There are still many popular restaurants on Isla that I have never visited (and I have visited the island once or twice a year since 2005!). Maybe that is because I have so many favourites that I try to visit each trip. Case in point: I have driven by Green Verde so many times and good friends of ours claim it to be the best restaurant on the island, but 2018 marked my first visit. The space had a funky laid back feel. The entire restaurant was constructed from recycled materials.

We started with a wonderful guacamole washed down with frosty cervesas and vino tinto.

We needed sustenance to decide what to order from their vast menu.

Both R and D chose the Ticin Xic (pronounced teek-ih-sheek). Years ago we used to have the authentic dish at least once per visit. The cooking style is a very typical way to serve fresh fish and dates back to the very early Maya. On Isla it used to be served more often at many beach restaurants. The fish is usually cooked on an outside wood grill. In Mexico it is typically served with the head, tail and spine intact! Both the guys loved their selection.

M chose Chicken in red mole sauce and she too was delighted with her chocie. Did you know that there are at least six colours of mole? The following is from the Que Rica Vida blog site:

I went out on a limb and ordered Tequila pork ribs. Sister #2 makes a Tequila chicken dish that I love, so I thought it was a safe bet. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and full of flavour. I am going to have to try to recreate the dish now that we are home.

The evening was a lovely new experience for us and we were glad that our friends urged us to visit. The next time I dine, I want to sit here.

Kath’s quote: “Grilling, broiling, barbecuing – whatever you want to call it – is an art, not just a matter of building a pyre and throwing on a piece of meat as a sacrifice to the gods of the stomach.”-James Beard

Love never fails.

Another of our must visits is Ruben’s. We were delighted to try Chilito this year and wish Ruben much success. Here are some of our previous visits from the Food Musings archive:

2016

2017

Ruben’s is so well situated in Centro that we sometimes stop in on the way home from the beach as we did one day for his shrimp omelet. I dream about the omelet when I am not on the island.

On another evening we were strolling Hidalgo near the end of our stay and realized that we had only had ceviche one time. It had been made with white fish not the shrimp version that we prefer. So we decided to walk over to Ruben’s for a night cap and an order of shrimp ceviche.

Kath’s quote: “Never trust a skinny cook” –Unknown

Love never fails.

What can I say about Fredy’s and his fabulous food that I have not already said.

2010

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016,  2016 Mel & Alda’s

2017

Once we understood his quirky sense of humour we were fast friends. More recently we have gotten to know his wife Ana and his kids as well.

On this occasion we completely depleted Fredy’s pork chop supply (there were 8 of us). We could hear him apologizing at another table that he was completely out.

Things are changing on the island. It was most noticeable on this trip. Many of the reasons why we love the island is because of people like Fredy and that I am sure will never change.

Kath’s quote: “The more things change, the more they are the same.”- Alphonse Karr

Love never fails.

One of our many fish and shellfish meals in Portugal.

I have always stated that the food at Angelo’s rivals pizzas and pastas that we have enjoyed in Italy and now that we have traveled to the Algarve in Portugal, I can claim that they are as excellent as the fishing villages on the Mediterranean coast as well.

Here are some Angelo posts from the Food Musings Archives:

2012

2013

2014

2015

2017

On this evening we were hoping to check out the Jets game so we stopped at Nash’s. We were going to share some nibbles there but there were smokers next to us, a couple of different games on and then a jazz trip started to lay. Even though we claim to be rabid Jets fans, that was a little too much chaos for us.

So four of us wandered down Hidalgo to see what might tempt us all. The aromas wafting out of Angelo’s quickly got our attention so we picked a table on the sidewalk and settled in. Icy cervesas and vino tintos were quickly secured while we perused their extensive menu. R & M were trying to decide between seafood pasta and pizza and so were we so we ordered two of each and shared it all among the four of us.

I can’t quite put my finger n what makes the seafood pizza so good. The wood fired crust is excellent as are the sauce and the liberal use of cheese but I think that it is because the shellfish is placed raw on the pizza and allowed to baked as part of the overall process. This means that the natural juices of the seafood, seep out and meld with all the other delectable flavours.

I predict that the fruit of the sea are steamed together and then tossed with the fettuccine. This also means that the natural juices are a part of the overall taste along with what I suspect is plenty of garlic and a good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Since we were still enjoying the arrival day of our friends, there was still much to get caught up on as well as the necessity of an early evening.

Kath’s quote: “Catching up with old friends is like reopening a favourite gift“.-Author unknown

Love never fails.

We have a tradition as soon as we get off of the ferry on Isla. We immediately (with suitcases in hand) head to Bally Hoo. This year it didn’t work out as I arrived late in the day and the rest of my entourage was waiting for an additional ferry to arrive. When D stepped off the ferry a week later it was late in the evening so that didn’t work out either.

Here are some previous visits from the Food Musings Archives:

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

The day after D’s arrival though, we were meeting a couple of old friends who were about to spend a week with us on the island. They arrived at lunch time and were hungry. When we asked them where they might like to go for lunch, they immediately said-Bally Hoo!

It didn’t take them long to decide what to order: one of them chose the shrimp tacos and the other the fish ones so that they could trade and share. They were happy that they selected tastes that are so entrenched in why we all love the island. We had just been to Mango’s for breakfast so unfortunately we couldn’t partake. But we happily got caught up with them as we sipped ice cold cervesas.

We would share a meal with them almost every day of their trip but this first one was very special with the excitement of just arriving on the island and the reuniting of four very old friends.

Kath’s quote: “To reminisce with my old friends, a chance to share some memories, and play our songs again,”. -Ricky Nelson

Love never fails.