By Sister #3

Dulzara now serves 100 Pesos breakfast!

Four years ago we meet the loveliest couple of women, Marita and Gabriela, when the Argentinian duo opened Dulzura Bakery. Located on Juarez between Abasolo and Madero.  Up a mural filled staircase you’ll come upon their courtyard and bakery.

There are a few tables where you can sit and enjoy breakfast, one of their famous empanadas, or a coffee and sweet treat. 

Before we get to breakfast, let me first rave about the baked goods. What is on offer changes every day and there is plenty to choose from. I love their brownies and banana bread. And the cakes they have baked to celebrate family birthdays have been fabulous. Earlier this trip we had their carrot cake, and a vanilla cake with strawberry cream and dolce de leche. It was incredible.

Today I decided to take home a rogel, something I had never tried. It’s a stack of thin, salted cookies with dolce de leche and topped with meringue. As delicious as it is beautiful. 

But on to the purpose of today’s visit. The ladies are now serving breakfast Monday – Saturday from 9:00 – noon-ish.  Currently they offer one menu item; eggs any style, we had ours scrambled with chopped veggies, served with beans, guacamole, tortillas.

And best of all, toasted homemade thick cut bread, served with butter and jam or honey. All of this for only 100 pesos. A great value. Team member Lydia is the breakfast cook and makes yummy food. Additional options will be added down the road as they continue to develop the menu. 

The bakery has a tiny kitchen and is always a hive of activity. There are always creations in the making. Marita and Gabriela will welcome you with open arms and walk you through that days options. It’s a one stop shop. Enjoy a great breakfast, take home some empanadas and cake, pie, or cookies. You won’t be disappointed. 

Kath’s quote: “A true friend thinks you are a good egg, even when you are a little cracked.” -unknown

Love never fails.

Of the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the little island of Isla Mujeres, the number one most popular question on the message boards is “Where can I find the best tacos?” Well for one, as my friend Jan Carpenter says: “there is no best”. There are favourite places to sup on your favourite kind of taco but there are as many variations of said tacos as there are people and preferences. On a given day, I might want a crunchy hard sided taco with jalapeno jack cheese, sour cream and spicy meat, or a flour tortilla surrounding sauteed vegetables and chicken with pico de gallo and guacamole or as I chose this evening: fresh grouper coated in panko breading on a bed of crunchy and saucy cole slaw, topped with chile chipotle mayonnaise.

Steve and Trish, a couple from our hometown of Winnipeg, who we got to know as we stayed at the same hotel for a number of years, recommended Tacos de Humo to us two years ago and it took me this long to pay a visit. The other complication for me was that there are a couple of locations with “tacos” and “humo” in the restaurant name and so I couldn’t be sure which one they recommended. I was hoping to meet the owner this evening to see if all the “tacos de humo” were related, but I suspect he is a busy man.

The helpful servers, ours was named Tomas (without the “H”) sometimes struggle with our babbling away in English, asking confusing questions and doing their best to understand our gibberish. It is sometime even more of a challenge when a pair of women who don’t come together very often are chatting away to get caught up on the joys and sorrows of our lives. Tomas did an valiant and excellent job taking care of us.

He presented us with a couple of refreshing mango margaritas to start. Then the sauces and lime wedges arrived. Next came those amazing Tacos de Pescado detailed above. I didn’t even eat the tortilla that made the dish a taco. The fish was light and crunchy and the sparkling fish danced in our mouths. The cole slaw added even more crunch and the chipolte mayo a silky finish.

So where do you go when only one of you is a taco fan and your companion wants to eat absolutely anything but another taco? Taco de Humo had an extensive offering of alternatives. What caught our eye was Mexican Lasagna. I wondered how they would modify my favourite Italian delight. Well they blended shredded chicken with chorizo, and refried beans and layered the mixture between tortillas. Then they smothered it in salsa suiza! The result was creamy and savoury at the same time. I would give the dish full marks for taste and its ingenuity!

We were getting organized to leave when a churro donut smothered in sweetened condensed milk was placed in front of us to share. It was a lovely conclusion to another great Isla dinner.

Kath’s quote: “Tacos are like what the voices of a hundred angels singing Bob Dylan while sitting on rainbows and playing banjos would taste like if that sound were edible.” – Isabel Quintero

Love never fails.

The first year I visited the island in 2005, I dined at Faynes on Hidalgo.

It was Superbowl Sunday and they were broadcasting the game. I don’t remember anything about the food but I do remember that Paul McCartney sang “Hey Jude” at halftime. With a full turn of the wheel of time I was back at Fayne’s for dinner last evening and no matter what football game or half time show might have played last night, I will always remember the food. What glorious food!

We started with mussels fresh from the south of Mexico. They were juicy and tender and the sauce….was divine! Both Karen, my companion who had just arrived on the island and I agreed that you could drink the sublime roasted tomato and cream sauce and be happy for the rest of your life. Luckily the mussels were served with parmesan cheese toast to save us the embarrassment of lifting the bowl to our mouths. Potatoes also floated in the silky sauce and being a self-professed potato aficionado, I was delighted.

We were doubly blessed when Victor Castillo, one of the managers at Fayne’s appeared from the brand new restaurant La Adelita next door. He explained that Fayne’s features seafood and live rock music whereas the new restaurant was born to focus on regional dishes from all over Mexico and a softer music vibe.

He suggested that we try the Mochican Carnnitas. Let’s start with the pork. I thought it might have been a fattier cut like pork belly because there was a delicious amount of roasted fat which is what made the pork, along with a bit of salt during the confit process, perfection. Confit is actually a French word describing the procedure of roasting any meat in its own fat. It has long been a method to preserve the meat, but not in this case. The Carnitas (little meats) originate from the state of Mochica. With the exception of Fredy’s pork chop, it is now my favourite pork dish on the island. By the way, it is served with onion, cilantro, Mexican sauce, rice and corn tortillas which I didn’t even touch and still brought leftover pork home.

So maybe now you are thinking “well maybe we should visit La Adelita instead of Faynes”. If you did you would miss out on their Chef’s Special of a fish filet and sauteed shrimp with tri coloured peppers and ribbons of a dried guajillo chili, which I thought at first was a sun dried tomato (but that would be on another continent). The sauce of tomato and white wine was what made the dish. Well in truth, it was the generous inclusion of melted butter that endeared the sauce to me. I can’t give you any details of the fish or the shrimp except to say that in that sauce, it mattered little to me.

As you will note, I jumped right into describing the food, and missed sharing our special cocktails also from La Adelita. Karen was served a Mango Aguate-where avocado, coconut cream and mango (of course) was blended together producing dessert in a glass. It was rich and silky and I was tempted to get out a spoon.

My refreshing drink of mixed berries, lime, triple sec and Jamiaca tequila was also blended and then garnished with a slice of pink grapefruit which I rarely eat on the island. But the piece de resistance was the rosemary spear that also adorned the drink, and was set on fire! The sultry odour reminded me of another scent and I looked around to ensure that no one thought we were breaking the smoking ban.

We likely overstayed our welcome because the sidewalk became crowded with people waiting for a space to enjoy the live music, making Fayne’s a hotspot for both music and culinary deliciousness.

The moral of this story is that even if you expect one experience, keep an open mind and heart to enjoy another. I am so glad I revisted Fayne’s.

Kath’s quote. “The people who give you their food give you their heart.” – Cesar Chavez

Love never fails.

By Sister #3

I love the traditional food from all over Mexico that you can find on Isla Mujeres. But the reality is I’m here for two months and sometimes I just want a slice of pizza. When I’m alone on the island, ordering pizza leaves me with leftovers for days. But I’ve just discovered a great new place on Juarez between Madero and Morelos where I can get pizza by the slice.

Kath here: I have always admired the traditional painted Mexican building that the pizzeria is location in.

On this particular evening my siblings and I were planning to dine on the beach at sunset. So we decided to pick up pizza and refreshments to take for our picnic.

Upon entering IL Pomodorino, we were greeted by the friendly staff who offered us a free sample of Margherita pizza while we considered our options. This bite confirmed that the pizza crust was crispy and the red sauce was well balanced. Brenda helped us make our selection. We opted to order by the slice. Each slice is generous and four slices was enough to feed the four of us. At only 80 pesos a slice it was good value. We cut each slice into four portions so we could each enjoy the variety.

You can order an entire pizza if you wish, the round thin crust, or a slightly thicker rectangular one. The menu is extensive with 26 options featuring red sauce and an additional six with white sauce.

There were many pizzas on display so we selected the Hawaiian, a pepperoni, an Italian sausage with red onion, and the Caprese, with pesto and cherry tomatoes.

Our selections were brought up to piping hot in the wood-fire pizza oven and packed in a box for transport. We requested soft drinks and bottled water and headed to the beach.

There are some very inventive combinations on offer. I was intrigued by the Raffinata, a white sauce pizza with blue cheese, pear, nuts, honey, and arugula. Perhaps next time.

If you are like me and like to look through the menu before you visit a restaurant, take note that IL Pomodorino’s menu is in Spanish. Once you’re at the restaurant the staff have great English.

So here are some words that may help make the menu easier for you.

Ajo – garlic
Acietuna – olives
Albahaca – basil
Anchoa – anchovies
Atun – tuna
Berenjena – eggplant
Calabaza – zucchini
Cebolla – onion
Champiñón – mushroom
Espinaca – spinach
Jamón pavo – turkey ham
Nuez – nuts
Piniento – pepper
Queso azur – blue cheese
Salchicha – hotdog
Tocino – bacon

For the hours of the restaurant as well as the extensive menu, check out www.mapchick.com. The best money you will ever spend.

Kath’s quote: “You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six“.– Yogi Berra.

Love never fails.

Criss Medina is from a family that goes back many generations in Isla Mujeres. We first met when I visited one of her restaurants in Centro. Riconcito Kahlo and a couple spin off concepts have moved locations a few times, but I think where they having landed, the previous Sesso Locos, is the ideal spot for them to put down permanent roots.

There is something about Riconcito Khalo that reminds me that life is beautiful. The walls are filled with colourful art, full of flowers and lovely images of Frieda Kahlo, a Mexican icon. The ambience is cheerful yet sophisticated and matches the vibrant nature of the women who run it.

Criss has handed the reigns of the establishment to daughter Dani who is an absolute natural at hospitality. While her smile lights up the room, her attentive nature leaves you feeling very welcome. 

The evening we were there the live music was smooth and sultry. Cindy Lu provides jazz and blues every Friday evening. This week she was joined by Walter Fischbacher and Elisabeth Lohninger who made a stop in Isla before setting out on a European tour. 

I was in the mood for something cold and refreshing sans alcohol and their lemonada was just perfect. Icy cold, lemony and not too sweet. Like a few other restaurants I’ve experienced on Isla RK serve “botanas”, small plates of snacks to enjoy with your drink as you wait for the food. We munched on a small bowl of popcorn and shelled some salted peanuts which helped keep our hunger at bay. 

We decided to order one decadent dish and one on the lighter side. The first was the quesabirrias for which Riconcito Khalo is famous. I first tried them two years ago and couldn’t wait to have them again. Crunchy tacos with melted cheese and pulled beef that has been slow cooked and is chuck-full of flavour. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s served with a bowl of broth made using the drippings of the beef as its base.

You add chopped red onion and cilantro and a squeeze of lime to the broth and then dip your tacos in like a Mexican beef dip. After you are done, you can finish the broth as a soup. 

Our lighter dish was the aguachile suggested by Dani. Both my sis and I love ceviche so we were pretty sure this would be a hit. It was fantastic. We ordered a mild heat level. The shrimp that is cured in lime juice was tender and sweet. The cucumber, onion, and avocado slices all came together as a perfect dish to eat on tortilla chips. 

I look forward to many a meal and evening of excellent music at Riconcito Khalo. And especially to spending more time with the delightful Criss Medina and her family. 

Riconcito Kahlo is located on Medina next to Green Verde. For menu and hours check out www.mapchicks.com. Best money you will ever spend.

Kath’s quote: “Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” — Frida Kahlo

Love never fails.