Category Archives: Mexico travel

Frida in 5 at Casa Azul

Monday, 16 March 2020 Marc d'Entremont 1 Comment

“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”
Frida Kahlo

*Self-Portrait Wearing a Velvet Dress* (hand colored photo print 1926)

Frida Kahlo is undeniably beautiful in this Modigliani-like 1926 self-portrait, and why not at 19 years-old. Yet it was only a year after her near-fatal tram accident. It’s not an idealized painting; it’s a photograph hand colored in oil by Frida.

Self-Portrait Wearing a Velvet Dress greets you in the entrance hall of Casa Azul fittingly alongside that of her famous photographer father. Casa Azul is the house her parents built in Mexico City where Frida was born, lived and died. It’s the “lived” part that created a legend.

Countless books and films document a turbulent and creative life that near-death simply sparked. In a recent visit to Casa Azul, a museum to all that was important to her, five images stayed with me. A prolific writer, Frida was known for her wit and insights. In her own words Frida provided for me a frame for the image I was remembering.

“I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.”

Frida’s survival in the Mexico City tram accident of 1925 was eclipsed by her determination to not shatter her creative soul. “Passion is the bridge that takes you from pain to change.”

In Marxism Will Bring Health to the Sick she accepted that her own life of multiple surgeries followed by months being bedridden and still frequently in pain would not dim creativity in art, love or politics.

Whether camping across the North American continent, being honored in Paris or her love affair with Leon Trotsky, physical disabilities may have complicated plans but never stopped her.

“Diego was everything; my child, my lover, my universe.”

Casa Azul is blue. It was her home and that of her husband the renowned Mexican bad-boy creative genius Diego Rivera. Their relationship lasted her lifetime and his connection to Casa Azul until his death.

“There have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley, and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.” The friction between these titans matched their artistic legends. Both had numerous lovers – “Take a lover who looks at you like maybe you are a bourbon biscuit.” They divorced in 1939 but remarried a year later.

Perhaps she shed insight on both their personalities, “I was born a bitch; I was born a painter.”

Yet in the garden of Casa Azul there’s a photo taken of Frida and Diego as they stand on the terrace that’s just above. Their eyes are locked. The tension of mutual passion, competition and life’s complexities is captured in a photo.

“I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.”

in Frida’s studio at Casa Azul, Mexico City

A horrific tram accident in Mexico City in 1925 when Freda was only in her late teens ought to have killed her. Instead it left her, in her own words, “broken.” Her spine had been fractured in multiple places, her right leg in 11 as well as the pelvic bone and collarbone. She also suffered severe internal injuries.

She was a pre-med student. Her injuries, pain and long periods in bed became the catalyst for an artistic expression of her life experience. In the process she created a unique life experience that has inspired many.

I am sure the comfortable, airy, light filled studio on the second floor in Casa Azul is neater than it was when a working room. Frida had space with most essentials easily accessed, and large windows overlooked the garden courtyard. In the center was her easel.

The easel is as it would have been the last couple years of her life. A still life, which she enjoyed painting – “I paint flowers so they will not die” – may have more meaning than simply a pretty picture, and it was the wheelchair that caught my eye last.

Its brown color blended into the studio as if her disabilities were of little importance. Frida had lost her feet a few years before her death, but that did not dampen her great passion… as long as she could paint.

“I want a storm to come and flood us into a song that no one wrote.”

Frida Kahlo’s Death Mask on her bed at Casa Azul

Frida Kahlo’s Death Mask rests on her bed in Casa Azul. There is serenity to her face, especially after a life of pain, yet not a countenance of finality. She looks as if she’s sleeping as she had in that bed for so many years.

Frida may have said, “I hope the exit is joyful, and I hope never to return,” but does that mean she wanted creativity to stop. Perhaps the turbulence of storm and flood (written to one of her lovers) was freedom – being swept into an unknown reality. Behind those sleeping eyes she could be fashioning a new song.

When you go: Museo Frida Kahlo (Londres 247, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100 Ciudad de México, CDMX) is 11 km (6.5 miles) from the historic center of Mexico City. It’s accessible by bus or taxi/Uber.

You can enjoy more by Travel with Pen and Palate at…

The Hellenic News of America

Travel with Pen and Palate Argentina

Leon Trotsky (left ) with Frida Kahlo (center) at Casa Azul

culinary tourism, Cultural Sites, Food, Historic Sites, Hotels, Mexico travel, Restaurants and hotels, Travel, Travel and Food, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Insects return to Mexican menus

Friday, 20 December 2019 Marc d'Entremont

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, Mexico has 300 to 550 species of edible insects, more than any other country.

chinivuiles (Red Maquey Caterpillars) Mercado San Juan, Mexico City

The ancient tradition of eating insects is steeped in culinary tradition, not lack of other foods. In pre-Hispanic days insects were an easy power house of protein to gather as ingredients and enjoy as a convenience food.

Chapulines, roasted grasshoppers, Mercado San Juan, Mexico City

The UN report in praise of entomophagy — insect-eating — as a promising source of sustainable protein stressed that “The case needs to be made to consumers that eating insects is not only good for their health, it is good for the planet.” After all, insects outnumber all other living creatures – and many are edible.

In the past decade there has been a revival in Mexico from street vendors to celebrity chefs reincorporating insects into the cuisine. What was dismissed after the Spanish conquest is chic again.

Mexcal cocktail with Chapulines at las Piramides

At Restaurante las Piramides within the UNESCO Zona Arqueológica de Teotihuacán they serve a traditional Mexican menu with some ancient exotic foods. An appropriate introduction is a Mexcal cocktail with Chapulines (roasted grasshoppers – they do have a nutty taste and texture). Chapulines have been a popular fast food since the ancient Mayan days, especially in southern Mexico.

From their starter menu there is a selection of dishes that would be a perfect introduction to tasting insects.

Fried corn cakes with quacamole y chapulines.

Excamoles al epazote (sauteed ant larvae with wormseed herb)

chinivuiles (red Maquey caterpillars) and gusano blanco (white Maquey caterpillars)

Tacos with Chapulines at El Arrayan, Puerto Vallarta

In Puerto Vallarta at El Arrayán the Oxacan inspired cuisine includes tacos stuffed with chapulines.

serious seafood & fish at Mercado San Juan

The Mercado de San Juan Gourmet is Mexico City’s food mecca for the serious eater and chef. Among the food stalls are small attractive cafes where locals frequent and visitors can experiment with new tastes.

I will not address the “disgust” factor when it comes to “exotic” foods. I’m interested only in the “wow” factor that there is so much to try. The world is a pantry.

serious colors, this is Mexico! Mercado San Juan

When you go: Mexico City is well served by international air. For accommodations I recommend the historic Hotel Geneve (1907). It maintains and polishes its glory every day.

roasted insects: fast food at street vendors

Please read more by Travel with Pen and Palate at…

The Hellenic News of America

Travel with Pen and Palate Argentina

culinary tourism, Food, gay travel, Mexico travel, recipes, Travel and Food

Puerto Vallarta lives on its streets

Tuesday, 29 January 2019 Marc d'Entremont

From food festivals and music on the Malecon to affordable week long book fairs, just walking Puerto Vallarta offers too many distractions from work.

A recent email from a friend living in a popular south Florida destination praised its beauty but bemoaned a culture not interested in much more than lying around a pool or beach. Although that is fine for some, for others there’s vibrancy on Puerto Vallarta streets and beaches rare in North America. Whether it’s the riot of colorful craft stalls on the Isla de Cuale, neighborhood street festivals, processions, parades or oyster vendors on the beach, there’s no lack of stimulation.

Of course that’s all beyond the major events that attract locals, expats and visitors from vacationing Mexican families to gay singles. Food, naturally, is a major focus either as a side component or on the center stage. Northwestern Mexico with its Pacific waters teeming with sea life is a veritable food market.

It’s appropriate that Puerto Vallarta and a nice selection of its many restaurants annually honor aguachile with its own festival – a native dish that can define Mexican food in the northwest. Aguachile (chili water in Spanish) is a “cousin” to ceviche. Like most regional dishes, recipes do not believe in boundaries.

Whereas both dishes include seafood and lime juice, aguachile infuses the lime juice with hot chilies. Both dishes also have variations from the most common, shrimp, to octopus, scallops, salmon or any combination of shell, seafood and fish. The single imperative is that these raw ingredients are as fresh as possible – sushi grade is not too extravagant.

Additional ingredients are both traditional and optional. Ceviche has a bit more onion and less chili. Both include cilantro, frequently other vegetables and even a combination of juices. Aguachile always includes generous slices of cucumber for the soothing qualities that vegetable provides given the spicier nature of the dish – after all, it is called chili water.

If you happen to own a molcajete for preparation, it doubles as a beautiful bowl with its black basalt contrasting with the colors of the ingredients. A number of internet sites have recipes for aguachile. Hispanic Kitchen has a good basic shrimp aguachile recipe. America’s foremost chef on southwestern Hispanic cuisine, Rick Bayless, provides ideas outside the box.

The annual January Aguachile Festival was held in Parque Lazaro Cardenas, currently undergoing a transformation with stunning mosaics.

On the same day, the annual Book Fair, a week long event, was taking place on Puerto Vallarta’s main Plaza de Armas. Dozens of book stalls sell new and used books in a variety of languages for all age levels. The prices are below reasonable.

Food for the stomach and the mind, stimulation for the eyes and the ears with enviable weather and fronting the Bahia de Banderas: no wonder Puerto Vallarta greets all with “Welcome to Paradise.”

Aguachile Festival n Parque Lazaro Cardenas

Please read more by Travel with Pen and Palate at…

Hellenic News of America

Travel Pen and Palate Argentina

gay travel, Mexico travel, Theater, Travel

Naked Boys Singing: the ultimate selfie

Monday, 17 December 2018 Marc d'Entremont

The peppy opening number of Naked Boys Singing, “Gratuitous Nudity,” pokes fun as to why we’re in the audience but promises, “No crudity. Just gratuitous nudity.” (Certainly easy on the eyes and naked 99% of the time the ensemble of Max Albertos, Mitchell Guzman, Joby Hernandez, Fidel Rebolledo, Renzo Sotelo and Luis Villanueva are handsome talented singers). Yet, most important, at the end of the opening number the men sing, “Than nakedness is just another window to the soul.”

Naked Boys Singing is an entertaining comedy revue with some real life pathos. Yet the lyrics and even the sequence of songs fail to develop this cohesive theme. The lyrics are gay oriented, a good selection for Incant o Theater situated in Puerto Vallarta –the gay friendly capital of Mexico. Yet most people evolve beyond potty humor after discovering the magic our naked bodies can create.

Perhaps edgy when originally produced Off-Broadway in 1998, I was getting bored and puzzled with Robert Schrock’s current version of his 20-year-old musical Naked Boys Singing by the end of the third song. I stress bored with the production not the boys.

Is Naked Boys Singing a vaudeville revue poking fun at our attitudes on nudity and sex? Or is it a musical of how we men see ourselves, literally, develop from the potty humor of 9-year-old boys, through teenage angst, to a celebration of why we (men and women) have beautiful, biologically designed bodies that produce fun, brainpower and love. Unfortunately creator Robert Schrock fails to ask himself these questions.

A lack of imaginative direction leaves six handsome naked men basically singing a concert in a straight line. One potty humor opening number would have been fine. “The Naked Maid” is silly but at least it was choreographed.

“Fight the Urge” (sung by Max Albertos, Mitchell Guzman, Joby Hernandez) speaks to many men, especially when gay teens, of uncomfortable moments in school locker rooms. It’s funny, true and in the last stanza sets up what could have continued a developing theme for the musical, “I can’t let anyone know what’s happening inside. I am all alone.”

Following that number, “Window to Window” (sung by Fidel Rebolledo and Luis Villanueva) provides a glimmer of thoughtful lyrics that brought more meaning to this play. In “Window to Window” two neighbors view each other frequently from across their apartment buildings’ divide. In a beautiful duet they communicate through attraction and desire. In the final lines their thoughts mesh even though physically separated when they sing, “Take a risk. Be daring.”

The beauty in “Window to Window” is that we do not know if the desire will be fulfilled. How many of us, gay or hetero, have not felt this same longing? That is the direction that could make Naked Boys Singing relevant theater and still retain its humor.

Unfortunately Robert Schrock concentrates on a miscellaneous list of minor topics from gay gym rats in “Muscle Addiction” to being a “Perky Little Pornstar.” Too many songs are just gratuitous entertainment. The lack of creative direction and a thematic vision fails to take advantage of the talents of six handsome naked men.

Yet the second act does have three songs of significant interest that capture a universal sense of humor, longing, fear and acceptance. The lyrics in “Nothing But the Radio On” (sung by Joby Hernandez) comically compare reactions to Marylyn Monroe’s famous 1950s nude calendar photo with still hypocritical sexual image attitudes.

“Work of Art“ (sung by Luis Villanueva) was appropriately a tableau recreating athletic nude marble statues with four of the cast members. The central, classically posed statue (Luis) sings of a particular man that frequently visits the museum. In silence they are doomed in expressing their mutual love. Once more the longing for love shines in this song.

The third to last number, “Window to the Soul,” a tender duet sung once more by Fidel Rebolledo and Luis Villanueva, should have been the final number in the production sequence. The “Window to Window” couple discovers the true nature of their love. They take the risk as scary as it is, “And now I know that who I am isn’t shameful or obscene.”

Naked Boys Singing should be an entertaining exploration of nakedness as both physical beauty and its impact on everyone’s self-image. Yet out of fifteen songs only a handful explore this identifiable theme – “nakedness is just another window to the soul” – that the musical introduced in the opening number, “Gratuitous Nudity.”

Still, the six talented naked young men in this Incanto Theater production have fun proving that nudity is the ultimate selfie.

Despite production flaws, Naked Boys Singing is entertaining and worth seeing. It is running several times per week along with Incanto’s stellar concert calendar for the 2018/2019 Winter season.

Lady Zen, just one of the stellar singers in Incanto Theater’s concert series this season

Please read more by Travel with Pen and Palate at…

Hellenic News of America (*Travel with Pen and Pal**ate)*

Hellenic News of America (Marc d’Entremont)

Travel Pen and Palate Argentina

culinary tourism, Food, Mexico travel, Travel and Food

La Fortuna: reverting to tradition in Puerto Vallarta

Friday, 5 October 2018 Marc d'Entremont

“A business we can do together; something we can grow together.” Alan Mundy

Drying the coffee “cherries” (ripe beans) at La Fortuna

Just imagine light, creamy, hand crafted peanut brittle and rich aromas of organically grown Mexican coffee. Alan Mundy and Ausel Diaz Arguello did, and in the process La Fortuna Organic Coffee and PVs Finest Peanut Brittle blended their lives. Yet when Alan and Ausel met just a few years ago they were both in flux.

The date “1985” on the package of PVs Finest Peanut Brittle means more than the start of a business. It wasn’t actually the start of a business. It was Alan’s stress therapy.

In Louisiana Alan was in the real estate and electronics businesses. Yet in an urge to do something creative, he started making his grandmother’s peanut brittle in 1985 as gifts for friends. That soon turned into a marketing tool – gifts to clients at the holidays.

For thirty years Alan made upwards of 2,000 pounds of peanut brittle annually as gifts. Yet his life altered several years ago when his mother’s health started to decline. For a variety of reasons, relocating to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, was desirable for both Alan and his mother.

Ausel was fresh from culinary studies at Puerto Vallarta’s Casserole Instituto Gastronomico. He was also from Chiapas, the southwestern most state in Mexico, known for its lush tropical beauty, abundant agriculture and poverty.

Ausel’s grandfather had developed a 20 acre coffee farm nearly a century before. Despite the fact that it grew to 120 acres, like many small farmers, his grandfather and father sold the beans wholesale to coffee dealers. Profits were meager.

A regional outbreak of Coffee Leaf Rust five years ago led to a downturn in both coffee production and prices, which resulted in the loss of the family farm. Prospects for Ausel’s family were dire. Then Allan and Ausel met in Puerto Vallarta and a plan that would benefit all developed.

With Ausel’s knowledge of Chiapas, family ties and traditional organic farming methods used for centuries, Alan’s entrepreneurial logic saw a way to revitalize the family by reverting to tradition. In the process they created La Fortuna Organic Coffee by elevating common Arabica beans to premium status.

Securing title to 200 acres for the family simply started the process. The densely planted acreage thrived in the mineral rich tropical mountains of Chiapas. The chaff from the roasted coffee beans was the only enrichment added back to the soil.

Fresh harvested Arabica coffee cherries (ripe beans)

Planting, maintaining and harvesting coffee have always been hands-on tasks due to necessity. During harvest season in 2017 (November to March) demand for workers exceeded the local supply. La Fortuna employed four workers from Guatemala.

Alan and Ausel created a business plan for La Fortuna that relied on personal attention to every detail by those involved. Traditional hands-on techniques from sorting, roasting, packing and marketing have been essential to ensure premium quality. “It’s a labor of love,” quipped Alan, and he was correct, but not just in the common understanding of that phrase applied to business.

Coffee beans are food, and the cooking method has a major influence on flavor. Using a clay oven, the beans are hand roasted in small batches in a heavy iron bowl topping the wood fire of Indigenous pine and robles. The beans are stirred with a wooden spoon.

Roasting coffee beans over a wood fire at La Fortuna

Subtle chocolate and spice undertones were enhanced by the gentle roasting process while hints of smoke from the pine and robles wood complimented rich, earthy notes in the beans. The coffee was smooth, medium bodied and light on acidity.

Hand packaging of the beans minimizes breakage that releases essential oils, which trap flavors. The packaged beans are shipped to Puerto Vallarta where Ausel and Alan take over marketing. Yet that’s not the end of the Chiapas connection – there are peanuts.

Peanut brittle was a Southern United States invention from the late 19^th century. The South was awash with peanuts and sugar so their combination was to be expected. The recipe Alan grew up on was from his grandmother, who like many gleaned knowledge from regional variations.

Alan had the idea that once in Puerto Vallarta the peanut brittle recipe he had used the past thirty years could be turned into an enterprise that involved his mother. Unfortunately, her health soon made that an unrealistic expectation. Then culinary trained Ausel entered Alan’s life along with peanuts from Chiapas.

What makes the superlative “finest” believable was not just the taste but also the texture. Having grown up on Northern versions where the caramelized sugar was truly brittle – like breaking glass – PVs Finest was creamy. The tan brittle crumbled in the mouth becoming a smooth caramel counterpoint to the deep flavors of roasted peanuts.

Sponge peanut brittle was one variation in Louisiana that existed for well over a century. Alan and Ausel have taken note that Canadians liken it to English sponge toffee. Considering Puerto Vallarta’s popularity among Canadian tourist, that’s a good marketing connection.

Sorting fresh coffee beans (right) with Alan Mundy

Organic peanuts and small batch production are the hallmarks of PVs Finest Peanut Brittle. The peanuts are sourced from farms owned by Ausel’s extended family, which provide over 3,000 kilos (6,600 pounds) of roasted peanuts per season. No changes have been made to the recipe of Alan’s grandmother.

Enhancing the basic recipe though was always considered. Alan and Ausel are developing a recipe with the addition of coconut. Coating PVs Finest with chocolate would pair a Southern tradition with the birthplace of chocolate.

Made by Ausel in their climate-controlled kitchen, the week’s production sells out quickly. PVs Finest Peanut Brittle winter production coincides with the seasonal schedule of Puerto Vallarta farmer and craft markets. During the winter season Alan and Ausel work five major markets selling La Fortuna Organic Coffee and PVs Finest Peanut Brittle.

Riveria Market in Nuevo Vallarta (Tuesday)

Forever Spring Market in Bucerias, Puerto Vallarta (Wednesday)

Marina (Public Market) Puerto Vallarta (Thursday)

Marsol Market by the Pier (Los Muertos Pier –Friday)

Three Hens and a Rooster, Puerto Vallarta (Saturday)

Before meeting, Alan and Ausel had separate desires to make a difference in the lives of loved ones. Together they succeeded – a proud mother and a revitalized family – based on centuries of tradition. What they could not have foreseen was how candy and coffee would grow their own love.

Please read more by Travel with Pen and Palate at…

Hellenic News of America (*Travel with Pen and Pal**ate)*

Hellenic News of America (Marc d’Entremont)

Travel Pen and Palate Argentina

culinary tourism, Cultural Sites, Food, Historic Sites, Mexico travel, Restaurants and hotels, Travel and Food

Pride: pink peso power in Puerto Vallarta

Tuesday, 19 June 2018 Marc d'Entremont

It’s not like the gay community has had to hide in a Puerto Vallarta ghetto. It has been welcome ever since Puerto Vallarta attracted Hollywood artists in the 60s and 70s. So the 6^th annual Puerto Vallarta Pride festival is as much pride in this city as in being gay.

Puerto Vallarta view from El Centro to the Romantic Zone

Being the gay friendliest city in the Western Hemisphere has advantages. Few care. There’s little stereotyping in this family friendly vacation destination.

There is a center of gay life in the city. The historic zones of El Centro and Emiliano Zapata (aka the Romantic Zone,) and they have many of Puerto Vallarta’s best restaurants, shopping, bars and nightlife but for all tastes. The general acceptance may best be summed up by the participation of the city’s policeman and mayor in the Pride 2018 parade.

If LGBT life does not have to hide it’s because Puerto Vallarta is a paradise, as its tourism logo proclaims. Yet despite civil unions nationwide and same-sex marriage approved in Mexico City, the country has one the highest homophobic hate crime rates on Earth. It’s comforting having the police part of the Puerto Vallarta Pride 2018 parade.

Invited by EnRoute Communications along with a small group of travel writers, we had a personal view of not just what makes Pride work but Puerto Vallarta tourism thrive. In 2017 over 24,000 participated in the weeklong festival. Simple math proves the economic impact of the “pink” peso.

Highlights of Pride 2018

The Pride 2018 Parade sauntered down the Malecon on a typically beautiful Puerto Vallarta evening with the sun slowly setting into the Bay of Banderas. Floats from dozens of gay-owned businesses, local organizations and participants just having fun where watched by all on the city’s waterfront.

The Fiesta en la Calle street party took over the heart of Emiliano Zapata – Boystown – stretching down Calle Cardenas. The nighttime party was a blur of sound, music and bodies as the bars and businesses of Boystown spilled into the street. With laser lights and sweet abandon the city celebrated a freedom not available to all.

Mantamar Beach Resort and Club is one of many gay friendly/owned luxury hotels in Puerto Vallarta. Located at the end of wide white sand South Beach (south side of Playa de los Muertos), Mantamar hosted two major events during Pride, the Big Top Party at Sky Top Bar and the White Party. Popular gay DJs in the international circuit kept energy flowing both high up on the Sky Top Bar and on the beach for the culminating White Party (white clothing…)

Big Top Party at Sky Top Bar, Mantamar Beach Resort

Puerto Vallarta, as a municipality, turned 100 years old in 2018 appropriately during Pride Week. Celebrations continue year long including a series called 100 Tables to Celebrate 100 Years. These events invite local businesses to display their products in a festive atmosphere.

Parque Lazaro Cardenas, recently decorated with extensive mosaics by the artists of Tile Park PV, was the site for gay businesses to show their stuff. From restaurants offering sushi to the best leather halter, the power of the “pink” peso was evident. Celebrity underwear designer Andrew Christian, who owns condos nearby, presided over a live display of his latest creations.

100 Tables to Celebrate 100 Years marketplace w/ Andrew Christian

Sapphire Beach Club, also on South Beach, offers fresh, inviting food especially at breakfast. The open-air restaurant easily captures the cool Bay of Banderas breeze. The absence of canned music means the waves provide relaxing ambient sound to compliment refreshing cocktails.

Madregal is a new addition to Puerto Vallarta’s enviable culinary stable. Oscar Moran, who owns Oscar’s on the Rio Cuale, has created an Oxacan influenced menu. This southern Mexico state is known for unique preparations of a wide range of produce, meats and cheese. I did not see chapulines (grasshoppers) on the menu?

No Puerto Vallarta restaurant can ignore the abundant sea life in the Bay of Banderas. For Chef Fernando Sánchez Aceves fish and seafood intermesh creating the imaginative fusion of cuisines for which Puerto Vallarta’s known.

Pickled vegetables with vinegar and chili at Madregal

A creamy gazpacho with shrimp and citrusy seafood ceviche were refreshing on a warm late May evening. Pickled vegetables with vinegar and chili, lentil salad, guacamole and a salad with Oxacan cheese displayed the diverse abundance and ingenuity in Mexican vegetable cookery.

Madregal has an extensive mezcalito list – cocktails made with smoky mezcal, a distillation of the agave plant and aged in wood barrels. Smoke, quite literally, has become a popular cocktail ingredient. Madregal infuses a glass with smoke from a burning fresh rosemary sprig and rims the glass with smoked salt before pouring the cocktail giving the drink a smoky boost.

Mexcal Cocktail w/Rosemary Smoke, Madregal

Garlands del Rio is a boutique luxury bed and breakfast on the Rio Cuale in Emiliano Zapata. Seventeen individually designed rooms surround a courtyard with pool that captures the river’s cooling breeze. The Rio Cuale forks around a narrow islet, Isla Cuale, before emptying into the Bay of Banderas. Isla Cuale is a mini jungle paradise in the middle of Puerto Vallarta – combination park, restaurants and crafts market.

Garlands is fully equipped 21^st century hotel with WIFI in all rooms and Flat Screen TVs. The atmosphere though is that of being a house guest in a mansion townhouse. Breakfast is served and you can enjoy a poolside drink.

Garlands del Rio Boutique Bed & Breakfast w/the group NOA performing a unique guitar duo

Garlands del Rio hosted the journalists of Pride 2018 at a riverside reception and dinner. A chilled shrimp and vegetable plate along with local wine followed guacamole and margaritas on a humid evening. A tropical setting, on a tropical evening with tropical food in the Romantic Zone does fit the logo Puerto Vallarta – Welcome to Paradise.

Vallarta Adventures explores the unique biosphere of the Bay of Banderas from it’s fleet of luxury yachts. On a trip hosting the Pride 2018 journalist, we leisurely floated along the coast of Puerto Vallarta, sipping marguerites, to the protected bird sanctuary of Los Arcos. The wave carved steep rock islets south of Puerto Vallarta are a scuba divers dream.

Many tour boats stop at Los Arcos but it never seems crowded. Vallarta Adventures is well equipped with all gear necessary for a safe scuba experience. Fishing is available in other locations during the cruise.

The beautiful, warm clear water of the Bay invites swimming, paddle boarding or just floating. Yet lunch did interfere. A sumptuous and artistic “bento box” (form follows function on a gently swaying sailing yacht) of salads made perfect sense in all respects.

Vallarta Adventures on the Bay of Banderas

Vallarta Adventures provided an experience of Puerto Vallarta that could only be had from accepting the naturalness of the sea. Pride 2018 provided an experience of Puerto Vallarta that could only be had from accepting the naturalness of human life. Economic stats prove that per capita an international gay tourist spends US$1,700 on an average trip compared to $760 per hetero tourist – the power of the pink peso. It’s nice to have it all in one place.

Pink Power at the White Party, Mantamar Beach Resort, Pride 2018

Disclaimer: The author was a guest of Pride 2018 including the businesses and events mentioned. Arrangements were facilitated by EnRoute Communications, New York City

Read more articles by Marc d’Entremont at…

Hellenic News of America (*Travel with Pen and Pal**ate)*

Hellenic News of America (Marc d’Entremont)

Travel Pen and Palate Argentina

Cultural Sites, Mexico travel, Theater, Travel and Food

Incanto excites Puerto Vallarta with Greater Tuna

Friday, 27 April 2018 Marc d'Entremont 1 Comment

After over 35 years Greater Tuna is firmly rooted in the regional theater circuit. Written in 1981 by Jaston Williams, Jow Sears and Ed Howard, it deals with the small town everyman. Relying heavy on comedy, it can too often fall into the trap of parody.

Ron Spencer (left) Tracy Parks (right) as Arles Struvie and Thurston Wheelis

Ron Spencer as weatherman Harold Dean Lattimer

Yet in the accomplished hands of Incanto Theater’s Ron Spencer and Tracy Parks the deftly crafted script bristles with pathos. Greater Tuna is a current day Everyman, that seminal play of the early Medieval Era. From the pain of Bertha Bumiller, clueless Harold Dean Lattimer, sociopathic Pearl Burras to the one character that has, perhaps, found inner peace, Jody Bumiller, Greater Tuna pulls at the heart as often as causes uncontrolled laughter.

Parody and comedy are classic devices in theater and human life to both cover and highlight inner inadequacy. The “3^rd smallest town in Texas,” Greater Tuna is, of course, our town. It’s where we live; it’s inside our heads.

We belly laugh as OKKK DJs, the play’s anchors, Arles Struvie and Thurston Wheelis tell us the town foibles and at a variety of eccentric characters that float in and out of the play. Yet it’s human drama, especially the Bumiller family that causes the audience to be drawn into emotional periods of silence.

Ron Spencer as reporter Chad Hartford w/Tracy Parks as Bertha Bumiller

Incanto’s Tracy Parks sensitive portrayal of Bertha Bumiller creates what could be a drag parody – the hair alone – into a poem to aloneness. There are few human feelings more devastating than feeling alone when among many.

Through Ron Spencer, teenager Charlene Bumiller’s ineptitude at cheer leading and profound disappointment at her failure to make the team speaks to all that have ever bullied or been bullied.

Greater Tuna is a daunting performance for the two actors that play nearly two dozen characters – not to mention the costume changes. Ron and Tracy’s split second timing controls the rapid flow of both comedy and our emotions. One second you’re laughing and then realize what a terribly racist comment Ron’s Vera Carp just made or how chilling Tracy’s dog-phobic Pearl Burras would be to have as a neighbor. Stanley Bumiller – fresh from reform school – will survive through street smarts, but we will not be aware of that until we stop cheering. Then we’ll cringe.

The tight script flowed effortlessly during the first act as the DJs, eccentric vignettes and the drama of the Bumiller family unfolded intermeshed as a tableau. Unfortunately the authors, not the actors, wrote the first half of the second act with less cohesiveness being too dependent on eccentric vignettes. It seemed a bit disjointed but soon the Bumiller/Burras saga returned and united the action.

Dogs are an important character in Greater Tuna – all pantomimed. They’re loved, tolerated and murdered. Just like humans. They’re the innocents.

Ron Spencer created two dog-centric characters through humor and pure acting talent that many would dismiss – “eccentric” Petey Fisk and a “troubled boy” Jody Bumiller – that allowed me to leave the theater hopeful. Although a modern day slaughter of the innocents just might irreparably break Petey’s heart, it will not be before he struggles to the bitter end. Yet if Jody is allowed to nurture his innocents, his soul may survive.

Tracy Parks as Bertha Bumiller & Ron Spencer as Jody Bumiller

Greater Tuna is everyman; it’s also a comedy. Yet as in all good theater it stirs the heart.

When you go: After a successful 2017/2018 winter run, Greater Tuna is back at the Incanto Theater every Wednesday at 8:00 pm for summer 2018. Incanto is a full service cafe and bar on the beautiful Rio Cuale in Puerto Vallarta. Dining is available either along the river or at your seat in the theater.

Incanto Cafe and Theater, Puerto Vallarta & set for Greater Tuna

You can read more articles by Marc d’Entremont at:

Hellenic News of America (*Travel with Pen and Pal**ate)*

Hellenic News of America (Marc d’Entremont)

Travel Pen and Palate Argentina

culinary tourism, Hotels, Mexico travel, Restaurants and hotels, Travel, Travel and Food

Have memories and things: four Puerto Vallarta hotels

Wednesday, 7 June 2017 Marc d'Entremont

With the current penchant for luxury travel flooding the blogosphere promoting budget hotels may seem incongruous. Yet during a life of travel this writer has always budgeted for both memories and things. Not to discount fine luxury properties worldwide, especially in Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta, but one does not have to compromise.

The walls of this travel journalist’s residences became filled with visual reminders of lasting memories through acquiring top quality local art and antiques. The double effect has been to patronize and promote local artists and antique shops while satisfying a desire to glimpse the soul of a destination through its creativity. Not being a wealthy individual it’s difficult to achieve both goals spending in the high hundreds of dollars for accommodations.

For the sake of full disclosure many sponsored trips including luxury accommodations are part of the business of a travel writer. Among those Puerto Vallarta’s superb Villa Premiere Boutique Hotel is close to ideal for this writer – and will not require one to take out a loan – but both professional and private travels have included modest hotels worldwide. Based on three trips to Puerto Vallarta over the past year, Travel with Pen and Palate reviews four price friendly hotels starting with its least favorite.

Hotel Posada de Roger – ★

In the heart of the rapidly gentrifying Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta, the Hotel Posada de Roger is top rated on Trip Advisor. (“Why” should become another article on the questionable merits of rating agencies.) From both the exterior and interior court, the hotel looks every inch a throw back to the lazy days of Margaritaville.

That doesn’t have to be an issue; it could be romantic. Unfortunately the song of that name was written in 1977, and the hotel does not seem to have been renovated anytime before or since. The beautiful jungle of the potted plant courtyard and gardens on the upper floors hide the hotel’s flaws.

The rooms are air-conditioned but gaps in the ill-fitting windows and doors, whose lock offers little security, requires leaving the air on high and using the ceiling fan as well – Puerto Vallarta is a hot, humid, albeit beautiful, Pacific Ocean city. A charity thrift store appears to have been the source of the small room’s furnishings with a hard bed, musty coverings and, considering the room’s size, an incongruous sofa jammed against an old chest of drawers – the only place to store clothing.

Access to the adequate bathroom required opening the door to the bath before one could step up an 8” rise – remember that at night or bring a night light. Wifi was hit or miss. Breakfast was not included.

The Hotel Posada de Roger has a well-known restaurant for breakfast and lunch that’s popular with tourists. Between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. the restaurant staff begin their daily set-up and that is when you will awaken – no need to set an alarm if you’re an early riser. Given the design of the restaurant the noise level reverberating off the masonry walls and stone courtyard was unacceptable.

The hotel does have a swimming pool. The water was strangely green. That should have raised a flag for this writer, but it was hot. Regrets the following day from ingesting said water while swimming were not pleasant. That was the only personal incidence of illness in the three trips to Puerto Vallarta.

Hotel Belmar Galeria – ★★

The Hotel Belmar, also in the Romantic Zone, should qualify for three stars, but after two seperate stays in two different rooms inconsistencies prevent given it more than two. The lobby and walls of the hotel are lined with top contemporary works by Puerto Vallarta artists. It’s a smart look for modest accommodations. Yet the quality of the rooms vary, and they’re location will dictate the quality of wifi reception from okay to non-existent.

Both rooms had exterior balconies which sounds romantic if one is not bothered by street noise starting early in the morning. Both beds were adequately comfortable and the second room had a desk. But to turn the air on one had to stand on the mattress and throw the circuit breaker switch.

view of Romantic Zone from balcony at Hotel Belmar

Breakfast was not provided at the Hotel Belmar but coffee and store-bought cookies were available in the lobby. Even with its shortcomings, if being in the center of the Romantic Zone on a budget is important than inspecting rooms ahead of time is advised and, for sound proofing, choosing an interior room may be a good option.

Catedral Vallarta Boutique Hotel – ★★★

For full disclosure the Catedral Vallarta Boutique Hotel was one of the sponsoring hotels during the second trip to Puerto Vallarta in November to cover the 22^nd Festival Gourmet International. It is located in the Centro District a few minutes walk from the Romantic Zone across the Rio Cuele and the “Jungle” – the green oasis and artisan center of Isla del Rio Cuele. It’s central location puts it within blocks of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadeloupe and, like all four hotels, of the beach and the Malecon.

Noise level in Puerto Vallarta Centro is radically improved over the Romantic Zone – unless you’re there during Mexican Independence Day when a school marching band decided to practice at 6:00 a.m. The Catedral Hotel offers a wide variety of rooms including the spacious suite provided to this writer. Although the hotel is not 21^st century modern, the furnishings were in top shape, the bed comfortable, the kitchen – had this culinary travel writer time to cook – was modern and well equipped and the expansive balcony was a pleasant spot to people watch.

Courtyard of the Hotel Cathedral at night

Both modern and traditional original works of art lined the walls of the hotel and the rooms. Like the Belmar, the hotel was constructed around a large interior courtyard, but it was quiet. Wifi was not available in the suite or in some other rooms according to guests, but was strong in the courtyard, which had several sitting areas. Breakfast was not provided but coffee, tea and cookies were available in a room off the courtyard.

Hotel Porto Allegro – ★★★★

Hopefully word will not get out too quickly that the Hotel Porto Allegro is a bargain for fear management will raise the rates. Just across the street from the Catedral, this modern cut stone and glass hotel is a hidden gem. Sleek cool stone and marble tile in light grays immediately soften the bright hot sun of beautiful Porto Vallarta. Modern gym facilities are just off the lobby, and an elevator – rare among budget hotels – will carry you and your luggage upwards.

The rooms are simple but well appointed with excellent beds, a desk, ceiling fan and a split air-conditioning system so efficient it needed to be kept low. A spacious closet system stored all belongings and the bathroom was ultra modern. Best of all for this travel journalist the wifi was excellent!

views from the roof top Hotel Porto Allegro

On the rooftop of the Porto Allegro was a large hot tub and the outdoor lounge area from which to survey a vista of Puerto Vallarta, the Catedral and the Bay of Benderas. A glass walled breakfast room served a superb buffet, included in the room rate, of Mexican and American foods that tantalized this chef who desires more than anything non-traditional breakfast items. Eggs and sausages were certainly available but so were spicy sauces to liven them up as well as copious amounts of fresh fruit, waffles with dulce de leche, savory stewed dishes of poultry and/or pork to ladle over rice, fresh squeezed juices, a variety of Mexican sweet breads and excellent coffee.

It is possible to have it all: comfort, memories and fine things that will recall those experiences. The budget does not have to be sacrificed if that is a concern. When that same budget gives you Puerto Vallarta, then, like PV Tourism proudly exclaims, welcome to paradise.

Everyone welcomes you to paradise in Puerto Vallarta

Additional Puerto Vallarta articles by Chef Marc d’Entremont:

So you think you know Mexican food?

Oysters two ways in Puerto Vallarta

Vegan Chef Christian Krebs wows Puerto Vallarta

Cruising Bahía de Banderas with Mike’s Fishing Charters

Discovering the meaning of pride in Puerto Vallarta

Villa Premiere: excellence by design in Puerto Vallarta

Mexican New World Cuisine at Festival Gourmet International

Angus Beef recipe, Chef Luis Noriega and Puerto Vallarta

Wagu Tatki and Japanese Mexican Fusion

You can read more articles by Marc d’Entremont at:

Hellenic News of America

Travel Pen and Palate Argentina

Original World Insights

Save

Balkans, Central America Travel, culinary tourism, Cultural Sites, European Travel, Food, Greece, Historic Sites, Mexico travel, Morocco, Photography, recipes, Restaurants and hotels, Travel and Food, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A hundred days of silence

Sunday, 4 June 2017 Marc d'Entremont

Nothing significant about the number 100 just a human penchant for symmetry. Although I continued to write for publications for which I had deadlines, since February I took time away from my own website to reorganize a significant facet of life – to be settled or wander. Necessity for the change was partly dictated by the end of a long relationship – isn’t that the truth in literature.

But as a life-long traveler – I was barely 20 years old when I went off on a solo year in Europe – the decision I made did not cause much loss of sleep. Okay, a little. Perhaps it was loosing the relationship that caused more sleepless nights, but that’s more for a romance novel than a travel web site, and besides, it ended amicably.

Old & new in the Principality of Andorra

Being a full-time culinary and cultural travel writer since 2009 after a long and varied career as a chef, educator and historian, relocating – having a permanent address – in any number of suitable American locations appeared an oxymoron. (I’m doing my best not to bring politics into this.)

Except for frequent transportation connections – aka waiting – I freely admit being turned-on by the road. Why have an apartment when I don’t have to clean a hotel room? Why cook for myself when as a culinary writer it’s the cuisine of others that I seek? Why agonize over choosing among Earth’s beautiful locations when passport in hand I can be on a beach, hiking in a mountain or rambling through a vibrant urban space.

French House Party, Carcassonne – a loyal sponsor for 3 trips.

That doesn’t mean I seek the life of a wandering gypsy. I do have commitments to publications, fine public relations firms and tourism boards that work with me and my own interests that have already helped shape life for the foreseeable future.

One month ago, after considerable research and several invitations, I embarked on an ambitious seven month schedule that has already taken me to Mexico, France, the Pyrenees Mountain Principality of Andorra and, after several days in Barcelona, currently a long train ride through the beautiful Spanish countryside for a return visit to the ancient Roman/Visigoth/Moorish/Spanish city of Cordoba – a personal favorite.

Walls of the 9th century Mezquita mosque, Cordoba

By mid-June I’ll make a long-anticipated visit to Morocco. Having extensive life experiences with Spanish and Latino cultures and cuisine, Morocco – the wellspring of Moorish civilization – is essential in understanding the interplay of cultures that has so influenced the Western Mediterranean, Central and South America.

From Morocco I’ll fly east to the Balkans and a third return to beloved Greece. My smart sponsors for two months in Greece – September and October – not only admire my writing on Greek culture and cuisine, but also recognize my keen interest in history. I’ve always taken a holistic view that the life experiences of people in any region help determine its fascination as a travel destination.

Basilica Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

1917 was the turning point for the Balkans and Greece during the First World War. Thessaloniki in particular is honoring this pivotal year that saw Macedonia and Thrace reunited with southern Greece after centuries of separation during Ottoman rule. Besides continuing culinary and cultural explorations in the north and Halkidiki – including Mount Athos – the Corinthian coast in the south will be a new region that’ll only add to my Greek experience.

Mt. Athos as seen from Sithonia, Halkidiki, Greece

Prior to my Greek return in September there are the months of July and August which will be filled with culinary and 1917 experiences in the heart of the Balkans including first time visits to Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and the city that sparked the world changing conflagration, the Bosnia-Herzegovina capital of Sarajevo.

raw oysters, quail egg, sea urchin & golden caviar in Puerto Vallarta

By the 1^st of December I’ll have made a full circle from where this adventure started returning to Mexico where I already signed a year-long lease on a beautiful apartment in Puerto Vallarta with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean – and weekly maid service (I still don’t have to clean!) It’s fortuitous that just as life was changing, invitations for two culinary press trips to Puerto Vallarta occupied a month of my life last Autumn. Not only did the city’s excellent cuisine and vibrant culture win me over but solidified my acceptance that being on the road is the life meant for me.

So a year in one city is not like being on the road? Not necessarily since exploring Central and South America has been part of my writing life since 2009 and Puerto Vallarta will become a hub.

After 2018…I don’t yet need to know. That’s the freedom of being on the road. The hundred days of silence are over, and a hundred articles are sure to follow.

sunset over the Bay of Banderas, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Save

Central America Travel, Food, Mexico travel, recipes, Restaurants and hotels, Travel and Food

So you think you know Mexican food?

Tuesday, 21 February 2017 Marc d'Entremont 1 Comment

“Thankfully, we’re starting to pull away from the idea that all Mexican food means burritos as big as your head.” Chef Rick Bayless ¹

Chef Luis Noriega’s Grilled Tuna topping Mint Scented Vermicelli

American Chef Rick Bayless has built his celebrity status on both introducing Mexican regional cuisine to the United States as well as creatively reinterpreting its concepts to a 21^st century palate. Naturally the word fusion comes to many people’s mind. Yet fused from where and with what – other ingredients from the Americas?

If you accept that concept – other ingredients from the Americas – than it’s not a fusion (a joining of unknowns) it’s creativity with native sources that form a cuisine of the Americas. It’s estimated that over 50% of commonly eaten foods by North American descendants of European immigrants were unknown to their ancestors prior to 1492 including vanilla, tomatoes, bell peppers, catfish and ducks.

tuna steak from Mexico's northwest coast — tuna steak from Mexico’s northwest coast

So if we can get beyond the self-imposed value judgment of authentic cuisine – aka a real Italian pizza is only made with (American) tomatoes…? – than perhaps we can revel in our human culinary diversity and sit down to an enjoyable meal full of terrific flavors.

When covering the recent 22^nd Festival Gourmet International in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, more than one first time visitor to both Puerto Vallarta and the festival commented how they had “no idea” cuisine in Mexico was so varied? The names of several popular American corporate chains of Tex-Mex food were often cited. The festival’s hallmark was highlighting Mexico’s ever-evolving New World cuisine.

Chefs Luis Noriega & Heinz Reize owner of Coco Tropical

Chef Luis Noriega’s illustrious international career has taken him from Acapulco to European capitals and Chef/Professor at leading Mexican culinary collages. He is chef/owner of Restaurant La Gula in the south central Mexican Pacific coast city of Zihuatanejo. At the November festival Chef Noriega conducted an in-depth daytime cooking workshop and lunch at Puerto Vallarta’s Coco Tropical on the beautiful beachfront Malecon.

Restaurant Coco Tropical, Puerto Vallarta Malecon

Grilled sesame crusted tuna steak on a bed of mint scented vermicelli may not sound Mexican, but more than half the ingredients are indigenous to the Western Hemisphere and the remainder were introduced through European domination more than 500 years ago. So the recipe is as “American as apple pie” – apples are indigenous of central Asia.

Chef Luis Noriega’s Grilled Tuna topping Mint Scented Vermicelli

Ingredients for 4 servings:

500 gr. (16 oz) fresh tuna steaks
to taste fresh ground sea salt & black pepper
100 gr. (3 oz) sesame seeds
50 ml. (3½ tablespoons) olive oil
100 gr. (3 oz) rice vermicelli
50 gr. (1½ tablespoons) unsalted butter
10 each finely chopped leaves of fresh mint
2 each small ripe avocados
2 each green chili piquin – very small HOT chilis – finely minced – or substitute ½ to 1 teaspoon (hot) hot sauce
50 ml. (3½ tablespoons) sour cream

Preparation:

Cook the rice vermicelli according to package directions
Mash the avocados and blend in the chili and sour cream to make either a chunky or a creamy guacamole.
Place the sesame seeds in a bowl, season tuna with salt & pepper and coat the tuna steaks.
Heat (preferably) a cast iron pan, add the olive oil and sear the tuna steaks for a minute or 2 per side until browned but pink in the middle. Transfer to a cutting board.
Drain the rice vermicelli and toss with butter and the mint.
Divide the vermicelli among 4 plates, top with slices of tuna steak and decoratively add a generous garnish of guacamole.

Serve with a fine Rivero Gonzalez Scielo Blanco (Chardonnay) from Mexico’s Valle de Parras, Coahuila and enjoy New World cuisine.

When you go:

Puerto Vallarta is served by many international airlines.

The 23rd Festival Gourmet International will be held November 10 – 19, 2017.

Disclosure: the author was a guest of the Festival Gourmet International, Puerto Vallarta Tourism, Restaurant Coco Tropical, Villa Premiere Boutique Hotel and Hotel Cathedral.

Footnote:

¹“Let’s Talk to Rick Bayless About Mexican Food.” The National Culinary Review, Vol. 41, Num. 2, American Culinary Federation, February 2017, St. Augustine, FL

Additional Puerto Vallarta articles by Chef Marc d’Entremont:

Oysters two ways in Puerto Vallarta

Vegan Chef Christian Krebs wows Puerto Vallarta

Cruising Bahía de Banderas with Mike’s Fishing Charters

Discovering the meaning of pride in Puerto Vallarta

Villa Premiere: excellence by design in Puerto Vallarta

Mexican New World Cuisine at Festival Gourmet International

Angus Beef recipe, Chef Luis Noriega and Puerto Vallarta

Wagu Tatki and Japanese Mexican Fusion