Where will you EAT?

I wish I had a 500 peso bill for every time I've gotten that panicked question in relation to our trips to Mexico. If only I could charge, my name would be Gordita (I think I've heard that name whispered anyway) and I'd be permanently wedged into a white plastic chair with a Sol insignia glued on the back at a little palapa bar down Mexico way. And if only I could receive 1000 pesos for every inquiry as to whether I'm afraid of the drug cartels when I travel to Mexico, I could build a home on Isla Mujeres and retire!

But back to the food question. I hear the questions about food from family and friends and even other tourists while we're there. People either assume dining in Mexico is one big Tex-Mex fest with an endless string of burritos, nachos, and chimichanga platters, or they fear they'll be poisoned by unsafe food because anything not consumed from an all-inclusive buffet is a ticking time bomb. I recently even had a friend ask me if the bottled water in Mexico is safe to consume.

Well, vaya con Dios my darling. Hopefully, no one will die on the voyage and the food will be a far cry from the standard fare at the local Garcia's. Ha! I bet if I had 2000 pesos (I'm upping the tariff) for everyone whose ever gotten sick at the all-inclusive buffet in Mexico, I could probably live on a yacht moored in the Bay of Mujeres!

So here's the drill! When in Mexico, eat with wild abandon!

I will begin with the cautionary note! This, my friends, is what could kill you in Mexico. It is the green sauce in the little bowl. At one of our favorite restaurants on Isla Mujeres, the waiters always warn people that the green sauce is MUY CALIENTE! It will make you scream for your mama!

Since we visit ocean/beach destinations in Mexico, seafood is the local cuisine. One of my favorite must have's is the shrimp cocktail!

While the fried fish is technically bad if consumed everyday, I still eat it! And yes, it comes with those supposedly risky vegetables (read that silly warning the first time I went to Mexico) and the usual side of rice, and I eat that too! Yes, you can eat vegetables and salads in Mexico!


Here's another point I haven't quite been able to get across to a lot of my friends. Food in Mexico derives from all cuisines, just like here in the U.S. They have Italian, Asian, Sushi, Middle-Eastern -- you name it! The above is a plate of West Indian Tacos from The Mango, filled with chicken and slaw tossed in a fabulous peanut type sauce.

Now here's a plate that's probably more traditional Mexican. Enchilada suizas. And this could probably lead to an early death if consumed on a frequent basis because it has cream in it. But in all likelihood, it'll be death by heart attack, not salmonella!


And yes Dorothy, there is pizza in Mexico! In fact, it's a Milagro! The best pizza I've ever consumed in my life! (two more weeks, two more weeks)

Here we have more fresh food from the sea. A stuffed fish. A stuffed red snapper with shrimp to be exact. We discovered that the traditional red sauce on the left coast of Mexico is much more tomato-y. Not as spicey. More like tomato soup, but still wonderful!

And yes, I also ate the pay (pie)! I ate the pie and I did not die! In fact, the lady, evidently Chelly, carries the pie around on her head all day in the hot sun in Yelapa and it does not spoil. Tee hee. I would show you a photo of the slice of chocolate pie we purchased, but I ate it quickly before the thought of photographing it even crossed my mind. It was so good, especially the chocolate coconut, that it might be well worth the plane ticket and boat ride back to Yelapa just to buy the pie! And if I ever make the trip again, I WILL eat pie everyday!

Another favorite on both sides of Mexico is the guacamole. This is real guacamole, mashed from real avocados. No mayo and it does not come from a plastic tub at Costco! Sometimes if we don't want to go out to eat, we buy avocados and a bag of tostados from the supermercado and make it ourselves. Then we drag beach chairs out on the sand to the water and have our own little cocktail party.

Here's another dish that is fresh, good for you, and not dangeroso! Fruit platters are a common breakfast menu item in Mexico. After all, you're in the tropics! The fruit's often accompanied by yogurt and granola to be spooned over the top.

We often see the fishermen carry their fish directly from the panga to the restaurant. Here we have another red snapper -- the whole pescado. He was winking at me, but I've learned to ignore the eye. I don't eat the eye despite the fact that some think it's a delicacy. We did notice that plates weren't as likely on the left coast of Mexico to be accompanied by fresh crisp veggies. The salad, pictured here, was the usual side along with rice and beans.

So go! Abandon the all inclusive with its stamped out buffet line and discover all the great food Mexico has to offer!

You will be safe my friend! You WILL be safe! (I got that line from the hotel clerk who knocked on my hotel door at 10 p.m. the night of Hurricane Ida after he'd discovered I was still in the hotel. It's a good line!)

Oops! Forgot my second cautionary note. People who follow this advice are likely to gain weight! HA!