Pelicanos Mexican Kitchen in Jeffersonville is a Must-Visit
Oysters Executive Style at Pelicanos Mexican Kitchen. Photos by Kevin Gibson
Literally, for months I had been admiring Pelicanos Mexican Kitchen from afar via social media. The oysters, the seafood tower, the Mexican sushi — it beckoned. I even went once, and it was closed for Labor Day. But I finally went again, and now I can’t wait to go back for more.
I met my friend Jill at the restaurant, located at 1537 E. 10th St. in Jeffersonville in a tiny strip center (you can literally get a tire plugged at the business next door), for dinner. The place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but immediately we knew we were in for something good. The lean, modern decor, with statues of pelicans almost everywhere you look, just felt right.
Pelicanos has plenty of Mexican soft drinks, horchata, etc., as well as cerveza, so I started by ordering a Pacifico and Jill got a Coke. We quickly agreed we would split an order of the enticing dish I’d been stalking for so long: Oysters Executive Style. We did get a couple of other items after this appetizer (more on those in a moment), but this was the highlight of our meal. In fact, it was glorious.
What our friendly server placed before us was a dozen ample-sized oysters (Gulf, I believe) on the halfshell, each one topped with a generous portion of shrimp ceviche. The plate came with plenty of lime wedges and a pair of sauces, one a mild roja and the other a dark, smoky sauce that had an almost smoky-meets-tangy flavor. It reminded me vaguely of the roasted guajillo salsa served at El Molcajete near Churchill Downs.
Well, the oysters were delicious, the ceviche was delicious and the sauces were delicious. We tried different combinations. I added a habanero salsa provided by our server to a couple of them to bring in some heat. And I found myself plucking chunks of shrimp that had fallen overboard into the bed of ice that was keeping the food cool.
Mexican Sushi.
I had decided on a Pelicanos Taco, the house signature, and she had opted for Tropical Sushi roll, but we both agreed we would have been more than happy to just get 12 more of those oysters. They were that good. But onto the other dishes.
My taco, which was served in a double blue-corn tortilla, contained plump whole shrimp, bacon, cilantro and cotija, and drizzled with a queso sauce. Filled with flavor, the taco was one that just made you want another one, just to keep that interesting flavor combo rolling. Shrimp and bacon together? Yeah, that’s a winner.
Meanwhile, Jill’s Tropical Sushi roll was packed with real crabmeat, cucumber and mango, and topped with a pair of sauces, one a lightly spicy aioli and the other a dark, thick sauce that resembled the smoky sauce we’d had with our oysters. I enjoyed my bite of the roll, and Jill was quite pleased, although for my cucumber-hating taste buds, it was a bit cucumber heavy. (Conversely, I barely noticed the cucumbers in the ceviche.)
And there’s plenty more to discover there. You can get some basic Mexican fare such as tacos, churros, tostadas, chimichangas, fajitas and the like, but Pelicanos specializes in seafood, from soups like caldo 7 mares to specialty entrees such as mojarra frita (whole tilapia). For next time, I’m eyeballing something called Torre de Mariscos Executive Style, a tower comprising shrimp, octopus, scallops, tilapia, avocado, cucumber and red onion, topped with a house sauce and served with a side of those delicious Executive Style Oysters. Count me in.
Why oh why did I wait so long to visit Pelicanos Mexican Kitchen? Oh well, no sense looking back. Now I can just look forward to next time.
