We recently headed to Puerto Vallarta for a variety of reasons, but food, food, and more food certainly became the theme of the vacation.

As regular visitors to this scenic city by the sea, we had many old favorites to return to but also discovered new haunts that were all spectacular. Truly, in 10 days we didn’t eat badly a single meal. A normal trip south finds me cooking the occasional breakfast or dinner but not this time; burned out from an extremely busy summer I declared my time as head chef in the family on hiatus. I advised Jim we were simply going to be “forced” to eat out every meal. He announced himself up for the task.

One reason Puerto Vallarta was our destination of choice was to surprise our friends Dave & Anne who were vacationing in Nuevo Vallarta with Dave’s family. What we thought was going to be a quiet first evening by ourselves became a late evening eating and drinking when, upon discovering we were in town, Dave & Anne jumped into a cab and headed in to meet us for dinner. We began our culinary tour at an old favorite in the romantic zone, Cafe Bohemio.

Cafe Bohemio is always HIGHLY entertainingly run by owners Sol & Christopher. Sol is quite the showman and their entire staff is excellent and charming. Dave & Anne hadn’t yet experienced dinner here which added to the fun and festivities. Best of all, after the inflated prices of small-town Oregon coast the four of us ate very well and enjoyed two margaritas each for the whopping bargain price of $42 USD. Hallalujah..we were home in our happy place.

Cafe Bohemio ~ C. Rodolfo Gomez 127, Zona Romantica, Emiliano Zapata 48380 / 322 148 6494

It must be said, I am NOT a late-night soul, part of why I’ve always embraced “Baja Midnight”, otherwise known as 9pm by the rest of the planet. On this travel day we awoke at 330am to catch our flight, dealt with all of the normal and additional nonsense involved with travel in this day and age, and by the time we finished dinner the clock was ticking on 1015pm. The rest of my party was, quite frankly, shocked I was even awake much less game to head over to Twisted Palm for a nightcap with one of Al’s martini’s.

Although sporting a new roof, Twisted Palm was also as delicious, and delightful as we remembered with a Bond movie on the big screen and tasty cocktails pouring out of the bar. We happily stumbled into bed at Los Arcos Suites around midnight, stomachs satisfied and a little drunk, as much from the joy of being in Mexico as from the cocktails imbibed. 

Twisted Palm Rooftop Lounge ~ Ignacio L Vallarta 228, Zona Romantica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 / 322 223 8019

Our first full day began as it always does in Puerto Vallarta with breakfast at La Palapa. While there are many wonderful breakfast spots in town, this has been our go-to for nearly 30 years. We just can’t pull ourselves away from this scenic spot as, with toes in the sand, we sip our mimosa’s and watch the beach vendors and fishing boats prepare for the day. As always, the food and service were spectacular and beautifully presented. 

La Palapa ~ Pulpito 105-3, Zona Romantica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 / 322 222 5225

Our reasons for returning to this place at this time were not dissimilar from previous trips. Puerto Vallarta is, after all, one of those places on the planet where we feel utterly at home. From our very first arrival in 1994, PV as it’s affectionately known, has held our hearts. 

Back in the day when I worked for Mexico Unlimited, trips south were as easy as calling our airline representative to get a couple of comped tickets and determining which hotel would give us the most free nights so PV quickly became a favorite for it’s thriving old town and we visited several times a year for over two decades.

It is a place we return to when our hearts are hurting such as after my mom passed away. What was a time of enormous sorrow became one of our very best vacations ever with the surprise company of Ron and Dario. On that trip all of the stress and hurt I’d been holding in for so long released in one long swishing breath upon landing in this most familiar of spots.

In all of our trips to PV we had never before been in town for Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Halloween, as we know it in the USA, is as far removed from this more traditional holiday as you can imagine. The malecon was lined with a variety of colorful Catrina’s and various alters were in place around the city hall. Sadly, COVID restrictions limited some of the normal activities but we did get to enjoy the parade of charros.

After the parade the four of us headed, appropriately,  to Los Muertos Brewing a fitting location in honor of the celebration we’d just witnessed. Originally opened in 2012, Los Muertos is another old favorite of ours. Many a pizza and pint of beer has been consumed in this small space.

Los Muertos Brewing ~ Lazaro Cardenas 302, Zona Romantica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 / 322 222 0308

One of the most precious aspects of travel for us exists in the absolute simplicity. A seat on our balcony enjoying fresh tamales from the vendor on the street corner, a cappuccino from down the street, and banana muffins from the Muffin Man on the beach for a total of $7 is unmatched. Enjoying our favorite sport, people watching, while indulging. Priceless. 

Another favorite benefit of travel; meeting up with old friends from our vast network of tribe’s all around the world. Back in 2016 we first met Shauna who became our leasing agent for our apartment in PV. Reconnecting over some great Thai food at Siam Cocina Thai PV reminded us how extremely fortunate we are to have such great contacts from near and far.

Siam Cocina Thai PV : 271 Francesco I Madera, Colonia Emiliano Zapata, 322 233 4665

A Page in the Sun has been another go-to of ours for years and, when we lived in PV for a few months in 2016, was our normal breakfast spot after pre-dawn beach walks with Aspen. We love them as much for their great selection of used books as for their green smoothies and delicious breakfast bagels.

A Page in the Sun ~ Lazaro Cardenas 169, Zona Romantica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 / 322 222 3608

The day was spent wandering our favorite back streets, hiking high into Conchas Chinas admiring the architecture and views as well as the taking in the enormous damage caused to the Insurgentes street bridge from Hurricane Nora. Luckily, in spite of the damage to the bridge and connecting buildings, there was little loss of life.

Wandering the streets found us dinner at a new-to-us restaurant not far from the hotel. El Mole de Jovita sits just down the street from multiple options we’d sampled on previous trips but their convivial atmosphere and delicious smells wafting from the kitchen drew us in. We were in for a delightful surprise with a trio of mole’s as a complimentary appetizer before a shared dinner of pork enchiladas all for a reasonable cost. Make sure to seek them out next time you’re in town.

El Mole de Jovita: Basilio Badillo 220B, Romantic Zone, Emiliano Zapata, 48380. 322 223 3065

I have been fortunate enough to celebrate my birthday in a bevy of exotic locations around the world but somehow had never spent it here in PV. With friends in town the day proved to be one of my more festive with no less than THREE servings of chocolate cake!

We began the day with a light breakfast before heading to the fancy schmancy Villa La Estancia at Flamingos in Nuevo Vallarta. Lunch was mostly liquid, served up on the lounge chairs and in the lovely pool and including a birthday serenade from the bar staff and the first delicious piece of cake seaside.

With Dave’s family and their friends in tow we moved into Bucerias to congregate on the beach for a toes-in-the-sand dinner at Marciscos el Gordo “The Fat Boy”. Fantastic views, company, food, and staff made for a truly special dinner and yes, ended with another birthday serenade and our second cake of the day.

Marciscos El Gordo: Avenida del Pacifico # 6, 63732 Bucerias, Nayarit. 

Back at Flamingos Dave & Anne offered up yet another birthday cake to cap off the festive day.

Somehow the next morning, in spite of being beyond stuffed the day before, we didn’t hesitate to head to another favorite breakfast spot. Coco’s Kitchen has had our repeat business for over a decade; my favorite being their Coco’s Salad~ a delight of mixed greens, roasted beets, fresh mango, local goat cheese and toasted almonds all covered with their guava dressing, easily one of my favorite dishes ever. Alas, we were there for breakfast, never a bad idea!

Traditional eggs benedict for me and their two-egg special for Jim was a fitting start to a beach day.

Coco’s Kitchen~ Pulpito, Olas Altas 122, 48399 / 322 223 0373

With our friends on the way home we truly moved into beach mode, spending our days sleeping in, eating very well, and lazing on the beach complied with long walks strolling our adopted hometown.

The entire trip was special. Spending time with good friends. Appreciating the culture and people of one of our favorite spots in the world. Eating so very well. Enjoying true relaxation (love you Ryder but you don’t quite grasp the idea of sleeping in). However, it must be said, one of the grand highlights was near the end of our time when we finally joined a Vallarta Food Tour. THAT day deserves it’s very own post, coming soon, but be assured that if you ever get the chance to take one of their walking tours DO IT.

Tempted to return to another old favorite for our final night we decided to branch out to experience another new restaurant. Enter the deliciousness of Martini en Fuego Grill, ironically enough just across the street from Siam Cocina Thai. Seafood seafood and more seafood is on the menu and our meals ended as they began; each bite better than the last. I chose a bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with cheese served alongside a mango puree. Jim took on the coconut shrimp with a guava dipping sauce. Both were exactly right and we rolled ourselves home for one last sleep in paradise.

Martini en Fuego Grill Restaurant; C Francisco I Madero 260-INT A, Zona Romantica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380. 322 0088

All too soon it was time to undergo the new and tedious process of flying in the time of Covid. I’ll also go over the details of what we experienced in a later post, keeping in mind these things turn on a dime these days.

Until we meet again Puerto Vallarta, continue to work your magic. We will be back.