The literal translation of “Sabor a México” is “the flavour of Mexico”. And this gem of a restaurant is full of traditional Mexican fare. From breakfast items such as Huevos Rancheros, Yucatan eggs, and chilaquiles to burritos, tacos, and enchiladas. 

This new establishment is located in Villas San Miguel. Situated between the Malecon and the Zóloco it is surprisingly tranquil. The terracotta accents and Mexican tiled decor of the villas flow seamlessly into this new restaurant space, featuring a grand thatched palapa that gives it an open air feel.

We were drawn to a cozy table on a terrace overlooking the street.

We started with iced lattes that were creamy and refreshing with lots of coffee punch.

I can never decide between a sweet or savoury breakfast, so to enjoy both, we chose to share two dishes. A generous portion of three waffles was topped with a yummy berry compote and perfectly fresh fruit. Fruit is always so much better in Mexico. The presentation was gorgeous.

Our savoury selection was the Oaxaca omelet. Filled with spinach, mushrooms, ham and Oaxaca cheese.

This omelette had the best cheese pull I’ve ever seen! It was absolutely delicious. 

Manager Abdiel explained that the twelve guest rooms of the Villa are each named after a different Mexican city. So they have named their omelets and a few egg dishes using the same cities. The names are perfectly matched to the ingredients. For example the “Cozumel” features shrimp, while the “Tijuana” features steak, representing that area’s cattle country. And of course the “Oaxaca” featured the delicious cheese that state is known for. 

Sindy, our server who provided excellent service, shared that the Tijuana is her favourite. While I thought the combination of beef, ham, and Manchego cheese might be a bit much for me for breakfast, I can see myself enjoying it for lunch. 

The restaurant has a real family feel. Sindy’s aunt Magda works in the kitchen and along with the rest of the team creates beautiful plates. Abdiel and his father Candelario keep the operation running smoothly. 

The operating hours are currently 7:00 am to 3:00 pm but Abdiel shared that they hope to one day be open all day. He would like to offer Villa guests more access to pool side snacks. Candelario added that their future dinner menu will likely focus on really excellent steaks. Sabor a México is sure to become a fan favourite. 

Kath’s quote: “Gather round the table; love’s being served.“-authour unknown

Love never fails.

The start of sunrise from our bed.

D enjoyed every precious moment…that was until we weighed our luggage. I cant figure how I left a huge bag of stuff that I brought to the island for next year, gave away additional stuff, bought 0 souvenirs, and my bag weighed 7 pounds over!? Transferred stuff to my carry on back pack which I now do not know how I will get in the overhead bin….anyhoo.

I said goodbye to our beautiful vista.

We were visiting with Melinda and Richard when the D was successful in hailing us a cab. I said good-bye to the people of the island.

I said good-bye to the ferry port.

We enjoyed a beautiful ferry crossing and shuttle ride, bought vanilla, ate some Sonny’s Pizza, was charging my phone and there was less than an hour to board. That was a good thing cuz the ladies’ toilets had stopped flushing at the airport.

What was I coming back to?

My D (husband for almost 41 years), my six wonderful kids (including 2 SILs and a DIL), my five amazing grandkids, my enormous family (50+), two homes (one in the city, one at the lake), my one church, two gardens to tend, satisfying work to do and hundreds of Isla pictures and thoughts and a thousand precious memories. There, I counted my blessings….

Kath’s quote: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”― Terry Pratchett

Love never fails.

Our last full day on the island. The sunrise went on forever.

We had an extensive pool time as visitors Sue & Donna and Richard & Melinda all came over for a visit.

D made fridge omelets for breakfast, using up all most of the ingredients we had accumulated. What we couldn’t use, we gave to a neighbour from Minneapolis that we had gotten to know quite well.

We started saying good-bye to all the things that we loved about our casa.

Then it was off to Sonny’s for his amazing pizza. I messaged Gustavo goodbye when he was not at Isla Burger but we did catch Jackie at Jax. Going to miss all of our Isla friends.

We cabbed to our place to drop off our pizza leftovers for the airport the next day. Then we were off to Hortencia’s to join Maricruz’s birthday celebration. It was a very special time with a very special family. The were tears all around when we left.

Kath’s quote: ” Tears are God’s gift to us. Our holy water. They heal us as they flow.” — Rita Schiano

Love never fails.

Awake at 630. Sunrise…now we are talking!

We walked through the Colonias (we found the library!)

to visit Paola & Rafael at Green Verde and had an amazing breakfast. We enjoyed getting caught up with our dear friend Rob Sals.

Walked home and chilled for the afternoon.

This was the second pool at our villa that we never used. It didn’t get as much sun as the bigger pool and was very chilly.

We walked into Centro and caught the last of the sunset.

Richard & Melinda treated us to dinner at Mahache, for their 70th birthdays. A lovely idea instead of throwing a party.

Dinner was sensational (as always).

We stopped for fruit popsicles for dessert.

We enjoyed a breezy walk home along the Malecon under a full moon with our dear friends of 50 years.

Kath’s quote: “A true friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words”. – unknown

Love never fails.

I wrote this in my journal that morning: “D is going to have to start waking me up when he leaves for tennis, cuz I am missing all the good stuff.”

When D arrived home, we enjoyed breakfast under the palapa.

The ocean from our front door, through the apartment and balcony.

I call this pic: “Yes I am old but I am happy”.

We spent the entire day around the pool and then hosted Richard and Melinda for “Happy Time” at our place.

We walked slowly into town. I take way more pictures at then end of our vacations, wanting to hold onto every sight.

We had packed provisions for sunset. It was a windy evening.

It was the day of our “progressive” dinner, that we do every trip. But on this evening, we weren’t particularly hungry. We did mix it up by indulging in churros for our appetizer.

We hadn’t had chilies relleno from La Lomita, yet so we shared an order. Yahoo-one of our very favourites.! We had walked so much that day that we hailed a cab for home.

Another perfect day in paradise.

Kath’s quote: “Through the sunset of hope. Like the shapes of a dream. What paradise islands of glory gleam!” -Percy Bysshe Shelley

Love never fails.