For this chapter of my Mexican vacation, I wanted to focus on the meals that I ate in restaurants, outdoor taco stands and even a market stall. All of them were wonderful and I was in heaven.

One word about the service in Mexican restaurants before I get to the food. In Mexico, I noticed that the service is much different than in the US. For one, the servers don’t come to your table unless you ask them. Not to say that they won’t bring you a menu when you sit down, they will, it’s that they believe in letting you enjoy yourself without the constant water pouring (you have to ask for water, bottled please) and the checking up on you as they do in the States. But don’t think that they aren’t paying attention, they are….and they are ready at a moments notice. I like their style of service. The non-vulturizing is nice when you are having an intense conversation and don’t want to be interrupted. Also, they won’t bring the bill until you ask, “La quinta, por favor”(The bill, please). Why you ask? It’s simply because they don’t want you to feel as if you are being herded out. Stay as long as you like…they are in no rush and you shouldn’t be either. I think people over here could learn something from them.

Okay, on to the adventure….

Our plane landed in Cozumel, a small island off the coast of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It was about 1:30 pm when we took the ferry over to Playa del Carmen where we were staying for 6 days. For our first meal, we ate was at a mom & pop Argentinian place called Las Cazuelas. It was located right outside our condo next to a tiny bodega (quickie mart). The owner was an attractive Argentinian woman, she spoke no English and we spoke very little Spanish. But, with the help of a local diner, named Michelle, we were able to order the best Seafood Paella I have eaten since I lived in Spain. (although this blog is about vegan and vegetarian foods we did eat fish at times and I thought it would be good to list those meals as well for our pescatarian friends).

For dinner, the next night we ate at a Taco joint called Aca Los Tacos. The selection wasn’t the greatest for veggie people, but they did have a veggie burrito. We were impressed by the myriad of salsas and sauces that accompanied the meal. There were 9 in all that ranged from mild to scorching hot. They even brought a basket of tortilla chips. I tried all the sauces and paid for it the next day. But they tasted so good.

The following morning, I decided we needed to eat out, so we went to a cafe called Sasta’s. There we ate bagels with cream cheese, lox, capers and red onions. It wasn’t New York, but it was good.

That night was our anniversary (15 years of being together), so we splurged at a place called Ula Gula. It is an Argentinian restaurant that specializes in seafood (and steaks) but had a few veggie options that sounded good. The decor of crisp, white linens, fine silverware and beautifully decorated palapas (palm leaf) roofed deck that overlooked a busy corner of Quinta Avenida was breezy and romantic.

They first brought us homemade rosemary-tomato foccachia bread which was warm and savory. We began our meal with an appetizer that blew away any app I have ever had in my life. Four steaming hot, tempura battered, Colossal shrimp stacked on one end of a rectangular white plate and on the other end, a scoop of cool Mango Sorbet separated by two stripes. One of the stripes was a puree of arugula (green) and the other a Chipotle “ink” (red). It was not only a stunning presentation, but the sensation of hot tempura shrimp mixed with the cool, sweet mango sorbet was amazing. Then add in the peppery arugula and spicy chipotle and well, my words will never don’t do it justice…you have to just taste it.

Next we had a salad of mixed greens, local cheeses and fresh strawberries in a simple vinaigrette. It was a nice palette cleanser that prepared us for the finale.

The entree was three cannolis that were stuffed with a carrot puree then topped with three different sauces. One was a browned dijon butter, another was a brie cheese sauce and the last was huitlacoche emulsion. What is “Huitlacoche” you ask? Pronounced “Wheat-La-Co-Chay”, it is a disease of maize (corn) caused by a pathogenic plant fungus. Sounds gross, doesn’t it. But it tastes soooo good! It’s flavor can be best described as mushroom-like, sweet, savory, woody, and earthy and is considered a delicacy. We figured that if the locals have been eating the stuff for thousands of years, then why shouldn’t we. I was super excited and was not disappointed. We drank an Argentinian Pinot Grigio that was clean and bright. Ula Gula couldn’t have been more perfect for this very special evening.

The next day for lunch, we went to a place called 100% Natural. It’s a chain of vegetarian friendly restaurants (I know, can you believe a VEGGIE CHAIN!?). We ordered something I have always wanted to try… Cactus Paddles! They came in a dish called Fajitas de Nopal. Nopal is the Spanish word for cactus paddles. They were grilled then cut into strips and combined with tomato, grilled onion, bell peppers and jalepenos with a side of flour tortillas. The dish was also served with no-lard refried beans and guacamole. The nopal tasted tart and vinegary, almost like it was pickled or marinated, but our waiter assured us that this was their natural flavor after grilling. I am excited to try these at home!

We also tried another dish of Tacos Vegetarianos that were basically veggie tacos. There were 3 whole wheat tortillas with a soy “meat,” onions, tomatoes, bean sprouts, spinach and topped with a sweet and sour dressing. Guacamole on the side as well. We were completely satisfied with these two meals and really appreciated the super fresh taste of the food. And to think it’s a chain… unbelievable.

The following morning we made breakfast at our condo and got ready for our day trip to Tulum. Tulum has a Mayan ruin site that is located on a cliff overlooking a beach. It also has a restaurant located a few miles off the beaten track called Mezzanine that we’re told about by some locals in Playa del Carmen. After our site seeing and beach excursion (where , sadly, David lost his prescription sunglasses to the Gods of the sea) we took a cab there for lunch.

Mezzanine is the restaurant that is attached to a very posh, extremely high end 9 room resort/spa. Just imagine a pristine white beach, gorgeous foreigners from Europe, sensual down tempo music all encompassed in a beautiful villa style spread. Now imagine Thai food. That’s the cuisine they serve at Mezzanine. We had heard that it was some of the best this side of Asia.
We sat at a mahogany wood table on brown leather chairs on the deck overlooking the beach. Our companions on the deck were a variety of Europeans who were very drunk and having a very wonderful time.
Our server brought us complimentary guacamole with a thai chili sauce (unusual) with some home made tortilla chips. We commented how funny it was to get guac at a Thai restaurant, but hey, when in Mexico…

For our main dish we ordered Pad Thai with Tofu. I know, how unadventurous, Pad Thai, but I always judge a Thai restaurant by their Pad Thai and theirs was very good. We will defiantly go back the next time we are in Tulum to experience something different and maybe book a room for one night.

We took the bus back to Playa and got ready for dinner. We had scoped out another veggie friendly place the day before so we decided to try it. Bodega 22 had a pretty eclectic menu of various cultures cuisines. We started by ordering something both of us had always wanted to try. Sopes Jorge. Three 1/2 inch thick corn cakes topped with beans, cheese, salsa, tomatoes and avocado slices. Simple but good. They were like mini Mexican deep dish pizzas.

The second item was a pasta dish. Named “Encounter of Two Cultures” the plate held a pasta coated in Alfredo sauce and topped with a puree of huitlacocha (the black corn fungus). It was phenomenal. The mix of the cheese sauce with the earthy-mushroom like huitlacocha made perfect sense. Because the huitlacoche was dolloped on top of the pasta we could really get a good taste, unlike the cannoli dish from Ula Gula where it was drizzled on. Again, the word “earthy” doesn’t fully describe it’s wonderful taste. They also brought us some good bread with a chive-lime butter. Our waiter was so sweet and kind and made this experience very pleasant.

The next day was our last in Playa. We made breakfast and lunch at our condo because we had groceries that needed to be eaten. For dinner we went back to Bodega 22.

We ordered grilled veggies in curry sauce with rice. It had a good kick with sweet coconut milk and the veggies were nicely grilled as well.

We also ordered Spinach and Crab Stuffed Shells. They were bubbly, rich and delicious. Again, they brought us good bread and wonderful chive butter. Another good meal in Playa.

The next day we took a 5 hour bus ride to the Yuacatan city of Merida. Merida is a gorgeous five centuries old colonial city near the west coast of the Yucatan peninsula. There are many Mayan ruins nearby and the city is known for its lively arts and music community. Every night there is an out door concert going on somewhere in the city where the locals come to dance and sing and to enjoy the evening breezes. It’s truly magical. And talk about safe. There is hardly any crime (maybe because of the many policia with guns on their hips and machine guns in their arms, but friendly none the less.)
We were very excited about our 6 day stay in Merida and had read and seen (via Senor Rick Bayless) a lot about this vibrant and cultural city. We also happened to be visiting during the hottest season/month of the year where the daily temp was soaring around 100 to 106.

We arrived at about 1:30 pm to our hotel, got situated and then went to get something light to eat. Around the corner from our hotel (Casa Del Balam) we tried a Lebanese place we had read about. There is a large Lebanese population in Merida as there was a large Argentinian population in Playa. The restaurant was called Cafe Alameda. We ordered tabbouleh, hummus and babaganoush with a thick creamy yogurt and pita wedges. It was just what we needed, light and cool for the extreme heat of the city.

After lunch we went back to the hotel to swim and then got ready for our first out door evening concert in Santiago Square. We saw about 200 older people all dancing to a big band playing some Cuban style merenge and salsa music. Afterwards we went to a place called La Flor de Santiago and ate a most delicious sandwich, something called a molleta. Toasted bread, similar to a soft bun, covered in a thin spread of seasoned refried black beans, topped with a local melted cheese and baked until bubbly. Simple but, oh so tasty. We were told that this is the breakfast food of the students, but it was light enough for a 9pm snack.

We also had our first Cheladas, thanks to my friend Brooke who had told me about these before we left. What’s a Chelada you ask? It’s a glass that is rimmed in sea salt, filled a quarter way up with lime juice over ice (about 1 whole lime) and a beer poured on top of the ice. Add a straw and you have a Chelada. Refreshing and cool, zesty and margarita like without the sweetness. (Thanks Brooke for telling me to try these- I am totally hooked!)

The next day we went to visit our new friend Theresa and her husband Duke at their house. They told us we should get something to eat in the Grand Mercado on 57th. We ventured to the market in 104 degree heat and found ourselves amid a hustling and bustling community of food vendors, crafts people, shop keepers and tons of people. It was intense and we were tired from the heat. We made our way past all the food stalls and came to a place where they had roasted veggies. We ordered a simple plate of carrots, potatoes and squash that was accompanied by rice, black beans and tortillas. They also gave us a very hot salsa that made us sweat even more. It was dizzying but tasty.

Back at the hotel we took a swim and got ready for dinner. We had read about a place called La Casa de Frida (in honor of Frida Khalo). This restaurant was so good we went back three times! I was able to meet the owner/chef Gabby Praget and was honored that she allowed me some time to interview her and to take some pictures of her and her kitchen. Part three of this series will be the full interview and review of La Casa de Frida. It was our most favorite place we had eaten on this trip.

The next morning we took a 45 minute bus ride to the beach town of Progreso. A day on the sand and sea was on tap, and eating some locally caught seafood. We found ourselves at a place called Flamingos at lunch time. Now, there is a spice blend known to the Yucatan people that is called Achiote. Achiote a deep red paste of annotto seeds that have been dried and crushed then mixed with garlic, salt and other spices. It is usually thinned with lime or sour orange juice then spread on fish or meats and grilled. So, knowing this, I wanted to try the real deal on a whole fish and Flamingos had what we were looking for. I have no idea what type of fish it was but it was grilled perfectly and was a good size for the both of us. They also served it with various bowls of salsas, chips, guac and pineapple. The ocean breeze was blowing thru the open air restaurant and we were cooled down with Chelada in hand.Yet again, another simple yet perfect meal.

After venturing back to the beach for a bit more sun and surf we found our way to a place called Tamba Juice. It was a juice bar that served fresh squeezed juices, smoothies and slurpies. We opted for a cool slurpy of Strawberry and Lime served by a very cute boy behind the counter. The place was colorful and smelled of island fruits. Just what we needed in the sweltering heat.

Back in Merida we were on the hunt for dinner again. We found another veggie friendly restaurant called Amaro. We ordered some veggie enchiladas and some cheladas. It was a quiet and romantic place with a live singer on a small stage. We were tuckered out from the beach and made this an early night.

The next afternoon we had lunch at a place called Cafe Pop. Located just down the street from the University of Yucatan, this is a place where students like to eat. We tried their Sopa de Lima (lime soup) and a molleta with fries. It was a quaint place where the locals argued over bread prices with a local baker delivering fresh breads.Very fun to watch.

The next morning we went to a place called El Hoyo. It was another student hang out where the service was way slack, but the breakfast was great and the coffee strong. We had Huevos Rancheros w/salsa verde and Cafe Con Leche- all for about $10 for both of us. Pretty incredible.

After an afternnon of waiting for the Turibus (which never came) we ended up at a wonderful hole in the wall restaurant called D’Al. We had read about this place as one of the best places for crispy fish tacos, and we were not disappointed. The place was packed with US students on some sort of Mexican field trip. The two owners were obviously swamped beyond their limit but they managed to get everyone taken care of with great kindness and efficiency.

We ordered 3 fish tacos each that were .80 a piece and 2 cheladas. It was super hot but well worth the sweat to find this place.

That night our new friends Ryan and Chemas took us to a weekly festival called Noche Mexico. It was a huge outdoor event with tons of food vendors, crafts people and live music of all sorts on a big stage. Chemas, who is from Merida, was kind enough to give me a tour of his favorite food stalls.

One stand had been setting up at this festival for the last 20 years, Chemas said. As a boy he came here with his family. I ordered 3 veggie tacos (in my best spanish) and was so excited about the variety of veggie options she had; Nopals, beans, cheeses, grilled veggies.

*Another place had veggie tamales that were made with Chaya, a Mexican style spinach. Another stand offered Marquesitas, a sweet, crunchy pastry that was made in a press similar to a waffle iron and tasted very similar to an ice cream cone shell. It was then filled with Gouda cheese and rolled into a tube while the dough was still pliable….and yes, I said Gouda. (I found out that the Dutch had made a huge impact on the Mexican people when they came here in the past, maybe a hundred plus years ago, and with them they brought their famous Gouda cheese. The local people here have incorporated this cheese into many dishes.) Another filling offered was Nutella, a chocolate spread. Everything we ordered seemed to cost about .50 each. We ate like kings!

Our last day in Merida was a Sunday and that also happened to be the biggest weekly festival , Merida en Domingo. The streets were blocked to automobile traffic to make way for pedestrians, bicyclist and restaurant tables and chairs. There were hundreds of food vendors, musical groups and thousands of people enjoying it all. We wandered the streets, watched the bands and ate our way through the city.

There were men with mobile marquesitas stands

And women selling plantain chips.

Our favorite veggie taco stand lady even showed up!

If ever you find yourself in the Yucatan state of Mexico, please, make sure Merida is on your itinerary. You will find very warm and friendly people who want to share their culture, food and hospitality with you.

We took the bus back to Playa the next day and strangely felt like we were “home”. We then took the ferry back to Cozumel and got ready for our flight out the next morning. It was an amazing two weeks of new food, new friends and new experiences. Now we begin to plan the next visit. Hasta pronto Mexico!

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