If you haven’t spent a Christmas in Vallarta, I encourage you to do so. It’s a party. For about three weeks! I love it. The people are all so wonderful too. I stole this photo from my friend Oscar. Thanks!
Puerto Vallarta December 2009 (photo by Oscar Alberto Cabrera-Mendez)
A few years ago I went to my first www.vallartascene.com “board” meeting at Casa Isabel and immediately fell in love with the house and then, more so with the owners. About 10 years aga, David and Isabel Manore from Toronto, Canada decided to buy a house in Puerto Vallarta’s Alta Vista neighborhood. In near storybook fashion, once Isabel and David became interested in buying the home, they learned the original owners of Casa Isabel were also a couple named David and Isabel. The main house was built 30 years ago by the original couple who also owned and built the very popular Tequilas bar, a legendary hangout for celebrities such as John Huston, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton.
David and Isabel (the current ones) started renovations as soon as their purchase was complete. As longtime owners of Madison’s (which is a complex including two pubs and a boutique hotel) in Toronto, Canada they were used to helping people have a good time and had already been spending some time in Vallarta. Each year they’d bring their sailboat down and spend a few winter months in Vallarta. Once you meet Isabel and David though, you’ll realize that they aren’t about sitting around waiting for something to happen. They MAKE life happen. 
“We’ve been broke and made it back several times in our lives,” Isabel told me only minutes after we’d met. “We always follow our hearts and get where we need to be though. We fell in love with this house and never looked back.”
At that time, Alta Vista, the neighborhood just up the (very steep) hill from Vallarta’s famous Los Muertos beach was considered only residential. Lots of Mexican families had homes there and the idea of a boutique hotel or bed and breakfast so far up the hill hadn’t been considered yet.
“Don’t buy that house, nobody will find you,” Isabel said they told her, her famous hat perched upon her silky black, simply stylish hairdo. For such a classy woman, you’d expect her with a glass of wine in hand or an expensive scotch, right? “Wine makes me fall right to sleep.” Her drink of choice: a Dos Equis beer nestled in an elegant ”cozy” with a black boa attached. Isabel’s sweet, velvety voice mixed with New York and English (she’s originally from there) accents makes you just want to listen. She’s also a marvelous storyteller and has plenty of them to share. “We added rooms and told people about it and they climbed the hill and found us, ” she added. Over the years, Dave and Isabel have remodeled this room and that room and consulted each time with the original architect Catchi Perez, famous in Vallarta for his attention to detail in his Villa designs. Just this past summer (2009) he, with the help of David and Isabel and staff, finished the most spectacular additions to Casa Isabel ever: a new infinity hot tub, gigantic palapa covered (one of the biggest you’ll ever see) restaurant and new owner’s and honeymoon suites with an extra hot tub on the new upper level. Casa Isabel’s new chef is receiving rave reviews and the rooms are booked full again for the high season which starts now and ends in May or June. I have so many wonderful memories from the last two years of attending our board meetings and Halloween parties and theme nights at Casa Isabel. There really is no place on earth like it (if you find one, tell me…I’m there!).
Take a look at this promotional video which, I’m warning you, will make you want to buy a plane ticket tonight!
If you haven’t been to Casa Isabel, check it out on Saturday nights for the get together of expats and tourists from www.vallartascene.com. Everyone is welcome and there isn’t really a board or officers, it’s just an excuse to get together and have fun and a few cocktails. The sunsets from Isabel’s will blow you away, if the home hasn’t already.
And say hello to everyone for me! I plan to spend a few nights at Casa Isabel soon since, if I may brag, I won a gift certificate for 2 free nights after attending their Halloween costume party and bribing the judges into letting me win! Tequila shots will get you everywhere!
See you there!
Tracy
Since our condo is rented, I moved up the ravine a bit to a great little studio that a good friend, Pilar, rents out for next to nothing. The location is great. Right at the top of Olas Altas at Pillitas and then down in the river bed there…next to the little patch of land where they keep the two burros that entertain the guests each night at Andales Bar and Grill down the street. Who knew? I didn’t hear much overnight but this afternoon it started hee hawing pretty loudly about the time the guy came to get him to go to “work” at Andale’s.
Here’s how Pilar describes the studio: “Studio overlooks an arroyo with iguanas, birds, chachalacas, roosters, and donkeys. Must like dogs. For more information and availability, please send an email to pilitas1(at)yahoo.com” Tell her Tracy sent ya. Maybe she’ll buy me a drink or something.
The roosters, yep, a few of those out there too. They’re not too noisy either, compared to other roosters I’ve been around. There’s a dog: Bingo, who is sorta the watch dog but he’s very nice to me. And the friendliest animal on site is Rafa (Rafael) the siamese cat. He took up on my rug the first day.
By the way, a rooster is what I’m going to be for Halloween…sorta. I’ll show it to you next week if someone snaps a pic of me. 
It’s pretty funny and I have my friend Dennis to thank for the idea. It was the punchline of Dennis’ joke about a rooster that inpsired my costume…to be clear.
Its pretty funny what you find when you start looking for pics of a burro on the internet. This photo almost inspired another idea for a costume. I'm thinking about pulling of a little donkey-napping for Halloween and riding around town like this....whatcha think? I might need both donkeys...I'm a big guy.
Kim Kuzma performs in front of Lalo Morales' "O69" painting at the Mad Hatter Party on October 1 at Blue Seas. The painting was donated by Marsha Germaise to be auctioned for DIVA at Blue Chairs' Sunday, October 18 Dirty Bitches show at 830pm.
On display now at Blue Chairs Rooftop (for tonight’s show featuring the Dirty Bitches) will be Lalo Morales’ painting “O69″ which was generously donated by Marsha Germaise to be auctioned of for Diva. Take a look at the painting tonight at the show and then Frank will do the auction on Sunday night (18th October) most likely. If you fall in love with it tonight, make an offer!
The artwork is by Lalo Morales whose store is located next to Freddy Tucans. He has been a huge supporter of the community and his work is already becoming a trademark here in Vallarta. His caracature handbags sell at Four Seasons Hotel in Punta Mita but you can get yours at his store here in Vallarta for a fraction of the cost. Lalo also works closely with local up and coming artists and crafts people to give them a place to showcase their work. The lady who does his cornhusk flowers is a true artist. Go check out his store. He or his partner Hector are almost always there.
Diva, Vallarta's legendary Female Illusionist, is recovering in a Guadalajara hospital from an attack last week in Vallarta. The Vallarta community is doing everything possible to help him get well. If you can help too, click "donate" below. Thank you!
DONATE to DIVA
Using the “donate” button above you can send your donation via Paypal. All money collected (minus any paypal fees they take) will be forwarded to Frank at Blue Chairs to deliver to Diva. A receipt for each donation will be sent to you by me. Please state “Diva” in the comments for your donation.
If you have trouble you can enter the link here in your address bar:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8863350
Thank you for your help!
Tracy
DONATE by clicking the word DONATE or by going to the link below.
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Don Keating at Apaches on New Year's Eve 2008
So last night, as I sat with Don at a table on the sidewalk at Apaches, we talked about the neighborhood, El Coloso, where he lives. It’s a typical Mexican colonia up near the tunnel at the approach from centro to Vallarta’s southside. Not the glamorous neighborhood you might think a man like Don would settle. Nearby Conchas Chinas’ fancy but mostly walled in, gringo owned homes just wasn’t right for this successful businessman from Palm Springs. El Coloso is the neighborhood Don chose. He’s lived there for years and when he steps out of a cab at his home, a neighbor is never far away. They run over to help him inside his home if he needs it (most times he doesn’t) or just to say hello or shake his hand. He gets around quite well, thank you. But his neighbors like him too, so they always want to help him. Sure, they get a small coin from time to time for helping with groceries or carrying his packages in, but that isn’t why they do it. It’s only a gesture of thanks and it isn’t required.
Over the years, Don has helped his neighbors care for their colonia and on one patch of open land near the river, he takes part in tending to the banana trees and vegetables they’ve planted there for the neighborhood to share. This gives them a reason to come together, I suppose, and promotes some civic pride that goes along way in curing the less wonderful things about the neighborhood.
One of those less wonderful aspects of living in El Coloso (or any neighborhood for that matter) is the trash that is sometimes scattered carelessly on the stairs and sidewalks. A few years ago Don saw that several young kids were eager to help keep the trashed picked up if he paid them a bit for their efforts. And there was one particular young boy, Enrique, who cleaned the stairs two or three times a week, quietly earning his 20 pesos or so for each day’s work. Enrique would give the money to his mother who used it to buy extra rice or tortillas at the market. It was Don’s hope that the clean stairs and visibility of the boy’s (and the other children’s) efforts would discourage littering by building a sense of pride and accomplishment. For some reason, though, after several months of the arrangement, it hadn’t. Don began to notice that each morning, the stairs would be littered with more trash than seemed possible, given the small amount of foot traffic in his area. It seemed the more the boy worked to clean them, the more trash was on them the next day.
On one particularly nice Vallarta morning, Don rose early to get a good look at the sunrise over the mountains behind his home. As he gazed at the lush green of the Sierra Madres which framed his view, he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a young boy emptying the contents of a bag on the stairs next to his home. It was trash. And, not just a single piece, the boy was tossing a bag load of it strategically down the steps and walkway. This guy was a real entrepeneur, Don thought to himself as he realized it was his sweet friend Enrique, tossing yesterday’s collection of trash back on the street to sure up his job security. It seemed maybe Don’s efforts had indeed paid off. There wasn’t enough trash to keep Enrique in business. A good thing, right? Not for Enrique.
Enrique never made another peso for cleaning the stairs. Don told him he admired his entrepeneural spirit but that he couldn’t earn money by being dishonest or by creating a false market for himself, no matter how many Wall Street demons have done so. Enrique does still clean the stairs. But now, instead of monetary rewards, he gets candy. And so do about a dozen other kids who take part from time to time in the work. When I asked Don which one got the best results, (the candy or the money) he quickly replied, “The candy, for sure. The kids love it. And the sidewalks are clean.”
And I suppose Enrique’s conscious is a little cleaner now. Even if he does have a bit of sweet tooth.
Sometimes your perceived bad luck can be a blessing in disguise. It was for my friend Ricardo and I on a recent trip to check out Uncommon Grounds. We found it closed. Not surprising in September in Vallarta. So we u-turned and headed back up Lazaro Cardenas to the corner of Naranjo where we had passed Casa Naranjo and remarked, ”Oh I love this little restaurant, if Uncommon Grounds is closed, we’ll come back here.” As I said, they were and so we did.
Casa Naranjo stands out a bit on this very modest corner of Vallarta’s southside. It is like a lighthouse beacon when lit up, calling you into its warm glow with the cozy, simple, elegant, air conditioned interior and open concept kitchen seen clearly from the wood framed windows as you pass. Once inside, you’re treated like family. Dad is the owner/boss. Son is the waiter. His brother is the chef (along with the Dad I think) and Mom is the cashier. Or something like this…but you get the point. The elegant surroundings feel more like you’re dining in one of those swanky beach or riverfront spots, not in this mostly working class Mexican neighborhood.
We were seated in the dining room where a table of 4 other guests was already ordering. As we dined, friends of ours took another two topper. These appeared to be the only guests for the evening as they closed as we left. When your family owns the building, its easier to make ends meet during low season, particularly this low season when everyone is scrambling to stay…not so much busy, but open.
We ordered drinks and I don’t know what they do to them but the dirty gin martinis here are among the smoothest I’ve ever had. So perfect. Ricardo ordered a bottle of fancy water and our waiter brought a complimentary appetizer of marlin turnovers which really hit the spot. Super fresh and delicate and cooked to perfection, flaky and hot.
The menu at Casa Naranjo has something for everyone. From pasta to fish to steak (and duck if I recall), you’ll be happy. The 200 peso range entrees (give or take 40 pesos) are interesting and creative but standard enough to appeal to everyone. Nothing too mysterious here. We shared a delicious and super fresh mixed salad as an appetizer (which they brought on two plates instead of making us do the splitting at the table).
For our entree, we both settled on the Country Style Beef Filet for 180 pesos. Ricardo had originally ordered the chicken dish but they were out of that one. I think they buy limited quantities and fresh every day at most places in Vallarta and once they are out, that’s it. I think it’s a good plan. I’d rather they do this than to compromise quality. The beef filet was exactly what I’d hoped for. Thick, tender, juicy…accompanied by petite size potato balls and a delicious, not too thick or rich, mushroom-ish brown sauce. Nothing unusual in its description you say? The taste will change your mind…truly unique and delicious and perfect when you’re hungry because this filet is huge. Enough for two really but we each finished off every ounce and kept remarking on how delicious everything tasted. I must add that the small, croissant like bread served with dinner will nearly make you stand and cheer. That’s good bread. They kept our basket filled through the meal and I swear I had five of the little guys. Yummy!
Too full for dessert, we lingered, chatted and said goodnight to our wonderful waiter. He’s a handsome guy and seems to be the design consultant for the lovely room. Bold artwork depicting bright naranjas (oranges) fill the otherwise simple, mostly grey and white room. Watching the chef work has to be part of the charm here too. It’s all pretty cool.
I highly recommend Casa Naranjo at Naranjo 263, at Lázaro Cárdenas in the
Romantic Zone. The take Visa and MasterCard. (322) 222-3518
Chef Oscar Galvan of Caio Tres, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Popular Chef, Oscar Galvan (formerly of Cafe de Artistes and Agave Grill) has teamed with the owners of Caio Tres as executive chef of this exciting new restaurant in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Upon entering, I was immediately impressed with the space. This is an old hacienda owned by a well known, former grocer in Vallarta. So many had asked him to rent the place for different businesses but never had he been interested, until now. What a perfect spot for a restaurant. It reminds me of a place you’d find in a much older city in Mexico like Guanajuato or Puebla. The house is nearly 100 years old, my waiter said as he showed me around the empty dining room on a lazy, (and surprisingly) cool evening in September. Dining in rainy season is under the covered surroundings of a giant patio with a rasied platform for music (and more tables in high season). I felt as though I was in a private home. And, until a couple of other diners joined me halfway through my meal, I really was!
I ordered a margarita, up (75 pesos). I like them shaken over ice and served up, like a martini, no ice. The tequila here is not run of the mill tourist grade. They use Tradicionale, a Jose Quervo product that is 100% pure agave (a must if you don’t want a tequila hangover). They used fresh lime, Controy (Mexico’s version of Countreau). I looked around the room and admired the decor once again, the sound of a margarita shaking in the background suddnely made me wish I’d brought a few friends. Tonight, though, I had wanted to venture out alone…stepping out of the southside haunts I usually dwell in and try something different. I, at this point, was already glad I had.
I started my meal with a shrimp tempura taco that was served on a homemade corn tortilla with the usual cabbage and carrot shavings atop and a habanero salsa on the side (38 pesos and you get two). The shrimp was large and delicate and prepared perfectly, not greasy. The homemade habenero salsa came in an olive oil type decanter and was superb! Spicy, so go easy. Reminded me of a gourmet version of those from Marissma’s tacos that I love so much (but the shrimp were much larger).
Next, upon recommendation from the staff, I tried the four cheese eggplant dish (85 pesos). The recipe for this signature Oscar Galvain dish is printed on the wall near the entrance. Don’t miss it. I could only eat one of three generous eggplant rolls covered in a red salsa and stuffed with four different cheeses and spices. Delicious does not begin to describe this meditteranean-flared dish.
For my entree (though I was now stuffed), I chose (again a recommendation of the staff) the Oriental Chicken Breast (171 pesos). It came on a bed of asian flat noodles with delicate vegetables and a tamarindo (I think) sauce that was too die for. Maybe it was caramel laced. I don’t know but it was simply delicious and very unique. I took half of it home.
There were so many unique items on the menu and nothing I recall was above 200 pesos; really well priced for this kind of dining. Chef Oscar Galvan stopped by my table at the end of my meal and I was surprised by how young he looks. Really charming guy. I complimented him on the creativity and he seemed to shy away from the attention but thanked me and took off up the stairs of this old hacienda as I finished my second margarita-tini and shook hands with the waiters. I walked along the malecon, savoring my experience and taking in the sounds and smells of the city I’ve become addicted to. Comfortable back on the southside, I decided I have to go back to centro more often. There’s lots to discover there and even on a slow night in September, the pace of Vallarta in centro is really energizing.
I should note that: Chef Oscar Galvan, a native of Mexico City, is a graduate of the Centro Culinario Ambrosía and the winner of the Nacional de Cocina Estudiantil in 2001. He also placed first in the 2006 Copa Vallarta, being awarded a bronze medal by the Culinary Academy of France in the same competition. Galvan was also received a gold medal in the 2006 Copa Azteca and is a member of Group Vatel in Mexico.
Open from 12 noon to 12 midnight, Caio Tres is located at Morelos 726, between Leona Vicario and Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez in downtown Puerto Vallarta. For more information or to make your reservations, call (322) 222-6789.
