Papas Locas / Crazy Potatoes

For those of us who grew up with "sane" baked potatoes – you know, potato, butter, sour cream, with some bacon and chives if you are feeling extravagant – the potatoes served here in Mazatlan are certainly crazy. Crazy good. This must-have curbside cuisine is a giant papa blanca roasted in foil on a grill. Then it is split open and mashed with butter, sour cream, and cheese to make the perfect foundation for the rest of the potato: carne asada. Like everything else here in Mazatlan, the crazy potato comes with options; from fiery salsas to cool guacamole, you can customize your potato with a variety of toppings. There are also differences from cart to cart. I find myself splitting my time between the cart that gives me grilled onions and the one that adds a spoonful of beans. Both are amazingly delicious.

The runner up for best street food is also one of those foods I only thought I was familiar with: the hot dog. In the hands of a Mazatlan street vendor, the simple hot dog is transformed into something else altogether. If you order yours "con todo", you will receive a hot dog that was grilled with bacon on a bun with mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and topped with sour cream. Once the hot dog is in your hands, you can also add grilled onions, cheese sauce and jalapenos. The result is an artery-clogging, gooey mess that is divinely gross and absolutely delicious. –Jennifer Swarts