. Alfredo Gomez Rubio, a fourth-generation local, faced doubters when he opened Pedro & Lola (Carnaval y Constitución s/n; ; dinner for two, $27) in The locals didn t get it, Rubio says. The restaurant has since become a Centro Histórico landmark. And Rubio has worked hard to help renovate the neighborhood s other gems. In the 1980s, one of the civic groups that Rubio is a member of spearheaded a faithful restoration of Teatro Ángela Peralta (Carnaval s/n; daytime admission, $1; ticket prices vary), a neoclassical building from the 1800s that had fallen into disarray. You can enjoy a concert there in the evening or stop by in the day to check out the elaborate ironwork along its balconies. Pieces by local artists are displayed in a long gallery at the entrance to the theater. There s more artwork a short walk away at Casa Etnika (50 Sixto Osuna; ). You ll find painstakingly crafted Oaxacan alebrijes (fanciful painted sculptures) and woolen animals from Chiapas. CENTRO HISTÓRICO Marked by tiled doorways, wooden awnings, and bold colors, the Centro Histórico has long been Mazatlán s social and cultural hub. Here both expats and longtime residents are renovating gorgeous old buildings, filling many of them with contemporary restaurants that have come to define the neighborhood. The region s seafood dishes are practically legendary, and chefs often highlight the beef and pork specialties of northern Mexico. Still, locals and their visitors are hungry for new options, says chef Héctor Peniche, who converted an 1840s home into the Art Deco Hector s Bistro (409 Mariano Escobedo, Centro Histórico; ; hectorsbistro.mx; dinner for two, 36 SPRING 2019 *Prices have been converted to U.S. dollars. Estimated meal prices do not include drinks, tax, or tip.

4 Chef Héctor Peniche transformed an 1840s building into Hector s Bistro. Opposite, from top: Necklaces of Frida Kahlo are sold at Casa Etnika; outside the Teatro Ángela Peralta. ENDLESS VACATION 37

5 EL CENTRO AND THE MALECÓN I want you to experience the Mazatlán food I know, Maaike Hoekstra says while travelers sample sweet tamales, smoked marlin, and mackerel ceviche at the Mercado Municipal Pino Suárez (Melchor Ocampo; mercadopinosuarezmazatlan.com), in the El Centro neighborhood. Hoekstra shows off the city s specialties as the owner of tour company Flavor Teller ( ; flavorteller.com; market tours, $45 a person). This market in the El Centro district is a great place to try the region s street fare. Some stands have been in the same family for generations, others opened by young entrepreneurs. It s worth a visit just to see the building, which was constructed in the Art Nouveau style near the Catedral Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción (21 de Marzo s/n; ). Inside, crystal chandeliers cast shimmering colors about an ornate altar. Excited children race after pigeons beside shoeshine stands in the adjacent Plaza de la República. Mazatlán s bustling downtown ends at its malecón, an oceanfront promenade and seawall running for about 13 miles from the port to the Zona Dorada. The sidewalks and streets buzz with runners, cyclists, and sightseers from dawn until after midnight. Recent renovations brought wider walkways with palm trees, benches, and a scattering of sculptures, including one of Mazatlán s own Pedro Infante, a musician and movie idol. Cliff divers plunge into the sea from rocky platforms at sunset, and swimmers splash in saltwater pools. Seafood palapas pop up on and above the sand here. At El Muchacho Alegre (46 Paseo Claussen; ; elmuchacho.restaurantwebexperts.com; lunch for two, $30), musicians in cowboy hats play banda, a genre native to this region that features trombones, bass drums, and clarinets. The place is usually packed; you may want to go for an early lunch or sunset margaritas. ZONA DORADA AND BEYOND The malecón ends at Punta Camarón, a rocky point topped with a white Moorish castle. The Zona Dorada s sandy beach begins there and continues north to Marina Mazatlán. During high season, tourists ride banana boats and go parasailing between the hotel zone and nearby Isla de Venados. For surfers and 38 SPRING 2019

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