I was on Isla Mujeres in March 2020 when the world shut down. When you are a food and travel blogger, it is a tough gig during a pandemic.

The good news is that my little family has thrived over the past couple of years. Boo and the Frenchman had a baby boy. He is my Little Bear and an absolute delight!

The Wee Ones grew by leaps and bounds and the youngest who will soon be three is my special joy (named in my honour), I sometime see her in myself. As a family, they took on a new business-an Air BnB at Lester Beach called Family Fun Paradise that I will have lots of excuses to write about.

Our eldest daughter fell in love (the love part actually occurred previously) but they solidified their relationship by acquiring an apartment at a wonderful Housing Co-op together. That too is a neat space that I will want to share.

Through it all, we followed the rules and stayed home and didn’t dine out. We did eat some amazing food at home, at the beach house and occasionally with friends but for the most part it would have felt contrived to share these times with you in this space. I knew I would be ready to be back when the time was right and the time became right.

I was on Isla Mujeres recently visiting my favourite handicraft market stall, when a woman said to me “I know you. You are Kathryne right?” I had never seen or communicated with her before so I was intrigued. “You write the Isla Mujeres blog right?” I confirmed by saying, well it is actually about more than Isla Mujeres. She agreed and said “Oh I know. I love going with you when you travel to other places, and when you are up at your Beach House and your Wee Ones are adorable”. I apologised for being unhooked for two years and she said “I understand, but I want you to know that had you kept posting, I would have kept reading. I love how you live your life and your positive attitude about all things”. “Oh” I replied, just oh.

And one last story: on the final morning of that fateful trip to the island in 2020, I said good-bye to a number of restaurant friends before I boarded the ferry. I was very, very worried about all of them. I had word from back home just how bad things were getting very quickly, and there didn’t seem to be that same urgency on the island. I had met two wonderful servers that year at Lola Valentina. I called them Evening Abel and Morning Abel because there were two waiters with the same name. That last day I chatted with Morning Abel and we shared hopes for the time ahead. All through the pandemic, I was constantly worried about my immediate circle of family and friends but I was also concerned about my island friends. And my worry was not for naught. My friend Ruben passed away, my friend’s husband became gravely ill and my restaurant friends had absolutely no income. So just this past Monday, on the evening before I returned to Canada after our wonderful time on Isla, friends asked us to join them for a nightcap at Morgan’s. And there was Morning Abel, none the worse for wear. He greeted me and said “I remember you!” Now since the island ferries carry something like 19,000 visitors daily, I tucked his response away and said to myself: “The time to resurrect my blog posts is now!”

Kath’s quote: “Be Kind. If you stopped writing because it got too hard and you gave up, don’t beat yourself up too much.”

We have enjoyed Lola Valentina’s for many years. On my visit and subsequent blog post last year http://foodmusings.ca/restaurants/lola-valentina-isla-mujeres-2019/, I linked to a number of other wonderful dining occasions.

On this visit we started with a sampling of their artisan cocktails.

In the red tiki glass was a Classic Mai Tai concocted of Bacardi Blanco rum, Bacardi Anejo rum, Captain Morgan rum, orange liquer, orange juice, pineapple juice and lime juice. It was stellar!

Not to be outdone in the accompanying green tiki glass came an Aloha Isla, made from Captain Morgan rum, Malibu rum, Licor 43, lychee and passion fruit. I couldn’t decide which one I loved more.

We started food service with guacamole garnished with green apple, bacon goat cheese balls! The apple provided sweet crunch, the bacon savoury saltiness and the cheese ball a creamy pungent hit. OMGoodness! We hoped the rest of the evening was going to be this delicious.

I enjoyed a second cocktail of an avocado martini. Since avocados are supposed to be good for you, I pledged to drink one a day (JK).

One of the first dishes we sampled was from the “Bowl” section of the menu. The Mexican Bowl was chock full of rice, corn, cheese, avocado, pico de gallo, green salsa and sour cream. The hanger steak which occupied a quadrant of the bowl was so tender and perfectly prepared. Lorena who was a part of our gang LOVED IT!

We also enjoyed tempura cauliflower tacos that were a sensational vegan choice. Meat? Who needs meat! They were accompanied by yummy cole slaw, guava/chipotle sauce and guacamole.

Another tempura taco choice was Lola Valentina’s shrimp tacos. The shrimp were enormous and snapped when you took a bite-my barometer that they were fresh and perfectly cooked.

The first time I ever saw Lola Valentina’s Pablano Fish it was on the table of a diner next to me. I was so enthralled by the dish and how he avidly dived into it, that I asked him how it tasted. Well he oohed and awed and I knew that I just had to order it. Unfortunately by the time it was set down in front of me, I was too full to make a dent in the dish. I did appreciate the creamy stew with shrimp and vegetables crowning amazing mashed potatoes. But the sauce-the poblano sauce was simply divine! Lucky for me I had some family members sitting close by who agreed to help me eat the dish because I absolutely refuse to waste food.

Lola Valentina’s consistently delivers exceptionally well prepared food. Whether you are taken care of “Morning Abel” or “Evening Abel” you will be in very good hands.

Kath’s quote: “You cannot make everybody happy. You are not a taco.” -unknown

Love never fails.

My husband D doesn’t like to accompany me on my Isla restaurant visits. He is not able to stay as long as I do on the Island (he is younger than me and still working full time) and when he is here, he has his own lists of favourite restaurants to visit. One of a very few exceptions is Lola Valentina’s!

D adores Lola V’s coffee so that was the first order of business. I had already had my coffee quota so I enjoyed a smoothie instead. I can’t specifically remember all the fresh ingredients but I do recall green apple, celery and pineapple juice. If this is also one of your favourite smoothies, let me know what the other ingredients are.

Lola Valentina’s plates photograph like works of art!

Every single layer of Lola Valentina’s Avacado Toast was fabulous starting at the bottom with the homemade gluten free toast. Guacamole, poached eggs, hollandaise and pickled red onions were stacked high and accompanied by arugula spinach and cherry tomatoes. The creaminess of the guacamole and the poached egg were offset by the pickled red onions and cherry tomatoes creating the perfect combination of textures and tastes!

D chose Lola’s Gourmet Chilaquiles and was well pleased. Lola’s soak their tortilla chips in adobo sauce then they are sprinkled with cotija cheese. I don’t typically like Chilaquiles because the tortilla chips are too crunchy but these were tender and full of the acidic, sweet and spicy flavours of the adobo sauce. These were served with perfectly fried eggs and a juicy & tender beef tenderloin. You may notice that my husband ordered this menu item, but I tasted it. In fact, D and I split most of our meals. When he thinks something is really exceptional, I get a bite. Such was the case with his Chilaquiles.

“Morning” Abel was our server that morning. His exuberance for the food and  all things Lola Valentina overflows from Abel. He is more than attentive, he is someone you would like to invite to sit down with you. Covid note: I hope “Morning” and “Evening” Abel and the exceptional staff at Lola Valentina’s fared well when the island was shut down and I am sure that visitors to the island are delighted that they have reopened!

Kath’s quote: “When you  wake up in the morning said Piglet at last, what’s the first thing you say to yourself.  What’s for breakfast? said Pooh. What do you say piglet? I say, I wonder what ‘s going to happen exciting today, said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully, it’s the same thing he said.”-A.A. Milne

Love never fails.

We had made friends with Jacob at El Patio a couple of years ago and it became our Isla hangout for a nightcap. But El Patio also has excellent food and we were in for a treat that evening.

We started with a cucumber and basil mojito and a traditional frozen margarita. Signature cocktails are relatively new to the island (last 5 years or so) and El Patio has some of the best.

Our libations were accompanied by both Buffalo Shrimp and Coconut shrimp. We liked the latter best but both were piping hot and made from plump and firm shrimp.

I had been craving a salad for a long time on the island and this take on a Greek Salad was a refreshing surprise. The dressing was balsamic and complimented the addition of creamy avocado perfectly.

We also loved the shared concoction of a pineapple margarita with mescal. The glass was rimmed with a special ingredient- agave worm salt! Not my cup of tea but I found a way to sip the delicious margarita without hitting the salt.

At entrée time, we were encouraged to try three unique taco concoctions. The first was poblano rajas, where the poblano chile is roasted and then sliced into thin strips or rajas. The chicken tinga incorporated another pepper, this time chipotle in an adobo sauce. When I have cooked with the these on a previous occasion they were too spicy for me but this version was less firery and delicious. The final taco of the trio- chorizo and potato was my favourite as I am affectionate called the Potato Princess by my husband. To mix the potatoes with chirizo was a beautiful way to add subtle smokiness.

Our waiter explained that the chef has a very high standard with their fresh fish policy. Unlike some restaurants (it wasn’t shared who) if you request grouper and they are out  of it, they will not substitute an alternate but come back to the table and indicate that you are out of luck. With this explanation, D ordered the octopus for his main knowing it would be deliciously fresh. It came in a ajillo sauce. There are a variety of ways to make ajillo depending upon what Spanish country you are in. In Mexico it combines oil infused with quajillo chili peppers and a smoky paprika.

By this time, the sun had set and the lights of the bar were sparkling. If you think El Patio is just about the live entertainment and bar atmosphere, think again they are a great dinner choice too.

Kath’s quote:“Chipotles, which are dried jalapeno peppers, give out a terrific smoky flavour – they’re warm, earthy and usually not too spicy.” –Yotam Ottolenghi

Love never fails.

I have visited the Mayan Beach Club a couple of times since they have occupied the space when The Sunset Grill moved up island. The visits weren’t stellar, but all that has changed. I don’t know what came first: the arrival of Gustavo or the all Mayan kitchen team? Suffice it to say that both the ambience and the food were flawless!

Gustavo explained to us that the Mayan Beach Club had the goal of not just serving dinner, but an experience. This is why they meticulously select the best local providers for fresh ingredients. Not to mention their diverse wine list of 45+ wines from 10+ different countries.

I was accompanied that evening by my long time friend and her husband. We don’t live in the same Canadian city so try to visit the island at the same time each year. If I couldn’t have D to share the evening with, these dear friends were the next best thing.

As the sun set and created a gorgeous pastel sky, the first course was served.

Mussels had been sautéed in white wine and then placed in this cauldron that kept the dish piping hot. Spanish chorizo, spinach and cheese were perfect enhancements. R did the honours of serving us.

On each of our plates R placed the mussels and a tomato fettuccine served with premise made bread. The dish was a decadently gooey taste of the sea.

A salad course came next and was appreciated for its lightness and flavour. An intact romaine (with leaves still attached to the core of the plant) had been topped with a premise made Caesar dressing and ribbons of parmesan. A perfect parmesan cup came filled with triangular croutons. Every bite was a success.

This avalanche of Caribbean octopus arrived next. Perhaps it was the roasted potatoes that captured my heart. But it could have also been the red onions, spinach leaves and balsamic drizzle. I know one definitive thing, the decadent cream sauce was sublime!

Perhaps with this wider shot you can determine why the dish was called octopus on the rock.

I had never eaten Osco Buco on the island but wasn’t surprized when it was placed in front of us. Only the top restaurants with expert chefs who can coddle a veal shank in the oven for over five hours, deserve to serve this dish. The three chilies sauce that the tender roast was served with, created a perfectly fused dish of Italian and Mexican cultures.

Somewhere prior to this dish we received another surprize- a beautiful soprano with a voice to match, wandered amongst the tables to serenade us throughout the evening. Her repertoire was an endless array of international selections sung with passion and skill.

At this point Gustavo visited us to tell us about the Mayan Beach Club’s wine dinners: a country is highlighted with 7-9 courses and corresponding award-winning wines as well as live operatic music selected from the country as well.

I long to attend one of these wine dinners or perhaps another option: their Family or Large Group Dinners. These consist of a spread of the freshest caught sea and farm products they can source. The traditional and local dishes are served family-style in a creative and inventive manner.

A tasting of premise-made Italian gellati garnished with fresh and juicy strawberries arrived next. The unusual carrot cake and sweet & crunchy crumbs were the perfect accompaniment for the luscious gellati.

The evening will always remain in my memory, for the many reasons why I love Isla and her people. Perfection in every sense of the word.

Kath’s quote: “This is an evening of wonders, indeed!”-Jane Austen

Love never fails.