When I reached the malecon that morning, I thought that the light was kind of eerie. My camera could not capture it.
The sun was about to rise upon another perfect day.
I love this picture of Sue!
I attended Island Church with Sister Sue and friends Donna and Carol.
That afternoon I whiled away the time at Centro Beach with SIL Lorraine, Kelly and friends Kim, Brenda & Deenie. Lorraine and I had a lovely swim in the ocean. I had to head home to wash the salt off before dinner.
The day with family was so much fun that we agreed to reconvene for sunset and pizza that evening. The pizza was fabulous and very affordable. We ordered from Pomodorino’s just a short walk away. Read more about it here. https://foodmusings.ca/isla-mujeres/isla-mujeres-2024-restaurant-feature-il-pomodorino-isla-pizza/
A walk down Hidalgo & then a quick visit to Snappers to watch the Jets win in overtime. Then to my book.
Kath’s quote: “Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion.” – Leigh Hunt
A quick morning walk as I had lots of writing to get to.
Even after almost 20 years of visiting, this quirky island always brings me joy. Like one set of neighbours who long ago made a balcony railing out of empty wine bottles.
Or other neighbours who fill their golf cart with plastic crates. They place the crates in their unoccupied parking spot while they are out running errands.
If you want a great vantage to see the diversity of Isla, sit in one of the municipal loncherias. On this day I was awaiting my friends Jan and Bruce who ended up treating me to lunch at the 4th loncheria. The food was great and the catch up visit was even better.
I ordered the pork chop so that I would get fries. You might find that silly but the fries were so good it was worth it and there was enough pork for a second meal!
The watermelon water was also delicious.
I was going to be joined by my dear friend Karen on the island soon, so I checked out her new digs just across from Centro beach.
I love staying in Centro where there is always a water view, just moments away.
I was drawn to Centro Beach again at sunset and then hopped a bus with Sister Sue to visit our Isla friend Criss Medina at her new restaurant in the former Sesso Locos.
We met her daughter Dani who is managing Riconcito Kahlo.
There was a wonderful trio playing and the ambience was so lovely. Our dinner was first class and you can read all about it here: https://foodmusings.ca/isla-mujeres/isla-mujeres-2024-restaurant-features-riconcito-kahlo/
Home early. Started reading Stanley Tucci’s fascinating book (with recipes!)
Kath’s quote: “Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven”.– John Lubbock
Little did I know that I would get glued to my beach chair (but not at the beach) for most of the day. I was so enthralled by my book and finished it. Erin French-Finding Freedom. If you are a foodie it is absolutely delicious!
I did manage a little shop so I would snack on wholesome food as I read. I also went and visited Hortencia and her family.
At Happy Hour downstairs my friend Penny heard me lamenting about drinking wine from a coffee cup and loaned me hers for my time left at the apartment! There is a lovely circle of new Isla friends staying here.
Sister Sue and I dined at Kokonuts where my gorgeous friend Sylvia has moved her staff from Sardinia Smile.
Dinner was scrumptious. Read all the details here: https://foodmusings.ca/uncategorized/isla-mujeres-2024-restaurant-feature-kokonuts-sardinian-smile/
Another perfect day in paradise.
Kath’s quote: There is not in Italy what there is in Sardinia, nor Sardinia what there is in Italy.-Francesco Cetti
Everything is bigger in Texas, and that is most certainly true of the huge heart full of generosity that is contained in a tiny little Texan gal named Jackie Walker, owner of Jax Bar & Grill.
Jackie is so supportive of island charities, residents of the island, her loyal staff and those of us who visit. One of the many ways in which Jackie is generous is by providing her beautiful 2nd floor space for Island Worship each Sunday in January, February, and March.
It’s one of the things I really enjoyed about my time on isla. This great ministry is provided by Ken Wonavich and his lovely wife Debbie. They are very clear that they are not trying to create a new church, but provide a place for those of us missing our home churches to gather and worship together.
It’s tradition for many in attendance to stay for breakfast after the service. And this Sunday I decided to do just that. Jax is open for breakfast every day of the week and has an extensive menu with everything from toasted bagels or avocado toast to some of the more indulgent dishes, which we chose to check out. I tasted all the dishes brought to the table and everything was super tasty.
The ham with eggs and spinach was a yummy scramble and a favourite of regulars. Served with home fries and toast, it was just the perfect portion for breakfast. But of course I didn’t stop there.
I also ate half of a breakfast taco, filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese, an ingredient I miss during my winters in Isla. Three tacos stuffed to the brim and served with guacamole and pico de gallo.
My friend D is a big fan of eggs benny and there were three options for her to choose from. The classic, poached eggs served on actual English muffins with genuine Canadian back bacon and topped with a delicious hollandaise sauce. My family will tell you I’m a hollandaise snob, and this sauce was just perfect. The Jax style is the classic eggs Benedict with the addition of spinach and tomato. Besides the classic and Jax versions they also offer the Royale, featuring smoked salmon and capers.
I was thrilled to try my first ever Chicken fried steak to which I may now have a slight addiction. Jackie told us about explaining to her cooks how to prepare this southern specialty. The looks they gave her when she explained that they were to deep fry a piece of breaded steak! Sounds crazy but oh my goodness! Served with a great gravy, this Texas staple is served with eggs at breakfast, in a sandwich, or along side mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables for lunch or dinner.
Like all the dishes on Jax menu, it comes down to the quality of the ingredients. The bacon is thicker than you often find on Isla. When you order sausages, you get American style breakfast sausage. It’s not uncommon to be served hot dog pieces that are listed as “sausage” on some Isla menus. Every dish was perfectly seasoned and beautifully presented. The service provided by the Jax team is top notch and I love to dine and look out at the turquoise waters. I can’t help but be thankful for the beauty of creation, of good food and great friends.
Kath’s quote: “The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us.”-James Faust
I commenced my month long stay on Isla Mujeres with a visit to North Garden, so it seemed appropriate that I concluded it with an evening at Grill Garden.
To start, our female newbie Debbie and I started with Spaicy Mango Margaritas rimmed with Tajin as well as a generous shake into the concoction for good measure. They were different and delicious! She has three granddaughters so I suggested that she take the paper parasols that adorned the drinks, home for the girls. We did so last year and our grands loved them!
You may have an impression that Grill Garden is too romantic/upscale/expensive to drop in for a quick bite or take your family out for dinner. In fact, the night that we dined, there were mostly families. Oh sure you can still get those amazing “cooked and carved at the table” rib eye or tomahawk steaks, and there were a couple of gentlemen also enjoying them that evening, but Grill Garden’s menu and value quotient has gone up, way up!
This came about with their latest menu changes. Owners, Fernando and Brenda made a trip home to Argentina recently, and Fernando came back to Isla, inspired to work on a revised menu, preparing the dishes he always wanted to have listed on their restaurant’s offerings.
As well, Grill Garden also takes advantage of their on site bakery, delivering two appetizers that are served in a hollowed out loaf of bread! The Shrimp and Artichoke Dip and the Mushroom and Ribeye Dip (the later of which we sampled). It was ooey gooey as a result of sautéing the mushrooms and ribeye strips in red wine and cream cheese. The meat was so tender and each forkful a delight!
Of course we also had to have my favourite Crispy Cilantro Cheese, where the crispy is created by covering mozzarella cheese in panko flakes and the cilantro shines through a tomatillo sauce. I dream of this Grill Garden’s appetizer in the bleak midwinter.
For entrees, one of the Newbies ordered Fruiti de Mare on freshly made pasta noodles. Calamari rings, octopus, shrimp and fish were grilled and presented in a full bodied sauce of butter and white wine. She loved it!
I too, was tempted by fresh pasta and chose Chicken Alfredo, but not just any Chicken Alfredo. The process started when our fabulous waiter Javier wheeled over an enormous disc of Grand Padano cheese and started heating the sides under a flame and then scraping away the gooey cheese. This was repeated many times. Then, he hailed an assistant to bring out a bowl of freshly made noodles which was added to the cheese and butter. Lastly a bowl of grilled and sliced chicken came out of the kitchen and all the luscious ingredients were assembled in front of me. It was the most decadent bowl of alfredo I have ever eaten! When I had to ask for a “to go” container, it must have weighed a pound!
The guys both decided upon the Argentinan specialty of Milanesa. Both dishes started with a breaded flank steak. Carbonara distinguished it from the other options and the cheese and bacon sauce was baked on top. The portion, overflowed the plate and was too much for either guy to conquer, in spite of best efforts. It was so good.
Portions are huge! Presentation is exquisite and the service is top notch. When our waiter Javier teased Newbie Joe about taking home his leftovers, Joe said “For sure, they will go great with eggs tomorrow morning”. Quick-thinking Javier delivered these with Joe’s leftovers.
Javier also delivered these parting gifts. He called them mini-beers but they were actually shooters that we had remembered from a previous visit. So delicious!
The options are now so varied and affordable that you can dine for any reason at all. We saw three hamburger-sized sliders get delivered to another table. All three were only $16.67 USD! They could have fed 3 teenage boys.
Check out hours and prices on Mapchicks App.
Kath’s quote: “Life is batter with a sprinkle of love!”-unknown
