Sister #3 here. Kath needed to recruit my help while vacationing on Isla Mujeres recently so that we could post about as many of the island’s restaurants as possible.

I am not sure how it happened that I never visited Seso Locos back when it was located on Hidalgo, but this year I was determined to make the effort to get out to their new location down island, just south of Chac Chi and just north of Green Verde. Anyone to whom I mentioned my plan to visit this establishment all came back with the same response, “their pizza is excellent”. And they are right, Seso Locos does a thriving pizza business, eat-in, take out, delivery, they make between 20 – 30 pizzas every day. But when I arrived and was talking to Jesus (affectionately known by his friends as Seso) he shared that he is most proud of his fish and seafood dishes (for good reason as I was about to discover).

The sign out front claims “the best margaritas” so when the waiter offered us a Bulldog – one of those beautifully icy margs with an ice-cold Sol upended into it, who was I to refuse? What arrived at my table was so huge I had to request three additional straws and get my table mates to help me out. I can now officially say I am in love with the “bulldog” and plan to do my best to recreate one sometime this summer, when the Canadian weather finally gets warm. It will need to be a day where I don’t need to leave the comfort of my back yard.

The decision making process of what to order from the extensive menu was tough at first. We knew we needed to try the infamous pizza; my brother had the “Isla Mujeres” a combination of bacon, salami, and mushroom. It was large enough to feed all four of us and made for great left overs.

Friend D ordered the Parmesan fish, which was lightly breaded, melt in your mouth tender and fresh.

The dish that impressed me most was sister-in-law L’s coconut shrimp. I have eaten a LOT of coconut shrimp on this island, and this is by far the best I have ever had. There were 7, count them, 7 huge shrimp, in crunchy coconut perfection on her plate. Thank goodness she is generous and shared one with me. The sides of mashed potatoes and lightly pan-seared zucchini and carrots that accompanied both the fish and shrimp were a nice addition.

I asked Seso, if he could recommend one item that I should try from the menu, what it would be? This is how I came to experience the Poblano Chile Seso Loco. Wow, talk about a rich and decedent entree! This gigantic pepper was stuffed with fish, calamari, and shrimp. The pepper was then coated in a crispy batter, fried and topped with tomato sauce and cheese. I was glad I had people willing to help me out with conquering this bad boy.

We were stuffed, but somehow found ourselves convinced to try the apple strudel for dessert. A modern take on this Eastern European classic was the perfect ending to our evening. Crispy, cinnamony (is that even a word?) pastry filled with fruit and served with ice cream.

While the restaurant lacks a view, except for the traffic on the roadway on which it is located, the open air space is clean and quaint. The service was impeccable. Our waiter, who had studied in the US for many years had a better command of the English language that I do. Seso Locos is open daily from 8:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m. for breakfast and lunch and opens again at 5:30 p.m. for dinner. I know I will be back for that coconut shrimp next year and I would highly recommend you trying it out. Buen Provecho!

Kath’s quote: “The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living”.-Dione Lucas

Love never fails.

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.