Author: Marcia Blondin

What a rare treat yesterday’s lunch was! Sharon, Patrice, and I taxied up that wicked hill in Colonia 5 de diciembre to Intimo Wine Bar & Restaurant, tucked smack in the middle of Costa Rica street. Owners Kimberley and Carlos took superb care of us as we tucked into a corner of Íntimo, bathed in…

Our Scrabble Tournament and Colina Spay and Neuter Bingo took up a big chunk of yesterday afternoon. I prevailed in Scrabble, much to Sharon Gerber’s consternation; she will get over it! Bingo was one of those frustrating “I only need one more” to be undone by someone in the crowd at Nacho Daddy gleefully yelling…

After a long, tiring, but fun day cruising the tianguis in Coapinole, Patrice, Sharon – our newly arrived friend from Canada, and I made our winding way to Awaysis for Gina’s famous Whiskey Kitchen mac ‘n cheese. We added veggie nachos and shouldn’t have, as the fabled macaroni and cheese were more than sufficient, but…

Even though it was a teeny bit early, Vallarta Mirror and Vallarta Calendar held our Christmas Posada like we did last year, at Il Pesce on Constitucion. The food, as it always is, was flawless in its presentation and the flavors were exceptional. We love the staff and the simple surroundings, with the emphasis on…

Today marks one year since Allyna Vineberg, the founder and editor of the PV Mirror, passed away. Today also marks the first year of Vallarta Mirror in an irrevocable sense of being unable to give it back to its original owner. Out of respect, I would like to reprint her obituary. If you see one…

The Botanical Garden looked its best yesterday in celebration of American Thanksgiving. We enjoyed the sun, sitting in a corner of the terrace overlooking the jungle spotted with splashes of colored flowers. I loved the Spanish moss dripping from the towering Sorpresa bougainvillea close to the entrance. The peace and quiet of this gorgeous sanctuary…

Happy Thanksgiving! I have a list a mile-long of things and people I am grateful for, and yesterday’s trek out to Marina Vallarta added one more name to the mix. It is Armando Soto, Doctor of Chiropractic, who, along with Doctora Simona Pop, will give my sister Patrice Wolf the tools to correct her worsening…

The tianguis in Coapinole was a blast; it was busy but not frantic. The first table we hit offered three pieces for 20 pesos – we were burdened in minutes! La Buena Semilla had lots of amaranth for a change, so we loaded up then went to Costco. That was in full-court Christmas press with…

It’s Tuesday, so it’s time to head to Coapinole for the weekly tianguis. It is a shopping free-for-all that can be overwhelming at first. It is block after block of tables piled high with merchandise, much of it second-hand, but I have found many pieces with original tags. It’s a treasure hunt, to be sure,…

Every Friday, Argentine Nacho Granados takes the stage at La Catrina Cantina and entertains in two languages – he is one funny, saucy crooner. If you have any Tom Jones favorites, let him know; you will be astonished! It was lovely to hear Nacho again and enjoy his quirky humor and energy in the friendliest…

Have you been watching the transformation of Le Bistro on the Isla Cuale? It used to be the only great restaurant in Vallarta in the old days, and it will reopen very soon. The Group that owns La Palapa and El Dorado Restaurants will reignite that gorgeous spot on the river and restore it to…

Scrabble at Qulture today at 12:30, then at 4 pm, the PuRR Project kicks off their bingo fundraisers for the season at Nacho Daddy. Concert #5 of the Fiesta de Cabaret begins at 7 pm in the Casa Karma Red Room featuring Perry Ojeda. That’s my schedule for today; find me – I am still…

I was grateful the Fiesta de Cabaret at Act2PV took a break last night so I could attend the Grand Opening of Íntimo Wine Bar & Restaurant, a new restaurant and wine bar high up on one of our downtown hills overlooking the city. It was the most thoughtful, well-executed opening I have ever had…

Birthdays are fun! I have enjoyed 73 of them and look forward to a pile more. Hundreds of kind people sent regards, congratulations, videos, and short notes sent with love and/or Facebook obligation, and all were avidly read. I wonder where some of the people go on the other 364 days of my life every…

When I really need pasta it’s time for Il Pesce. Cocina de mar, the tiny Sicilian restaurant on Constitucion. I always have the same thing, and it is always perfect – handmade fettuccine with various mushrooms and truffle oil. A friend once said it was like eating God’s Earth. Rapturous. Four dear friends met over…

I forgot to mention a delicious thing yesterday! While supplies lasted, guests seeing Buenos Aires: A Tango Murder Mystery at The Palm Cabaret and Bar were gifted a small brown paper bag containing two Argentine-style empanadas. Patrice and I enjoyed ours, which were stuffed with corn. Fabulous and fitting, a lovely, savory touch! Patrice and…

On the agenda: Scrabble Tourney, Bingo, and the Opening Night of Vaude-Villains this evening at Act2PV. Restful compared to yesterday’s offerings that began at the crack of 8:30, shopping in Coapinole for a few choice pieces of clothing and a stop at my fave seed store for flax and chia. I wanted Patrice to see…

Francesca Bavaro (Effie Passero) celebrated her birthday early (November 09), as she is leaving Vallarta soon to cut her first solo album in Nashville, tentatively titled Francesca. Afterward, she will join her band, Postmodern Jukebox for a North American Tour. Her next solo performance in town will be in March of next year. So, she…

Welcome back to the land of the Living after three straight days and nights wallowing in Death’s brightly lit dark side. What a party on the Isla Cuale last Friday afternoon and evening. Non-stop music from 4 pm on began with La Bohemia Quartet, whose Gipsy Kings-type music drew dozens of people walking around the…