It's All About the Food

This is the final installment about our honeymoon.

(Originally written Friday, October 28)
We've done some shopping and a lot of eating while we've been down here. The shopping has been mainly for souvenirs... I got a T-Shirt from Nikki Beach and a linen dress shirt, a T-Shirt for my friend Greg, a piece of wall art that looks like an Aztec mask for my friend Antoine (to go with the mask he got from another friend during a trip to Jamaica), Hot Wife got a couple of T-Shirts and a silver banded necklace. Mainly we shopped for the kids, buying a lot of silver trinkets. Silver is pretty cheap down here. I'd say that it's about half what it would cost in the States.

What we've really been doing though is eating. I mentioned the meal at Bianco, so I won't go back into that. But we had fish tacos at a taco stand, and a full compliment of tacos at a local restaurant. I prefer flour tortillas to corn tortillas, and the tortillas down here are smaller, yet thicker than tortillas in the states. But overall, I'm not about the tortillas, I'm about what's in them. The fillings were great. We've had blue marlin, shrimp, pork, chicken and beef. The shrimp and chicken were my favorite, but I love saying that I ate the fish tacos in Mexico ;)

We had an awesome meal at the Blue Shrimp. The Mrs. had Mahi Mahi in a mango sauce that was really tasty. I had Portuguese Shrimp, which was one of the best meals I've ever eaten anywhere. It's jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon, served with a mild cheese sauce. Not only was the food itself incredible, but the presentation was equally breathtaking. The shrimp was served on a half papaya, on skewers. It looked like a miniature pirate ship. It looked so good that I had a hard time bringing myself to eat it. But damn, I was glad that I got around to tasting it. The ambiance was cool at the Blue Shrimp too. It's kind of like being in an underwater cove. Tough to explain. I hope the pictures turn out, so you can see some of the stuff I've been talking about. Here's how impressed I was with the place... I got done eating, and noticed that the staff was giving free samples to passers-by. One couple had stopped to try a sample and appeared to be talking to the sample lady. I was impressed enough with the food that I actually got up from the table, darted outside and told the potential customers that they had to stop and try the food! A couple of the staff thanked me for the spontaneous endorsement.

Tonight we have reservations at a beachside table at La Palapa. I've been told about this place by about a half dozen people, so I'm anxious to see what they've got to offer. Rest assured, I'll fill you in when I get back.

And I never did mention what we ate when we were at Louis and Carlos' place. We had red snapper, covered in sauteed vegetables, garlic shrimp, mashed potatoes, and a healthy salad. I've got a special fondness for home-cooked meals, so this was probably my favorite. We dined at a table like something you'd see in a Trump home... long, black marble table, modern decoration, and the table was large enough to easily seat twelve. The food was tremendous, the house was stunning, and the conversation was fun! And the portions... there was so much food that I couldn't finish ANY of it. And anyone who knows me will be able to testify that I'm not one to leave any food on the plate, much some of everything. In the end though, all of it was so good, albeit for completely different reasons, that it would be almost impossible to choose which was my favorite. I'd say for formal elegance, I'd have to choose Bianco, hands down. For a whimsical atmosphere and creative presentation, I'd select the Blue Shrimp, and for the piece of home, I'd select dinner at Louis and Carlos' place.

And this doesn't even address the stuff we ate at Nikki Beach. I never thought I'd say it, but they've got great french fries. I also tried their oriental spring rolls, (some with tempura shrimp, and some with beef) and their shrimp quesedillas. All were great in their own way... awesome beach food that goes great with beer, margaritas and mixed drinks. Again though, none of them match the restaurants or the home-cooked meal. After I eat at La Palapa tonight, I'll give you a review on that place too. After all, it's all about the food.

Follow-up:
(This part is being written as I post.)
La Palapa was the perfect way to spend our last night in Puerto Vallarta. We had reservations at 8:00 PM, sitting right on the beach as the sun went down. It was definitely the most romantic, enchanted evening we encountered. Sitting on the beach, lit by tiki torches, overlooking the fishing boats anchored a little ways offshore, children playing and laughing in the background... It was magic.

The food wasn't as good as the Blue Shrimp or Bianco, but it was a grand experience nonetheless. If you're looking for a romantic evening, I'd highly suggest La Palapa.