Sayulita
We spent a week in Sayulita, just north of Puerto Vallarta. It’s a lovely beach-surf town that has struggled infrastructurally to keep up with its popularity. I’m happy to report the town appears to have overcome its growing pains. Despite previous reports of Sayulita sickness, we never got sick or even queasy. We did not eat or drink from the street vendors or the beach roving salespeople. Instead, we ate and drank at brick and mortar businesses and at the beach club by our hotel. We stayed at the magnificent Original Villa Amor at the south end of the playa. The rooms are beautiful, the staff incredibly accommodating, and the location was far enough away from the party scene. They have daily yoga, surf and body boards, and beach towels are also provided. The town has a wonderful beachy vibe and is completely walkable. The top meals were, in order of preference, Mary’s Tacos, Carbón (in the north end of town, we dubbed Boogeytown), Alto Alto, Barracuda, El Itacate and Chaman Kitchen. We had a bad meal at The Dock (avoid-overcooked fish-returned twice) and Marcolino (shit pizza and over dressed salad). We ate breakfast at Miscelanea and Yah Yah Café. Both with good coffee and food. Sayulita has a variety of beaches you can visit, all walkable from the main town. Only a short 400 meters from our hotel is Playa Muertos. A small beach in comparison to the others, it was our least favorite. Not enough space and the tide comes in rather high. We went to Playa Carricitos which is further down the road from Playa Muertos. Easily walkable, this beach had a lot more space. The ocean is pretty wild here, so we did not go in too far. We packed a lunch and drinks and enjoyed our time here. By far, my favorite beach was Playa Malpaso north of the main beach. You walk north along the Sayulita beachfront and then enter the trail into the jungle. A short, easy walk of maybe 1.5-2 km brings you to the middle part of Playa Malpaso. This beach is gorgeous, empty and with waves. We spent the entire day here (my birthday) eating, drinking and body surfing. We walked to the south end where the caves are. The sea caves lead you to Playa Las Cuevas, a small beach that is not really a place to hang for the day. We took a different route back to our hotel, which took us up a steeper incline that provided an amazing, picturesque view of Playa Malpaso. We also hung out at a place called Beach Club next door to The Dock. $300 pesos for two lounge chairs and an umbrella. Cold beers and margaritas and decent food are available. They have pretty clean bathrooms for Sayulita. Other notables include rather good gelato at Buonissimo, where there was nightly street performers and a terrific happy hour (4-5 pm) at La Isla. There’s a great wine shop/bar called Sayulita Wine. The owner is lovely and the wine is well curated for the area.
A few pictures, but I took no food photos.
Mexico City
This was our first visit to Mexico City but certainly not the last. After a week in Sayulita, we were ready for some great food, art and culture. We had five nights in CDMX. The city is a beautiful collection of old and new with much to see, do, eat and drink. I can’t wait to return. Our Airbnb was in La Condessa, a neighborhood close to the Bosque de Chapultepec. It’s a staggeringly large park with many attractions and paths to wander. Once we settled into our flat, it was close to dinner time. We had a reservation at Aleli Rooftop, only a few blocks away and a Michelin Guide recommendation. We were not very hungry and agreed to a light a meal. You walk up several flights of stairs, past Restaurante Lorea, to the rooftop where we were warmly greeted. We started with a Mezcal neat with a Victoria lager and a Jamaica margarita. Very tasty. First dish was grilled Little Gems with pistachio, lemon emulsion, dried apples and candied walnuts. Sweet but savory, balanced by the nuttiness and lemon. Very good. Next up, a delicious Roasted Cauliflower soup with chicken chicharron, pepitas and basil oil. Next, we shared their famous Socarrat. Crispy paella with chicharrón and marinated fish. Not our favorite dish as it lacked acid and pop. The socarrat was not very crispy either. The place was full when we left. A decent start, but we knew better things were to come.
On our first full day, we had arranged tickets to the Frida Khalo museum in the beautiful neighborhood of Coyoacán. I highly recommend a visit to Coyoacán, a charming neighborhood full of old colonial architecture and colorful homes. The museum is stunning, located in the Khalo family residence, Casa Azul. We visited the Mercado de Coyoacán, Casa Fuerte de Emilio el Indio Fernández and strolled the area on our way to La Jefa, which was sadly closed. We were steered to Señor Taco Insurgentes. Holy cow, their tacos were out of this world. Not one but two trompos, al pastor and barbacoa. We stuffed our faces with a late lunch, so full we skipped dinner.
Day two was January 1st and the city was eerily quite and abandoned. We secured bikes via Ecobici, a fantastic and convenient way to see the city, and headed for the Zocolo. Riding through the empty streets was really cool and made for a stress-free ride. We checked out the Cathedral, Palacio Nacional, Templo Mayor, Constitution Plaza and the surrounding area, including the stunning Palacio de Bellas Artes. We walked over to Café Tacuba, which was sadly closed as was Los Cocuyos by Alameda Central. Fonda Santa Rita, next door, was open. We shared a blue corn, hongo quesadilla and a few tacos. Decent but nothing to recommend. We decided to walk the Juarez and Roma Norte hoods on our way home, stopping at the Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela for some gifts and the Parque de la Ciudadela for a little salsa dancing. That evening, I had a reservation at Maizajo, close to our flat. Well, the place was closed when we arrived. No notice, no note, nada! Damn, with not many places open, we trucked it over to Taquería Orinoco. The line took 40 minutes and the tacos were good but nothing special.
Day three, we continued our tour using the ecobici bikes. First stop, the Museo Nacional de Antropología, a stunning and massive architectural wonder. We spent several hours here. Back on the bikes, we headed over to the heralded El Turix for lunch. This place is as bare bones as it gets. They do only a few items, all with the same wonderfully flavored cochinita pibil. We had a few tacos (wet and rolled), panuchos and a torta. The panucho and torta worked the best and were incredibly flavorful. No chairs or tables, so be prepared. Next stop, Museo Soumaya with its unmistakable design. Nice museum but we were museum satiated. After touring through the Polanco, we headed back to the Bosque de Chapultepec to cruise through its many features, eventually parking at the Chapultepec Castle. It’s a great visit with easily the best view of Mexico City. After a short rest at home, we were on to our dinner at Contramar. After the previous evening’s debacle, we were ready for a killer meal and Contramar delivered. Believe the hype! We started with an Aperol spritz and a daiquiri (shaken, served up). Both drinks were fantastic. On to the first item, Pulpo a la gallega. Beautifully cooked pulpo with potatoes, paprika and olive oil. They also set you up with several condiments, a spicey onion and fresh chili in vinegar, a green salsa and fresh limes. The pulpo dish was killer. Next, a few tostadas de atún. These were equally delicious. On to our main course, and perhaps the dish Contramar is known for, Pescado a la Talla. A whole grilled fish with the two rubs, red adobo and parsley. The fish was cooked to perfection. Served with fresh tortillas, we ate every piece, savoring the moist and flavorful meat. Man, this was good. We finished with flan de coco and two espressos. Contramar did not disappoint and lived up to the hype. The service was top notch, the food excellent, and the room was buzzing. Highly recommended. I had made contact with Romi at Plonk and she invited us to a tasting with Wieninger. Fritz Wieninger was on a holiday in Mexico and stopped in with his family to host a few of his wines. Fritz is a govial fellow, with a welcoming personality. He makes wine in a natural style. We tried the Gemischter Satz and Grüner Veltliner. Both were entry level wines, but delicious nonetheless. Romi poured me a glass of Wittman Spättburgunder trocken and my partner had a glass from Casa Indómitas. Mostly Tempranillo with a bit of Chenin Blanc. Produced in the Valle de Guadalupe, it’s a joint venture by three Mexican women, one an actress. It was pretty good, and so, capped a wonderful night.
Day four and our last full day. I need to give a shout out to Anvil café. Anvil was our go-to coffee place just a block or two from the flat. They pour exceptional coffee with a variety of methods and beans. Once I had the pour over by chemex, I was hooked. Each day I tried the various beans: Geisha, Honey something, and Natural. All were great and very different. Highly recommended if you’re into this sort of thing. We decided to bike around to areas we hadn’t been, and then to our lunch destination at Tamales Madre in Juarez. OK, I have to say, this was my favorite food destination on this trip. From the sweet owners, to the beautiful plates of the most delicious tamales, to the tiny artisanal approach, TM is a thing of beauty and special. Unfortunately, they were out of a few tamales, but that didn’t matter. We ordered: Mole and Plantain, Chicken and Tomatillo and my favorite, Huauzontle (dry, salty cheese with a pasilla sauce). These are tamales sent from heaven. Every bite a marvel of taste, balance and simplicity. I cannot recommend TM enough. It will likely be my first destination when I return. On the way home, we stumbled on a beautiful, old building in Juarez that is evidently used as an events space. Called General PRIM 30, the space is a mix of multiple rooms, offices and open spaces. Multi-level, with a collection of antique and modern furnishings, it was a really cool space to be invited into. Our last dinner was at Lardo. We had an early flight the next day, so the close by Lardo was a good choice. After two weeks of mostly tacos and dishes with chili or salsa, we were ready for a change of pace. Lardo is packed full of Americans, but that did not deter from the delicious food. We started with two margaritas, one with currant and one traditional. Super tasty they were. Up first, chicken liver crostini. Earthy and delicious. Next were the zucchini blossoms stuffed with Ricotta on marinara. As good as any I’ve had previously. The batter was light and the marinara had the right amount of tang. We shared a bowl of puréed long beans and tomatillo, which we enjoyed. The only dish we didn’t love was the pizza with caramelized onion and chili de arbol. Too sweet and not enough chili, though the dough was delicious, springy and crispy. Pappardelle with park ragu was lovely, warm, inviting, and comforting. We were too stuffed for dolce.
Mexico City charmed its way into our hearts. It’s many cafés, bars, shops, restaurants, buildings and green spaces are for the most part wonderful. There is much to see and do here. I can’t wait to return.