Fine Romantic Dining

Chiles was one of our favorite restaurants. It closed a few years ago. Barrio Sur opened. They changed the look. They changed the menu. We were having none of it. We refused to give them our business. One day we were to meet at Kit Kat, right next door. They were closed, doing their yearly redecorating. We glared at Barrio Sur. Our stomachs rumbled. We looked to the corner. Chocobanana was full, not a seat to be found. Our stomachs rumbled. We glared at Barrio Sur. We went in.

There is covered seating at the front of the establishment. We went through to the patio. At least the shade giving trees and lush plants had not been torn out. The seats were comfortable. The waiter was attentive. The drinks were served quickly. The beer was cold and the orange juice was freshly squeezed. We were warming up to the imposters. The menu was interesting, full of foods we liked and interesting combinations. The prices were reasonable. Taking another look around the place we agreed. It had changed but it was tasteful, comfortable and clean. We accepted Barrio Sur.

Having oohed and aahed over the new and scrumptious sounding offerings we all ended up ordering machaca, a typical dish found almost anywhere in town. It is reconstituted dried shredded beef, usually scrambled with eggs, onion, tomato and peppers. After a short wait we were served huge mounds of piping hot machaca topped with quesadillas and served with refried beans. Everything was delicious. It was the best machaca I had had in years. We all agreed. We ate. I think I heard some joyful grunts. Even tiny Linda finished everything on her plate.

When we arrived the restaurant had been almost empty but it gradually started to fill up with mostly English speaking men, one family of nationals, and a bright pink family of tourists. Everyone seemed to be ordering omelets, big overstuffed fluffy omelets. I know what I’m ordering next time.

Before we left we took a look at the dinner menu. It was also interesting. We will be back. Barrio Sur went from hated to accepted to one of our favorites.


Sails said, "The quesadillas were good, but, you know, they’re pretty hard to screw up. Machaca on the other hand, I’ve had some pretty funky stuff over the years, and plenty of good too. I guess I’ve just eaten lots and lots of machaca. This was the best I've ever had – a strong beef flavor and not overly rehydrated. The restaurant? It was comfortable. The service was pretty good. The dinner menu looked very interesting. I want to come back."

sample menu
breakfast
Sweet Potato Pancakes............35 pesos/US$3.30
Squash Blossom, Corn, Huitlacoche and Panela Omelet............50 pesos/US$4.75
Baked Eggs with Spinach and Cheese............45 pesos/US$4.30
lunch
Gazpacho............40 pesos/US$3.80
Chicken Caesar Salad............40 pesos/US$3.80
dinner
Stubborn Men Salad............65 pesos/US$6.20
mixed greens, goat cheese, and
pistachios with a mustard vinaigrette
La Barca en Que Me Ire............80 pesos/US$7.60
tuna tartar with avocado, mango and eel sauce
Hierba Santa............190 pesos/US$18.10
fettuccine with pesto and pan-fried shrimp
Bienvenido Paisano............110 pesos/US$10.50
chicken papillon filled with feta cheese and spinach

The Barrio Sur kitchen is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 6:00 pm to 11:pm. The bar is open until 1:00 am. American Express, Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Directions . Barrio Sur is on Pulpito between Olas Altas and Amapas. From the southwest corner (the beach is west) of the parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas head south along Olas Altas for five blocks, turn right on Pulpito, go about a half block. The restaurant is on the left.

Boca Bento has always been a favorite of ours. The food is exquisite but the prices are too high to be an everyday kind of place. Very close to the parking plaza Lazaro Cardenas it is handy to many of the hotels in the Romantic Zone. When you walk in, the bar is to the left. It is casual and relaxing. There is a long bar, plenty of comfortable stools and a few tables with cozy chairs. There are beautiful colorful murals on the walls. The price of a drink is high but not shocking. To the right is the dining area; behind it are a couple more private dining rooms. It is peaceful and slightly elegant with sparse but tasteful décor and well dressed tables. Elegant but casual. Customers also run from elegant to casual, some in fancy duds, some in shorts, most in between and everyone seems comfortable.

I will tell you about my last visit to Boca Bento. I was with Sails. Neither one of us had been here in at least a year. It was a good night. The weather was perfect (an almost daily event here), parking was no problem (not a daily event here), we were famished (typical) and flush (not typical). One of the many friendly waiters saw us coming, hurried over, and remembering our wicked ways, led us to the perfect table, where our smoke would bother no one and no one’s children would bother us. We ordered beverages which were quickly served along with the menu. The night kept getting better. The menu looked about the same but the prices had been noticeably reduced. Sails whooped.

We ordered an appetizer to nibble on while we agonized over what to have for dinner. The wonton purses were incredible, as expected. They were stuffed with a shrimp concoction and served on a poblano cream sauce. Still tortured by the dinner menu we ordered another appetizer, the Pineapple Mahi Mahi Ceviche, also great. It was little chunks of pineapple and fish in a citrus ginger marinade, very refreshing and possibly mind clearing. We decided on our main courses. I went for the tried and true. I had the Grilled Filet Mignon. It was as good as always. The meat, a good sized serving, was tender, juicy and cooked to my liking. It was served with wasabi mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables and a Pasilla chile sauce. The potatoes had enough wasabi to taste like wasabi. They were very good and had a little kick. The vegetables were crisp and smoky and the sauce was perfect with almost no heat but plenty of flavor. Sails tried something new, the duck carnitas. It was a pile of shredded duck meat served with a fantastic tomato ginger salsa, tortillas and plum sauce. I managed to snag a bite despites Sails defensive moves. It was very good. We were stuffed.

Our very attentive waiter offered us dessert, obviously expecting us to say no. His eyes bugged out when we ordered the trio of crème brulee. We always end our meals here this way. I can’t tell you if the other sweets are any good but the crème brulees is fantastic. Three tiny servings, three big flavors – chocolate-chile (my favorite), ginger (Sails favorite) and Kahlua. The waiter came back curious as to whether we could stuff in some after dinner drinks. Much to his shock, Sails ordered more crème brulees. I was stunned, but I snatched up the chocolate-chile one as soon as it got to the table. Our bill, quite a bit smaller than usual, was delivered. It had been a very good night.

Sails said, "Unbelievable, the prices have gone down, the servings are bigger and it still tastes just as good. I'll have some more of those little creme brulees"

sample menu
Yellowfin Sashimi and Tuna Tartare............125 pesos/US$11.90
with arugula, wasabi cream and a
three-chile vinaigrette
Coconut Curry Chicken Empanadas............68 pesos/US$6.50
with Asian guacamole
Grilled Seven Spice Salmon............162 pesos/US$15.40
served with cilantro rice and pineapple salsa
Three Chile Crusted Lamb Chops............market price
served with habanero guava salsa, grilled
asparagus and creamy polenta
Chocolate Temptation............68 pesos/US$6.50
chocolate ganache and vanilla bean ice cream


Boca Bento is open Thursday through Tuesday from 6:00 pm until 11:30 pm. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Directions - Boca Bento is on Basilio Badillo between Olas Altas and Pino Suarez. From the southwest corner of parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas (the ocean is to the west) head south along Olas Altas for one block, go left on Basilio Badillo a half block. The restaurant is on the right.

Daiquiri Dick's has been here for years. It started out as a funky little beach restaurant serving simple fare but has transformed over time into a rather upscale but relaxed establishment serving fancy food. Very tasty food. It has a loyal clientele and can be quite busy during the high season.

The main entrance to the building is off the sidewalk running along one side of the restaurant. There is also an entrance along the beachwalk. Inside are the bar and a limited dining area. The décor is subdued and the walls are painted earthy shades of peach and pink. Overall, it has a calming effect. The covered terrace seems to be the favorite place to sit. It is larger than the indoor area and has the best of both worlds – shade and fans, fresh air and an ocean view. Down a few steps is the patio area, completely uncovered and very comfortable in the mornings, evenings and into the night. A word of warning: The beach vendors love this corner. If you are sitting at the edge of the patio, right next to the beach, you will be offered jewelry, braids, blankets and such.

I have to admit, my love of this restaurant is based completely on the shrimp wonton baskets. The waiters, in their white uniforms, are always attentive. The chairs are extremely comfortable. The view is great. The sea breeze is refreshing. None of these is the reason I keep coming back. It's the little crunchy baskets bursting with flavor I crave.

On our last visit, just a couple of weeks ago, business was surprisingly slow. The day was hot and sticky. We opted to sit on the covered terrace, right under a fan. Once I had cooled off, I picked up a menu. I don't know why; I always order the same thing. I couldn't find my baskets. Panic started to set in. Sails, seeing my distress, panicked. He thought I was having a heart attack or something. The waiter, always attentive, came over to see what was wrong. New menus. The baskets were still there, just in a different spot. Feeling like a fool but very happy, I ordered the wonton shrimp baskets and informed my friends I wasn't going to share. I also ordered the Asian chicken salad.

The menu offers a nice assortment of dishes, heavy on the seafood. Prices of main courses range from 135 pesos for the Asian Chicken Salad to 235 pesos for the giant curried prawns. Over the years, I have tried most items on the menu. Everything, except the nachos, is wonderful. I don't even know if nachos are still on the menu.

Our baskets, three orders of them, were served. I don't know why they are so good; they are very simple. A basket made out of a wonton filled with shrimp dressed with vinaigrette. As always, they were delicious. As soon as we finished off the baskets, our lunches were delivered. The Asian chicken salad is shredded lettuce with chicken, jicama, pea pods, Chinese noodles, toasted almonds and other stuff. The dressing tastes of ginger and sesame. It was good and refreshing. Linda had the Caesar salad. It was a traditional one and well prepared. Sails had the lobster tacos, his favorite and the favorite of many people I know. As expected, great.

Still craving more baskets but not having room, we just sat there, staring at the ocean and enjoying the breeze. Obviously, I highly recommend Daiquiri Dick's.

Sails said, "You mean you're going to let us order something other than the shrimp baskets. Why would we want to?"

sample menu
Lemongrass Scented Gazpacho ............70 pesos/US$6.70
Crispy Fried Calamari and Curried Slaw ............95 pesos/US$9.00
Avocado Papaya Salad. ...........85 pesos/US$8.10
Grilled Mahi Mahi ............215 pesos/US$20.50
with sweet pepper sauce with braised greens
Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken ............185 pesos/US$17.60
served with polenta and chard
Grilled Ribeye ............245 pesos/US$23.30
served with Nicoise salad and horseradish sauce

Daiquiri Dicks is open daily from 8:30 am until 11:00 pm. There is live new age music on Sundays from noon until 3:00 pm. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Directions - Daiquiri Dicks is on the corner of Olas Altas and Venustiano Carranza, cater corner from the southwest corner of the parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas.

Just off Olas Altas in the Romantic Zone, Coco Tropical has always been one of my favorites. It is located on the beach with service available right on the sand. The main dining area is on a patio and has the feel of an hacienda, a tropical hacienda. There are tile roofs, ceiling fans, and plants. Coconuts are the main decoration. Large umbrellas shade the exposed seating and a small rustic bar is tucked into one corner.

Sometime during the spring, Puerto Vallarta has culinary fiesta. Many of the high end restaurants offer a fixed price menu with a choice of appetizer, main and dessert. On our last visit to Coco Tropical they were still offering this. They decided to work only this menu during the low season. This meant many of our favorites were no longer offered but it was a great excuse to try something new and the price was right.

It was early evening and even though beach service was still available we chose to sit on the patio. Sails was not pleased. Our waiter immediately seated us and took our drink order. The service here is always efficient and polite. Some servers are proper; some are perky. This time we got perky. He managed to tease Sails out of his mood. , not an easy thing to do.

I ordered from the 169-peso menu. I started with the Strudel Florentine. It is mushrooms, spinach and cheese cooked in a puff pastry. I kept burning my mouth but it was so good I couldn't wait for it to cool. For my main course, I had the Wiener schnitzel. It was also good. Grand mom's Swiss Apple Tart was my choice for dessert and I was disappointed. It was bland and the texture was off. It wasn't bad but I will never order it again. Linda ordered the appetizer Caesar salad. As always, it was delicious. Since it was an odd hour we could order off the lunch or dinner menu. Sails had a burger, his usual lunch choice here. He enjoyed it.

We watched the sun set. We enjoyed the evening. We eventually left. We had had another great dinner at Coco Tropical.

Sails said , "Great food, good service, lovely location. My favorite used to be the pork medallions in a Roquefort sauce; I don't know if it is still on the menu. The ossobuco and the pork tenderloin tips are also excellent. The soups are always good and the sides are excellent. For lunch, I always order a burger. It's always good."

sample menu
lunch
Shrimp Cocktail ............95 pesos/US$9.00
French Onion Soup ............60 pesos/US$5.70
Steak Burrito ...........80 pesos/US$7.60
dinner
Caesar Salad
Chicken Al Orange
Swiss Apple Tart
169 pesos/US$16.10
Escargots Bourgonne
Ossobuco Romano
Caramel Custard
269 pesos/US$25.60

Coco Tropical is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm. American Express, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. There is live music Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8:30 pm until 11:00 pm.

Directions - Coco Tropical is on the beach at Basilio Badillo. From the southwest corner of parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas (the ocean is to the west) head south along Olas Altas for one block; go right on Basilio Badillo one block. The restaurant is on the right. You can also just walk along the beach for a block.