There are two kinds of people in this world: those who walk the path in front of them and those who go to a small cevicheria on the eastside and see marlin empanadas on the menu ($2.50) and think, Oh my God, I have to eat that right now.
There’s no judgment being passed here. When you visit the friendly Cevicheria El Diamante, go ahead and order some ceviche. Why wouldn’t you? The casero ($22) is the most popular, shrimp marinated in lime with avocado, onion, cucumber, cilantro and plenty of spicy bits of serrano pepper. It’s big enough for two people, served with crispy mini tostadas and crackers. Upgrade if you need to with the 7 Seas ceviche ($25), with boiled shrimp, white fish, abalone, octopus, crab and scallops, with tomatoes and cucumbers added to the veggie mix.
There’s a lot of deliciousness going on here, and you owe it to yourself to try as many dishes as possible. Aguachiles are the Mexican version of ceviche, raw seafood dishes “cooked” by marinating in citrus. Fully cooked options include bacon-wrapped shrimp with melted cheese ($20) and the bubbling, spicy, fantastic feast known as the Mariscos Molcajete ($24)—a cauldron of crab legs, clams, shell-on shrimp and more in a volcanic tomato broth. There are several other preparations of shrimp and oysters with various sauces, seafood tacos and those perfectly flaky empanadas stuffed with cheese, shrimp, chorizo, or smoky, salty bits of marlin, an odd but memorable bite. Maybe it’s not for everybody. Or maybe you’ll order more. Why wouldn’t you?
Cevicheria el Diamante 2457 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-202-1157. Daily, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.