Sometimes the best things happen when you are open to serendipitous experiences. When I was making arrangements to visit this relatively new restaurant in the colonias, an English speaking friend of the owners joined our chat. I didn’t know this then, but Ricardo and Margarita’s friend Mike, from Indiana, had discovered this wonderful gem, when they temporarily had a location in Centro. The restaurant with its commitment to well prepared and fresh ingredients, just could not manage the Centro lease rates that keep increasing to the restauranteurs downtown, especially in on Hidalgo. So they moved back to the front of their own home. And luckily for diners, now that they have lower overhead, they are server amazing food at “old-fashioned” prices. Not all of you will remember colonia restaurants like La Bruja, the former rooftop restaurant owned by Ruben or the original set up of Bastos, but I do. These “old fashioned” establishments are what hooked me onto Isla fare and kept me coming back for 20 years!

The restaurant had kept my new friend Mike and his family returning to the island for the last five years and Mike loves the couple so dearly, that he is helping to promote their success. Mike created this graphic sticker that when you scan the QR code, takes you right to the restaurant’s Google Page with tons of info.

Margarita proudly shared that Mike is a big part of their recent success. The way they came up with their restaurant name is that it represents their names in addition to their two sons. I bet they will find a way to include Mike in that moniker too. Mike sat at the next table to us last evening with his vivacious wife and her two sisters. He was so interested in what we do and was intrigued when we shared a couple of hidden gems.

As you can guess, I love talking to other foodies, but I sometimes get off track as I am doing at this exact moment. So…to the food! Freshly prepared ingredients were placed upon on our table containing just sliced cucumbers, radishes and limes. There was also a bowl of pineapple salsa which I jumped at only to be warned by Sue that it was likely laced with chopped jalapeños and very hot! She was right and had I gobbled it, I wouldn’t have had a palate to discern all the complex flavours in the food that we sampled. There was also a matcha habanero sauce, but I stuck to the crema.

When we asked for suggestions, we were guided to the Alambre Mafer, a delectable mixture of red pepper, tomato, onion, cheese and a meat trio of chicken, pork and chorizo sausage! This sauteed mixture came covered with the cheese along side just-pressed maize tortillas.

I loved the savoury mixture so much that I greedily took home the leftovers (sorry Suze)!

Sue and I also split a Pastor Gringa, so named because gringas (not locals) typically order flour tortillas. First they grill a tortilla with ham and cheese and then they add the stuffing of your choice, in this case the bianco pastor that we could smell slow roasted over live charcoal at the door.

The pastor was perfection – I love fatty pork that has been charred and thinly sliced. Pastor was originally brought to Mexico by the Lebanese in their version called shawarma. I first fell for shawarma while visiting Israel and Jordan.

I wondered where all these recipes originated and Mike mentioned that the family originally came from the region of Guerro which is next door to the Puebla region where pastor originated.

The décor is simple and rustic but we were comfortable sitted under a ceiling fan, casually perched onto our stools. As more parties of people arrived, they found chairs and eating surfaces for all.

Ricardo appears to capably do most of the cooking. I was delighted when I saw him literally run down the street to pick up what looked like potatoes for another table. Now that’s fresh ingredients for you! I especially like grilled potatoes in Mexico so I am guaranteed to return to sample the shrimp tortilla dish that I captured a pic of at the next table. Sister Sue says that there is no potato on the taco as potatoes don’t have tails. But I still want to go back to the restaurant and see for myself.

Margarita is the hostess with the mostess, genuinely caring that we caught a cab afterwards as well as chatting to Sue in Spanish. The former, wears earrings that are shaped like heart shaped suckers, so she must be a fun-loving person!

Kath’s quote: “The best hostess is the one who can make her guests feel like they’re at home, even if she wishes they were.”-unknown

Love never fails.

There are moments in life that are particularly precious. For me it is when someone gives you the gift of their time. Our friend Gustavo is just about to open his second restaurant on the island-tomorrow in fact. His portfolio of projects has increased recently and he and his wife are preparing for a new baby. I can only imagine the stress of all these things coming to a head right now. And yet, he generously gave us his time last evening. We chatted about so many things as his eyes darted around Isla Burger, ensuring that everyone was well taken care of. By the end of the evening he was delivering drinks himself to a large party.

But to the food! If you look back at the story that we have documented of the growth and continued success of Isla Burger, you will see that it all started with Gustavo’s research into the highest quality products and incorporating many of his own recipes after having lived in Sicily and the US. He is originally from Brazil. He brings this wealth of food and hospitality knowledge to his new venture Isla Bistro. But that is a story for another day.

My brother Kelly and his wife Lorraine were accompanying me and Lorraine and I started with Hibiscus Ice Tea Margaritas. They were refreshing and satisfying.

Lorraine chose the Big Isla for her dinner, Isla Burger’s ode to Micky D’s big mac. It starts as the jingle goes, with “two all beef patties” but every other aspect of the burger has been elevated: the lettuce isn’t shredded and the sesame seed bun is crowned with both white and black seeds! My taste took me back to my childhood but made me very happy to taste a grown up version. Lorraine had never tasted IB’s fries and loved them.

Kelly was tempted by the BBQ Burger which I had never tasted before last evening. The pulled pork and ground beef patty made for a stellar burger but the sensational barbeque sauce put it over the top!  Gustavo started to tell me about all the ingredients in that sauce when we were interrupted, so I will have to circle back and list them for you. If you like a hint of sweetness in savoury food, you will have to order this one. Kelly too loved his fries.

Now I am a pretty simple girl. I have three favourite foods: potatoes, potatoes and potatoes. Just kidding. Potatoes, eggplant and truffles. To satisfy two of these three foods (I had eggplant the night before), I chose the parmesan/truffle fries and was so happy! Yes, food has the power to make me happy. I will sheepishly admit that I also adore fried chicken. This craving started when I used to spend summers on my grandpa and grandma’s farm in Saskatchewan. My sweet Polish Grandma ensured the crunchiest chicken by utilizing her own homemade bread for her breadcrumb coating and frying in lard (yikes, I know). Last evening IB’s Classic Chicken sandwich was on par with Grandma’s. This is the highest compliment that I can adhere to the chicken burger. IB’s chef utilizes 7 herbs in his batter but it is the crispy, crunchy perfection that makes this a classic.  

We also sampled the Isla Bang Shrimp. The “bang” created by the honey/sriracha sauce!

As well as the silky key lime pie.

If you want to research why Isla Burger continues to be so popular (last night there were guests from Germany and Denmark sitting next to us), even with the recent advent of hamburger carts popping up on every corner of the island, read “A Little Bit About Us!” on the last page of their menu. The best ingredients, expertly prepared is their recipe for continued success!

Insider Tip: Have their homemade ketchup on everything!

Kath’s quote: “A Hamburger is warm and fragrant and juicy. A hamburger is soft and nonthreatening. It personifies the Great Mother herself who has nourished us from the beginning. A hamburger is an icon of layered circles, the circle being at once the most spiritual and the most sensual of shapes. A hamburger is companionable and faintly erotic”. –Tom Robbins

Love never fails.

For many years La Adelita was a tequila bar tucked in the corner of Faynes, our favourite late night spot for drinks and live music.  As we have matured, so have they. Our maturity means we now go to bed early, but they have matured into a great little restaurant with a wonderful regional menu. 

“La Adelita” in Spanish refers to a female soldier, specifically a “soldadera” who fought in the Mexican Revolution!  A proud and fitting name for a restaurant whose bold dishes represent the traditions of various states. 

La Adelita still honours its tequila history by offering an extensive tequila menu and a wide variety of very good Margaritas. Kathryne had the Mango Aguacate. A mix of tequila, mango, lime, syrup, coconut cream, and avocado. The later two ingredients giving it a creamy consistency. I opted for the Jamaica Mixed Berry which had a great mix of flavours; hibiscus, berry, lime, syrup, rosemary, triple sec and of course tequila. Our glasses were rimmed with a flavourful spice mix that left our checks slightly stained when we went in for an eager sip. 

Manager Victor wanted to start us off with bacon wrapped jalapeños that were stuffed with cream cheese. I failed to find these anywhere on the menu. Perhaps they were a special feature that night. 

Kathryne had her favourite, Michoacán Carnitas, named for the state in which carnitas originated  This confit of pork, cooked slowly in its own fat, until it’s partly crispy is served with warm tortillas, rice, guacamole, onion, and lime so you can create the perfect taco. 

I had the Xcatik Salmon. The fish was perfectly grilled and smothered in a cream sauce flavoured with xcatik chiles, a yellow variety from the Yucatan. It was a bit spicy for me but balanced by rice and sautéed vegetables. The crispy salmon skin was the best part. 

The menu has dishes from many regions of Mexico that we’ve yet to try. Molcajete is a dish from the state of Sonora. Served in a lava bowl with a variety of meats and seafood. 

You can have your fish breaded or served “zarandeado” style from the state of Nayarit or “tikin xic” style from right here in the state of Quintana Roo. 

Last year I had what so far has been my favourite dish there, the tortilla soup, a favourite of Mexico City. 

Mexico has such a diverse culinary culture. Some dishes are found in many states, but each state also has its own unique dishes. It’s wonderful to find a restaurant that celebrates that diversity. 

Kath’s quote: A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open“. -Frank Zappa

Lover never fails.

We were given excellent instructions to find the home of Ricardo and Julie, our culinary guides for the evening. Ricardo invited us into his kitchen first where everything was beautifully arranged for our class to begin.

When Julie arrived moments later, she got the blender going to mix up perfect lime margaritas. They went down so easily that I imbibed in a second one!

When Ricardo shared that we were going to learn how to make

blue tortillas,

guacamole,

chicken mole (Veracruz style),

red rice

and chilies relleno, I was delighted and could not have chosen a better menu myself. Our fellow students were Donna and James from Texas and they were the people who made the selections. The other menu options are: Tinga de Pollo, Pork in dry red chili sauce, Ground Beef in Morita Chilies, Roasted Poblano Peppers in Mexican Cream Sauce, Pozole (red or Green) and Ceviche de Ricardo.

Julie is a world traveller who fell in love with food when she met Ricardo who hails from Vera Cruz. He explained that Mexico has many cooking regions that have their own unique recipes or spins on traditional recipes.

All the dishes that we sampled that evening were from Ricardo’s grandmother and mother Emil’s own collection. The couple have made an on line cook book of these specialties that you can purchase on line at https://eltoritomexicantacos.hotmart.host/gracias-madre-7cb05f97-c360-45b5-bea3-147a2adc74ae?

First up, rookies were tasked with stripping the seeds from the dehydrated chilies for the mole and the fresh jalapeño chilies for the chilies poblano. We decided later that someone must have missed some seeds because a couple of bites of the finished chilies were mucho caliente!

While we students chopped wonderfully fresh ingredients for the guacamole, James formed the blue tortilla dough. Ricardo rehydrated the former chilies in a little vegetable oil and roasted the jalapeños and sweated them for peeling.  Sister Sue stripped the blanched chicken breasts for the mole.

Then we all seemed to get busy at the same time: rolling the tortilla dough into uniform balls and then flattening them out in an authentic wooden press; chopping tomatoes and garlic for the rice; shredding the oxaca cheese into strips to stuff into the chilies then rolling them in flour as eggs were whipped for their final coating.

As well as blending the 17 complex mole ingredients in three batches and then simmering the many ingredients with crushed animal crackers (believe it or not) and rich Mexican chocolate. I tested myself on remembering all the ingredients in the mole and could only come up with a few of the 17. There were three kinds of chilies: ancho, pasilla and mulatto. I remembered peanuts but not sesame and pumpkin seeds, cinnamon but not cloves and onion but not garlic. The sauce was perfection but so were all the other dishes and we all commended ourselves on being fast learners.

While all this was going on, Julie set a simple table in the covered outdoor space. Hibiscus juice was offered and we all tucked in.

Ricardo demonstrated stuffing the blue tortillas in one case with the red rice and mole and the other with the chilies relleno. The guacamole could be eaten on its own or ladled into either of the tortilla wraps.

After admitting defeat before all the entrees were eaten, we were served a luscious tres leche cake from a neighbourhood bakery called D’tentacion, where a husband and wife team also specialize in flans.

Part way through the evening I asked for the reason that the cooking class was called Hala Kin as I thought it might be a person. Turns out it is a Maya greeting that means ‘you are my other me’. Rick illustrated the hala ken handshake which is a unique intertwining of the fingers.

From my own research I learned that a variety of ancient greetings all say the same thing. Namaste: from East India, Wiracocha: from the Inca and Mitakuye Oyasin: from the Lakota. In Mayan tradition it is an honoring for each other and a statement of unity and oneness. What the world needs right now!

The conversation through preparation and dinner was engaging. I especially appreciated the shared philosophy that I too am guided by: that preparing food is a love language that can be freely given and taken and when we share our family’s cooking heritage, we are sharing the identities of our regions and countries.

The next time I sample Hala Ken’s fare it may be hiring Ricardo as a private chef as they create private dinners and catering for large groups! I also saw mention of a Chef’s Table recently.

It truly was a unique and magical experience. I had never taken a cooking class on the island and I have been visiting for 20 years!

Kath’s quote: “An evening with us is much more than a dinner, it’s a cultural experience. LOVE is always the first ingredient.”-Julie and Ricardo

Love never fails.

I’ve created a new routine for Sunday mornings on Isla Mujeres. I’ve been packing a beach bag and taking it to church so that immediately after the service at Jax, I can change into my bathing suit and cross the street to the beach. After a couple hours on the beach though, we are all hungry. So today my sister Kathryne picked up lasagna from Il Pomodorino. Located on Juarez between Madero and Morelos you can’t miss this colourful building where you can grab and go.

We’ve had their delicious pizza as our beach meal before but today we tried their lasagna. Advertised as a special of the day it will become a fixture on the upcoming revised menu.  It’s a good value at 165 pesos for a single serving and 275 pesos for a double.

We ordered the double and fed three people a nice sized lunch as it also comes with a good portion of “panzas” which are breadstick like piece of their excellent pizza dough brushed with garlic butter. The perfect vessel to sop up the extra meat sauce.

We all agreed that the lasagna was delicious. Homemade pasta with a tomato sauce that was full of ground beef and pork. Sometimes tomato sauce in Mexico is too sweet for my liking, but this was savoury with a good depth of flavour. You won’t find ricotta or béchamel sauce in this version, making it a lighter dish overall. Topped with mozzarella cheese and fresh Parmesan was delectable!

Insider tip: If you are going to eat on the beach the way we did, take your own forks.

Kath’s quote: “Once again, my life has been saved by the miracle of lasagna.”-‘Garfield’ (Jim Davis)

Love never fails.