If Brenda and Fernando lived in Canada or the US you might call them a “power” couple. They own and operate two of the island’s success stories-North Garden and Grill Garden. But if you met them in person, “power” would be the last descriptor on your mind. They are genuine, gracious, down to earth and generous.

Grill Garden has a number of core menu items that have remained constants over the years but they are known to streamline where necessary. I have seen their menu expand and retract again and noticed this evening that there were a number of young families dining early. I think they have attracted a whole new generation of guests. They are willing to accommodate old and young.

On this evening, an old Isla acquaintance of mine and I had a lot of catching up to do. So we ordered a cocktail so that we could stall our dinner decision making a bit. Our server Javier suggested I might want to try a Banana Split Daiquiri. You know what they say? “Life is short, eat dessert first!” And that is exactly what I did.

My friend Marie has an eye for colourful pictures and with Javier’s advice we chose a couple of beautiful dishes. The Tikin -Xic taco was gorgeous. I was lead to believe that Tikin-Xic was unique to Isla Mujeres but my research tells me: “Tikin Xic is not just a dish; it is a representation of Yucatecan culture and tradition. It is often serveduring family gatherings and religious celebrations, showcasing the connection between the land and sea, and the culinary practices of the ancient Maya. Despite its rich history, Tikin Xic has not gained the same fame as other Yucatecan dishes like cochinita pibil, but it remains a cherished part of local cuisine.”

Mahi-mahi had been marinated in achiote sauce and then grilled. It was then gingerly placed over a grilled pineapple. Roasted peppers, tomato and onion leant itself to be wrapped up in the blue corn tortillas but I loved the ingredients so much, that I ate it with my fork and loved every savoury bite. I also read that achiote is a spice native to the Caribbean. It has a mild, earthy and peppery flavour. It had a double use to the ancient Mayans as they utilized the spice for body paint and lipstick!

I have eaten a chimichanga ( a deep fried barrito) just once on Isla. It was at the Sunset Grill based on Mapchicks Laura’s recommendation. So that meant it I had been on a 20 year chimichanga draught. That was really silly because I love them! Grill Garden’s version relies on a cowboy’s rendition of BBQ. The deep fried package was absolutely stuffed with the fixins from a Texas barbeque (I have never actually been to Texas, so forgive me if I am wrong).

Opening the packet, we discovered pulled pork bathed in a delicious barbeque sauce as well as “cowboy” beans and surprisingly mac & cheese! It absolutely worked.

Brenda and then Fernando stopped by to ensure that we were delighted with the food! It was Brenda’s birthday and there was soon to be a celebration occurring in the restaurant. Brenda invited me to join her party and even though I was somewhat shy to do so, I am glad that I did! I met wonderful folk some of whom were regular guests, as well as close friends and family members. Brenda assured me that by way of the invitation, I too was considered family. Once again, I was god-smacked by acquaintances who have become friends and friends who have become family.

Kath’s quote: “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” –Richard Bach

Love never fails.

Gustavo has met many members of my immediate family and it was lovely to see him when we dined at Isla Bistro for brunch recently as I was able to introduce him to my friend and the other Grandma to my three eldest Grandkids- Victoria. Hilary, her youngest daughter, a newbie and my goddaughter was also in attendance. Gustavo was enthralled by Hilary’s perspective as she represents a younger demo of Isla travellers and she manages a bustling café back home. She is also my Goddaughter.

Gustavo helped me explain to my brunch guests the core values of Isla Bistro which are threefold: community, value, and accessibility. His first and foremost pleasure is to see local islanders and travelers alike, frequent the restaurant in the heart of the island. Perhaps to have some alone time, to read with a cup of coffee, to casually assemble with friends and family or to concentrate over their laptop on a big work project. Drop in for a quick coffee like the espresso bars in Europe or stay for hours on a rainy day, the space is meant to be your second home.

When Gus explains what he means by value, he makes it very clear that he does not mean a “cheap” experience but one when you appreciate the love and care that goes into the dishes using the freshest and highest quality ingredients that money can buy. He wants you to value the relationships that you make with other Bistro lovers and his hand picked staff. So too, to see the cleanliness and care that goes into running the place for your continued pleasure.

By accessibility, he is not only inviting a diverse clientele, but that you could find the restaurant easily, that the restaurant is a barrier free facility that is made for wheelchairs or walkers for seniors, highchairs and strollers for a young growing family or that cool place to see and be seen by a younger demo. All are made comfortable by Manager Bert and his caring staff.

On the morning that we brunched, we actually only sampled one brunch item. Victoria who has had numerous opportunities to travel to the middle east loved the Shakshuka exclaiming that the simmering of the vegetables in the delish tomato sauce was perfection. She is so knowledgeable about the egg concoction that she has even tasted green versions of the dish.

Hilary and  I sampled another couple of dishes that you will learn more about in the future. We were content to chat on, while enjoying Isla Bistro’s excellent coffee.

Isla Bistro coffee is certified organic and fair trade, sourced directly from an all-women indigenous community in Chiapas and locally roasted for freshness. For local residents and Airbnb owners they offer the Isla Bistro Coffee Club Membership allowing customers to buy a glass container with fresh coffee and then refilling it for a discount. This way they avoid creating trash (glass jar + refills), and support a great cause. That being a co-op in Chiapas (Mexico’s poorest state) where women are gainfully employed and thereby empowered to provide other women with encouragement and support.

Isla Bistro also have coffee bags to go and mugs for purchase. They would make great gifts for coffee lovers in your family or on the island.

So go ahead, move in and make Isla Bistro your second home!

Kath’s quote: “A second home isn’t just a place; it’s a sanctuary for the soul.“ –Authour unknown

Love never fails.

I had been to Casa Diego before and still wasn’t really sure where it was. We headed west from the apartment and I knew we would come to find it before we hit the red and white lighthouse. There was a small sign above a long hallway but there were also a whole bunch of sincere ambassadors who said “are you looking for Casa Diego? It is right there and the food is so good”. Fast forward to our departure and the same guys sincerely wanted to know if we enjoyed everything, which we absolutely did.

When we arrived we were supposed to ask for Remix, but ditz that I sometimes am, it got scrambled in my head and I inquired after Felix. Remix teased me about it when I was leaving.

Remix speaks amazing English and when we asked him about it he said that he was originally from Chiapas but he wanted to come to Isla Mujeres to learn more English. (Now his dreams include going to Quebec and the Rocky Mountains in Canada). He also wants to find ways to import Chiapas coffee to more and more restaurants on the island. Lastly, he is an artist, and a good one at that.

His boss, the owner Gerardo told us the story of discovering the amazing little oasis right smack in the centre of Centro. He named the space as a tribute to his late brother.

When he says that he “built the place with his own two hands” he means it as he pointed out the shelving and the jute chandeliers and the fountain in the corner (that he made last weekend). Truly a labour of love and all for his love of Diego who’s mural adorns the wall of the restaurant.

We started with an appetizer of seared tuna in a soya base marinade. The Asian twist on the recipe was unexpected but delicious.

My dinner date chose the Shrimp Medallions from the Mexican section of the menu. The crustaceans had been wrapped in bacon and baked with a grilled cheese adorning the top. The shrimp were perched upon a light tomato cream sauce. It was accompanied by a lovely serving of veggies and rice. He enjoyed it so much, he put half the dish aside to enjoy for lunch today.

I too chose shrimp. Mine was the Shrimp Pasta. The menu described it as white wine and garlic. There were also heaps of diced and sauteed onions in the dish and it was so flavourful! I have a Slavic heritage so I cannot get enough of onion and garlic. The shrimp were plentiful and juicy. The spaghetti in the dish had been cut so that I didn’t make a mess of myself eating it. That was very much appreciated.

At dessert time we were surprised by a delicious banana cake served a la mode, for us to share. Still the greatest surprise was the space itself. I never made it up to the second floor for live music. I will just have to find the casa again.

Kath’s quote: “A surprise can change everything in a heartbeat; cherish those moments.” – Emma Thompson

Love never fails.

Chef Abraham was born on Isla Mujeres. It was his father who walked along side him as he became more and more curious about food: its ingredients and flavours. He studied Culinary Arts in Cancun because he so enjoyed cooking for friends and family. Abraham loved that through food he could share his acquired knowledge and his passion.

He describes his cooking style as vibrant, choosing local flavours but experimenting and mixing different ingredients. He especially loves to combine different cuisines so I suppose fusion would be the most accurate way to describe his style. He credits a variety of instructors and chefs for his confidence in the kitchen. They shared with him how to stay calm under pressure and to develop all facets of kitchen management, not just cooking. They encouraged him to be honest, hard-working and transparent in his workplace.

That workplace is currently his home because professional cooking is very tiring with long working hours. He opened The Reef to give him more flexibility and time with his family. As opposed to leaning to one Mexican province to manifest its food, he is inclined to any style of cooking where seafood is the focus.

But to his food! Abraham typically sets up in your home or rental kitchen and prepares and serves the food for you there. But in this case because the little kitchen in the apartment that we have in Centro is so tiny, I asked if he could prepare something that didn’t have to be cooked from scratch. We had made arrangements to have him deliver it to a neighbouring apartment of a friend who was spending her last evening on the island. But as is often the case, plans change. Instead, we realized that he was just around the corner to where I was tasting new menu items at a friends, so he delivered there. I plated the food later with Peggy and voila, we sat down to eat.

The Charcuterie that he had prepared for us was gorgeous. On special occasions at home, we often have a charcuterie supper to eat in front of the TV for events like the Olympics, the Oscars or the Masters Golf Tournament. This board had a lovely array of salamis as well as olive loaf, a mild sliced cheese, cheese balls, friut, veggies and pitas.

The next evening I made a mini-board to have as a solo Happy Hour with a glass of wine.

My friend Peggy had not tried squid ink pasta before but it happened to be one of my favourites from two fondly remembered Canadian restaurants “Fred’s Not Here” in Toronto and “Pasta la Vista” in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, I didnt have much of an appetite that evening but Peggy enjoyed the salmon and the pasta. Now tonight…that is a different story. I am staying at a palapa right on the beach. I didn’t fancy walking in the dark on a strange road to dine, nor did I want to order in. So boy did I enjoy those left overs!

Squid ink pasta is a striking black & briny Italian pasta. It has a subtle, savoury unami taste. Did someone say unami? My fav! To further enhance the briny flavours, Abraham skillfully prepared a caper with butter and lemon sauce. It was the perfect pairing with the pasta and the salmon filet which also had a lovely seasoning.

I dream of the days when I can have all of my family assemble in a big house on the island, where we can employ a chef like Abraham.

Kath’s guote: “It is the foundation of all sauces. It adds a complexity. Deliciousness. Has Escoffier not told you of this theory of five tastes? A Japanese chemist proved it, and called it ‘umami,’ which means deliciousness.”― N.M. Kelby, White Truffles in Winter

Love never fails.

As the number of people migrate to the middle and south of the island, restaurants that provide all day service increase more and more. Green Verde isn’t one of those restaurants. It has been around for 12 years.

One this morning I was meeting old Isla friends who were leaving the island soon. They live in the vicinity of Green Verde so it seemed a natural meeting spot. They had to cross the street. I on the other hand had walked from Centro so I was a little sweaty with a big thirst. Jan and Bruce have a Sunday morning routine, they clean their apartment and then they often find themselves at Green Verde for breakfast.

They always order the watermelon juice and who am I to break with tradition? Bruce remarked that I must have been thirsty because I knocked the juice back almost immediately.

As we were deciding what to order, three sweet, soft, little buns arrived at the table with butter and jam. It tasted so great that I passed on the jam and just enjoyed the sweet and salty tastes of the buttered bun.

Jan ordered her favourite pancakes, crisp bacon and fruit. She was able to enjoy two of them with butter and syrup. Her plate was cleared away with one perfect pancake going back to the kitchen. I had to bring half of my breakfast home, but do you know how much willpower it took for me to not snatch that lone pancake off her plate?

I asked Bruce to order the motulenos so I could see how they compared to the ones my sister Sue has perfected back home. Covered in red sauce with beans, cheese, turkey ham and fried plantains. They looked absolutely wonderful and Bruce said that they were very good.

I didn’t know what to order so Raphael helped me with the suggestion of Mexican Bread. The overloaded slices of bread were smothered with beans, tomato sauce, manchego cheese, arrachera steak and crowned with a fried egg. I could only eat half but enjoyed the second half for lunch later.

I admire the hard work of Paola and Raphael while raising their daughter Lulu. Today I got to meet Paola’s father. A beautiful family.

Kath’s quote: “A wonderful breakfast creates a sunrise effect on the human body!”-Mehmet Murat Ildan

Love never fails.