I developed a taste for Dairy Queen when I lived in Omaha, Nebraska, and have been disappointed that they are not widely represented in Los Angeles.
I was thrilled to find a Dairy Queen on a recent trip to Hermosillo. It was a blazing hot day, and it felt like an oasis in the desert. As I ordered “un Blizzard con Butterfinger, por favor” I was reminded of John Travolta’s rant in the film Pulp Fiction, as he recalls ordering “le Big Mac” at McDonald’s in Paris.
How could I possibly resist a dish called Vampiros?
It was a busy taco stand – actually a large restaurant in a row of those metal-roof, garage-like spaces – and I chose it because it was the busiest place along the strip of road leading to the beach. I got to chatting with a cab driver, who told me I had chosen the best place, because it’s where the drivers go… I suppose they have special culinary sensibilities.
With great expectations, I waited for my Vampiros, but was a bit disappointed when they turned out to be Tacos al Pastor. I’m not sure what distinguishes Vampiros from tacos, but they were absolutely delicious. My favorite tacos are in Tijuana and Mexico City, but these ran a close third. Richly spiced marinated pork, cut directly from the vertical grill, served with a wider-than-usual selection of accompaniments, I was thrilled.
Maybe taxi drivers know what they’re eating after all.
Guadalajara has some of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen. August, 2013
Puerto Vallarta has been a popular resort for many years, and the downtown area surrounding the Malecón is where it all started. It became famous world-wide when they shot the 1964 movie Night of the Iguana, starring Richard Burton and Ava Gardner. I’ll always associate Puerto Vallarta with Francisco Haghenbeck’s wonderful novel Trago Amargo, in which his hard-boiled detective hero Sunny Pascal is hired to watch over Sue Lyon during the production of the film.
The Hotel Encino dates back to well before 1964, and has that delicious old-world tropical feel, including a roof-top pool and bar. With original tile in the bathrooms and balconies for every room, it’s built to let the air flow freely, and clearly, the air conditioning was installed as a gesture toward modernity. The location is great – just 2 blocks from the southern end of the Malecón
The bad news is that it started to rain shortly after I arrived. The good news is that the sunset was stunning.
This is a wonderful ceviche dish that I just discovered recently. Alagua is one of the best seafood restaurants in Mazatlán, and they do a spectacular version of the famous Sinaloa dish.
The freshest of shrimp are shelled raw, “cooked” in lime juice and served with chopped cucmbers, onion and a jalapeño purée.There couldn’t be a more perfect dish to eat right at the beach with the warm breeze on your face.
Culiacán is a nice, big city with a balance between the historic and the modern. Here is the lovely cathedral in the historic center of the city.
When is the last time you saw a Woolworth store? They’re still thriving in Mexico. In Acapulco a few years ago, I saw Woolworth stand-alone restaurants that appeared to be competitors of VIPS. Not surprising, given that Woolworth was the largest restauranteur in the U.S. until it was overtaken by McDonald’s.
The stores have a special meaning for me because I worked for the company for 15 years in Canada and the U.S., and in 1992, I was offered the position of Chief Financial Officer of the Mexican company. Instead, I lost all my money producing independent films.
Everywhere you go in Mexico, there will be a Doctor Simi dancing wildly in front of a Farmácias Similares outlet. They’re a huge chain of drugstores that provide medical services, and sell generic versions of most drugs. In Nuevo León a few years ago, I had some sort of insect bite on my foot that threatened to ruin my trip. A visit with a nice doctor, and a prescription from the drug store cost me slightly over $10, and the trip lasted another 3 weeks.
I’m always happy to see the dancing doctor.
I took a long taxi ride to the beach in Tijuana to try a restaurant that Anthony Bourdain featured on his show. Guess what? Terraza Vallarta isn’t there any more. $22 in cab rides later, at least I had a nice conversation with the cab driver… It was one of the less expensive little white cabs, so I probably made his night.
On Saturday night in Hermosillo, I took another long cab ride – not as long this time – to a Sinaloa style seafood restaurant called El Charco. Before the taxi could leave, a lovely young woman raced out to tell me that they closed at 7:00 pm. I’ve come across this with other seafood places in Mexico.I ended up at La Cobacha, a huge place with an extensive menu. I had a mixture of shrimp, scallops and avocado in a sweetish red sauce called Manjar de Neptuno… Finally got my seafood fix.
Bruce Critchley's Mexico Here and There 