Category Archives: Food and Restaurants
Red Cabbage Restaurant – Hidden Gem in Puerto Vallarta
One of the locals in Vallarta showed us this place. Which is what I love. Ask the locals, “what is your favorite place to eat?” and you get answers of hidden gems!
But word is getting out! They were written up in Bon Appetit and New York Times!
The atmosphere is simple and casual, with walls covered in a selection of bohemian and eclectic artwork. Dinner selections feature menus from Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s fiestas. Funky and fun, this hidden spot pays homage to Frida and Diego in both decor and menu.
Authentic and traditional Mexican meals. Fantastic vegetarian menu and lots of great starters, soups and dinners to satisfy everyones taste. Everyone at my table loved the peanut soup. I found the mole sauce to be one of the best I have ever had! Homemade sauces and food cooked with love is what you find here.
When owner Lola Bravo first opened, people were worried for her. (Some 20 years ago). Choosing a place off the beaten path – and serving traditional Mexican meals….well, she does just fine! Word has spread, but you can still get a table here – most times.
Lola believes that the cuisine of Mexico is as varied as Chinese, Italian or French cuisine. Every region has its own style and specialties and every chef has their own way of creating a dish. The experience of Mexican food in the U.S. and Canada rarely encompasses the wide variety of flavors and ingredients found in classic Mexican cuisine.
Preparation can be very labor intensive and there are no shortcuts to producing the best this cuisine has to offer. It is this type of food that Lola and Carmen create at The Red Cabbage Cafe and Cooking School. – There is also a cookbook and DVD available.
Red Cabbage gets consistently high ratings on TripAdvisor .
This is a non-smoking restaurant.
Cash Only. And reservations suggested – by phone. Call after 3pm. 223-0411
It is a fantastic walk from Centro Vallarta! – Go east on Calle Lazaro Cardenas past the Emiliano Zapata Market to the end of the street at the river where you turn right onto Calle Rivera del Rio. About two blocks further, just around the curve in the road you will see the brightly lit Red Cabbage Cafe!
From first glance you don’t know what to expect. It looks just like a simple restaurant nestled in the heart of Puerto Vallarta. There’s nothing flashy or extravagant on the outside to let you know that the restaurants there. Its literally one of those places where you need to know where your going or you could miss it.
But everyone comes for the fantastic home cooked food and flavors! From the first bite of your appetizers to the last bite of your entrees…I feel confident you will be in food heaven.
Red Cabbage Restaurant, Calle Rivera del Rio* 204 a
Villa Mercedes Petit Hotel Celebrates Diversity
Over the last 75 years, Puerto Vallarta has grown! But not lost its charm.
I love that in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantica Zone and Old Towne, you have so many unique special boutique properties to choose from.
On my recent trip, I discovered a “new” place to stay. VILLA MERCEDES PETIT HOTEL. Amapas 175, Playa Los Muertos. I have walked by here before, but never had the chance to see inside! Just peaking in the front door, you can tell that something very special is inside!
Adults only, pet friendly, gay friendly, Villa Mercedes is a fantastic gem! A PETIT HOTEL with boutique type accommodations steps away from Los Muertos Beach. It has sort of a 50’s Palm Spring feel to me. Bright colors, simple and sleek lines and a bit eclectic.
Here is the cool part; Villa Mercedes is located in this historic hacienda-style building built in the early 1950 ́s, at the time the first and only “finca” or weekend retreat in the once secluded and remote Los Muertos Beach.
The property takes its name after its original owner, who was a real trailblazer in PV and one of the earlier settlers. They have preserved most of its original architectural character through generations. Now the property is ran and owned by Mercedes grandson, who is gay. They have been a member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) since 2009. And an active member of the Puerto Vallarta LGBT Business Association, and was one of the first supporters and still is an active supporter of Puerto Vallarta ́s Gay Pride.
Art and Mexican crafts mixed with contemporary eclectic define most of the carefully decorated spaces with wonderful murals by artist Ana Rifa, Zapoteco textiles, gorgeous vintage cement tile mosaics, and original historic architecture.
Connecting to the property is 116 Pulpito Gastro Bar (Formerly the old Kit Kat Lounge). Intimate dinner is served every night at Villa Mercedes Peitit Hotel´s courtyard. Drinks and appetizers are also available upon guests´ request in the pool bar or in the roof deck on the third floor. Guests can choose from two interesting menu choices: Pulpito 116 and Maia Inspired Cuisine. Breakfast is also served in the courtyard during the high season months of November to May. Service in the hotel´s courtyard and roof deck is open to guests and their friends from 9:00 AM to 11:30PM.
The property has a total of 16 lodging options ranging from studio rooms, jr. suites, master suites, and penthouses. Some include fully equipped kitchens, others have kitchenettes. All have been upgraded with AC, flat-screen TVs, wifi access, cieling fans, temperpeudic mattress tops, safe boxes, mini-bars, and unique art, and decor, and textiles.
There is a courtyard at ground level with a pool, lounge area, food and bar service, and tropical landscaping. On the third floor there is a more private sun deck and roof garden accessible to guests and also available for events. – I just LOVE THIS PLACE. It’s a piece of Vallarta history!
Villa Mercedes Petit Hotel Adults Only
No Way Jose! Voted BEST FOOD Puerto Vallarta
Ask just about anyone in Puerto Vallarta and they will name NO WAY JOSE! as one of their top favorite restaurants!
Melt in your mouth Filet for about$17?!
Table-side prepared Caesar Salad that is one the BEST I have ever had in my life!
No Way José! boasts the only Mexican Contemporary menu in PV with delicious dishes representing every region in Mexico.
You’ll find your fav from the Red Snapper Carpaccio to the Creamy Shrimp Bisque, from the Chiles En Nogada to the Mole Poblano.
And you MUST, I stress MUST order a flaming coffee drink! The guys make it a show stopper and it’s delicious!
You’re kidding? You don’t see anything on the menu that excites you?
No problem! Their award-winning kitchen, La Cocina de Amor, happily responds to special orders to please even the most discerning palate. For the vegetarians who are on the look-out for creative options, they use only the freshest locally grown in-season vegetables to create dishes found only at No Way José!.
At No Way José! you become part of the family after your first visit.
Owners Julie and José Alfredo personally attend to every guest, and take every comment to heart to continuously improve their menu and service. “We’re a romantic and spontaneous environment where you may hear José Alfredo burst into song at the bar, or where you may be invited to spin around for an impromptu dance by a member of one of the most charming service teams in Puerto Vallarta.”
“We provide joy and happiness through delicious food, creative drinks, impeccable professional service and the warmth of a happy home that brings Mexican cuisine to the world.
We are at your service.
We are… Tu Casa in Vallarta!”
5 de Febrero 260, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico +52 322 223 2853 |
Grand Opening at Di Vino Dante November 22nd!
GRAND OPENING!
Friday, November 22nd
Basilio Badillo 269 A
50% off wine by the glass and tapas 5-7pm
and
20% off wine by the glass and tapas 7-11pm
Hours:
Email: info.divinodante@gmail.
Phone: (322) 223.3734
only accepting cash or
American Express.
Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Week 2013
IT’S BACK!
restaurants offer a special, fixed price menu during a week or two, draw locals as well as tourists.
most places as Restaurant Week, these dining events encourage visitors
and locals to experience restaurants’ exquisite offerings at reduced
prices.
Following the trend of other influential fine dining destinations
around the world, Vallarta Lifestyles Publishing Group established
Restaurant Week in 2005 through a two-week festival that takes place
every year from May 15 – 31.
Restaurant Week features many of Puerto
Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit’s most coveted restaurants. Participating
establishments offer innovative three-course menus, with three options
available for each course. Since the prices are often discounted by up
to 50%, dining out during Restaurant Week is not only more fun, but also
much more affordable. Presently, participating restaurants can choose
to offer their special, Restaurant Week menu at $189 or $299 pesos per
person, tips and beverages not included.
Restaurant Week is highly anticipated by locals and gourmet
aficionados from around the world, who plan an annual vacation in Puerto
Vallarta specifically for this delicious dining festival. In addition to other
important festivities that take place during the month of May, such as
the anniversary of Puerto Vallarta’s foundation as a city and as a
municipality, Restaurant Week has become an important event that
encourages visitors to choose the month of May as an attractive time of
year to explore Banderas Bay.
Information for Visitors and Locals
Vallarta Lifestyles publishes the menus of participating restaurants
in a special, Restaurant Week Menu Guide section of the May issue of
Vallarta Lifestyles magazine, featuring the special menus offered by all
the restaurants. The Menu Guide is also printed separately, and is made
available for distribution at participating restaurants. And for those
with a tablet or smart phone at their disposal, the Menu Guide can also
be viewed online (here’s last year’s menu guide).
Restaurant Week enthusiasts frequently take the opportunity to
schedule dining events with friends and loved ones, checking out new
eateries together, and comparing notes with one another, adding a
memorable social element to the experience of enjoying some of our
destination’s finest establishments.
New Years Eve Dinner AT Cafe des Artistes
Vallarta. Enjoy a 5 course menu designed by Chef Thierry. Feel a warmest
atmosphere with our staff, your friends and family.
Vallarta. Enjoy a 6 course menu designed by Chef Thierry. Feel a warmest
atmosphere with our staff,
elegance and comfort in outstanding natural surroundings, that are adorn
by the exquisite menu; carefully created under the direction of the
acclaim Chef Thierry Blouet.
This restaurant is AMAZING!
Best Restaurant Puerto Vallarta – Cafe des Artistes
In a century-old home on the hill overlooking the Malecon in the heart
of Puerto Vallarta, Cafe des Artistes not only offers fine dining at its
most elegant, but has also earned a distinguished reputation as one of
the best Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta and Mexico. For 20 years, Chef Thierry Blouet has set the standard for exquisite dining in PV. And he continues to raise the bar of excellence!
Blouet’s immense energy and enthusiasm for excellence is
reflected in his cuisine, which highlights both his own intuitive
ability to prepare mouth-watering dishes and a uniquely personal gift:
an intense sense of art and beauty.
The daily menu offers an interesting combination of choices including
the innovative bistro menu, where three courses are served for one very reasonable
price. In addition, over 350 labels (YES! 350!) of fine wines and other aperitifs
are available in a relaxed atmosphere where the service is always
personal and professional.
First, lets look at the building and the rooms and the views! With artful décor in its outdoor and indoor settings, I have seen this restaurant grow and expand plenty over the last 10 years since I have been coming here. The outdoor
partition makes for a very intimate and lush ambiance, with lighted
trees covering almost every inch of the ground, dangling white orchards
that occasionally drop in your lap, and violinists that treat you to a
private song. Try the flower pot salad and the prawn and seasonal pumpkin cream
soup.
The interior has several different rooms, each with its own unique feel. And you can choose to dine in the signature Cafe des Artistes restaurant with it’s many intimate rooms, the Pyote Lounge or the amazing and intimate Thierry Blouet Cocina de Autor, an intimate 40 seat venue,
includes a demonstration kitchen. There, at one seating each evening, he
serves a prix-fixe chef’s signature wine-pairing menu. For after dinner
entertainment, he has converted another dimly lit space into a private
Cognac and Cigar Room with a piano bar. You will be AMAZED at the food you
With the momentum of the vanguard and the renovation P’yote Lounge
arrives to Café des Artistes. A new concept of artistic origins and
ancestries created under the inspiration of the artistic communion of
the famous designer Cristina Cobalin and Studio 3.14.
His name comes from indigenous shamanic traditions of healing and
spiritual, with a ritual that starts from the crop and ends as a tool
for the soul and the body. Hicuri is “the window through which man comes
in contact with the universe.”
Every corner of our new P’yote Lounge is an expression of life and
art huichol, from its structure and furniture to the mystical snack
menu, centerpieces and mezcal that wrap you in a ritual of pleasure.From crafted drinks to mouth watering tapas and to share plates, it’s a perfect way to start your evening.
Within, it is worth mentioning that P´yote Lounge customers will be
able to transport to the Huichol world to appreciate the masterpiece
that houses, “Tatei Aramara”, muse for the creation of the most
beautiful waterfront of Mexico, the waterfront of Puerto Vallarta.
Thierry Blouet, chef owner of Café des Artistes, was – as they say – born to the business. His
paternal grandfather, Max Blouet, spent 30 years as General Manager of
the ultra-elegant George V in Paris. Chef Blouet was born in Puerto
Rico, in 1964, and his French parents educated him in France and Mexico
where haute cuisine is an integral ingredient of the good life.
An extremely visual chef, his dishes are sensual compositions. In
addition to colors that enliven the visual, there’s a harmony of aromas
that tempt the nostrils, subtle textures that excite the mouth feel and
concentrated flavors that enhance the taste. No one will argue with you; this is the best and most romantic restaurant in all of Puerto Vallarta. They have too many awards to name here, but just read the reviews. Four and Five stars from everyone.
In addition to his own business, Blouet, who is also a member of the
Académie Culinaire de France, brings together chefs from France, Mexico,
Canada and the United States to share and enrich their cooking
techniques while maintaining traditionally high standards. He also
devotes himself to promoting important cultural and “foodie” fiestas in
Puerto Vallarta and Mexico.
CAFE DES ARTISTES
Make your reservation today for an
evening of pure indulgence!
Located in the heart of the art gallery district.
NOVEMBER 8-18th, 2012 FESTIVAL GOURMET
“The Gourmet Tradition of Puerto Vallarta” becomes a reality on the
“Festival Gourmet 2012″, event which flood of celebration and allegory
to the “Grupo Café des Artistes”. As every year, Chef Thierry and his
team await the arrival of Chef invited to work together in the culinary
creations that come to the tables of the guests at the Gourmet Festival.
For 10 days, during the “Festival gourmet”, the festive spirit is mixed
with the aromas, colors and flavors, leading to each dish a unique
dining experience.
In Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay there are few long-awaited and
memorable events, the Vallartenses and visitors stand waiting. It is
part of the region’s history from conception of the festival in the
hands of Chef Thierry Blouet of Café des Artistes, Heinz Reize and Chef
Roland Menetrey and is an excellent gastronomy window, where every year
discusses important issues of current gastronomy area, such as
biodiversity, identity and sustainability in the kitchen.
So then, verbena, wining and dining make their way to events, that no one who has good taste, can miss.
It is important to note that most events require reservations and
prepayment. For sales and information make contact: 2223228, ext 120.
This “Gourmet Festival 2012″ is for all our guests, we hope to
experience the joy and ecstasy of taste in the “Gourmet Tradition of
Puerto Vallarta”: Café des Artistes!