Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Buckeye goes to Puerto Vallarta

Cafe d'Ollo
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico
July 20, 2010
2ish pm

For our summer vacation this year we decided to sample some more authentic versions of our favorite foods and head south of the border to Puerto Vallarta.  We had heard this was a Mexican foodie destination and with the bonus of a great beach and our dollar stretching far, we felt we couldn't go wrong. 

We arrived in Mexico in the afternoon of July 19th and immediately headed to our pool bar (we were staying at the Westin Resort and Spa-Puerto Vallarta) to relax from our flight and try some amazing margaritas, chips, and guacamole!  The bartender was happy to oblige.

The colorful chips were great and the guacamole was flavorful.  However, I wasn't a big fan of the Cohita cheese (similar to a Parmesan) on top.  However, the star of this snack was definitely the margaritas!  The tequila is of higher quality than many made here and fresh lime juice is the norm.  A special bonus was that we arrived during happy hour where the special was buy one get one free.  However, this bonus quickly became a negative as I didn't quite realize how much stronger a Mexican margarita would be as compared to the usual at home.  I soon needed a nap! 

After vegging out the first evening in town we headed off to explore the next day.  We walked around and explored the vendors along the Rio Quale and then stopped for lunch at Cafe de Olla.  We had heard this was a must stop restaurant for many people.  The restaurant was quaint and the owner greeted us as if he knew us.

We loved how many restaurants had outdoor grills in an effort to minimize the heat of a kitchen in a very HOT locale.  We also loved the tree growing up through the roof on the inside!

As we sat down we were immediately brought bread and fresh salsas.  The chopped salsa was fresh with cilantro, cucumber, tomato, and onion.  It was my favorite due to the freshness. 


The darker one was a smoky sauce of chipotle, tomato, and some heat.  This one was great over rice and beans. 

We ordered 2 chicken tamales and the Mexican plate to share. 

The tamales were wrapped in banana leaves.  The chicken was plentiful and fall off the bone tender.  Overall, the dish was good, but I would have preferred some more spice. 

The Mexican plate came with a chile relleno, a chicken enchilada, a strip steak, and rice and beans.  We definitely weren't hungry after this lunch!  The chile relleno was a-ma-zing!  By far, the best one I've ever had.  The pepper was roasted, stuffed with masa, and then topped with melted cheese.  I don't think there was any one thing that made it better than chile rellenos here, but a combination of the ingredients available being fresher, more traditional, and higher quality ingredients than are typically available here.  It was exactly the way a chile relleno should be. 

I also liked the addition of peas and carrots to the rice and may try that at home.  The refried beans were great and somehow had a more "beany" flavor (like the sophisticated descriptor?) flavor than refried beans I'm used to.  Unfortunately, the strip steak and chicken enchilada were totally average. 

Overall, this was quite a filling lunch!  We'd definitely come back here for the hospitality and chile rellenos, but I'd want to try some other dishes before I'd feel the food was all it was cracked up to be.  The prices seemed to be more in the "tourist" range and I felt we could get similar food at places a little more off the beaten path for a better price. 

Total Price:  1 Coke, 1 beer, Mexican plate, 2 chicken tamales, and tip = somewhere between $20-25