Tag Archives: italian food

The Casual Restaurant Critic – Quick Picks and Pans

June 5, 2023Casual Restaurant Criticcarbonara, dining in merida, due torri, eating, eureka, fettucine, italian food, italiano, lunch, massimo bottura, neo, pasta, pizza, puttanesca, refettorio merida, restaurantes en merida, restaurants, spaghetti, volunteeringWilliamLawson

It has been some time since the last entry in the Casual Restaurant Critic’s online ranting journal and so, post-pandemic and with renewed interest, the Critic puts forth a number of short and sweet reviews. Please note that you can also see these on Instagram now, consisting of a short blurb with some photos to get the latest takes on some Merida favorites and then some.

Eureka

Located in the Itzimná area, next to the Mexpost post office (does anyone even use the horrendous postal service anymore?) Eureka has been the Critic’s favorite go-to for the longest time and several recent visits confirm that this place is still in the number one spot on the Critic’s list. Fine home-crafted dishes along with impeccable, personalized service in a tiny restaurant that always feels like home, make for a perfect outing whether it’s lunch with clients or significant other, evening dinners with friends and loved ones, or a scrumptious solo meal before heading home to an empty fridge. Highly recommended, always.

Due Torri

Another entry in the Italian cuisine category, this place is STILL around after decades of delighting people with great, authentic food. Service is as professional as it i going to get in Merida and the pastas taste authentic. Located across from the Cri Cri pre-school and near Plaza Fiesta, this restaurant is worth visiting if Eureka is full up.

Pizza Neo

Located just off 47 on or in the so-called Remate del Paseo de Montejo, this place had some great reviews so the Critic had to try it out. Ordering a Margherita pizza (just the basics) was a good choice. The crust was perfect, the cheese was fine and the basil was, well basil. Where it didn’t quite come together was in the sauce. On such a simple pizza the sauce has to shine and this one did not provide the oomph that would change this pizza from a casual good to lip-smacking outstanding. Looks amazing though.

La Quinta de Elena Roldan

This place is on the highway to Progreso, right across from the Coliseo, that concert venue with the stadium feel and hard plastic on concrete seating where you can see once-famous Mexican pop stars on their giras de despedida (goodbye tours) and the Critic has been there on a few occasions but it never seems to gel and there is something about the place that is a little shall we say different. Anyway, on this occasion, the Critic ordered a beer and a pizza and while it was fine, it wasn’t going to win any pizza awards any time soon. They do have a great ceviche and the beers are cold, so stick with that and forgo the pizza.

Pizza w Bacon and a few other items -Quinta de Elena Roldan

Refettorio Merida

The Refettorio is tucked in here because it is a place where one can certainly eat, but likely readers might (or not) know it because it is a social kitchen designed to feed those who are in a vulnerable state; which could mean homeless, jobless, or just having a bad month.

Run by a core staff and many volunteers (you can be one) the Refettorio, an idea from the mind of Italian chef Massimo Bottura and brought to life in a beautiful restored mansion in Merida by Grupo Palace, headed by hotelier and philanthropist José Chapur, the kitchen churns out 200-300 meals per day to provide people a respite from their problems and enjoy a chef-prepared meal in a dignified, serene environment.

The food is nutritious, colorful, delicious and beautifully presented by guest chefs and kitchen staff/volunteers. If you can, take a day and spend a few hours volunteering here and you will be a better person for it.

Pasta in a Cream Sauce with Grilled Vegetables – Refettorio Merida

Fruit Salad “Xec” First Course – Refettorio Merida

Eureka Revisited

July 29, 2019Casual Restaurant Criticbest, bresaola, Casual Restaurant Critic, comida en merida, eating, eureka, italian, italian food, joy, lunch, Merida, pasta, pistache, ravioli, restaurant, YucatanWilliamLawson

The Casual Restaurant Critic and his Better Half, does not partake in the usual summer vacation activities known as la temporada. Instead, they stay home in Merida and on this quiet Sunday afternoon, visited their favorite Italian restaurant, Eureka.

Fabrizio was in fine form and before too long, the entire place was packed with families looking for some delicious home-cooked food.

Service, as usual, was sparkling and the specials of the day were sublime. Better Half exclaimed that this was the best dish she had ever had at Eureka, and she has been there quite a few times with the Casual Restaurant Critic, since this is probably his favorite restaurant in the city. This is one of only two Merida restaurants where the Critic will leave the dish preparation entirely in the hands of the chef (when possible) and be deliciously rewarded for the vote of confidence with a mouth-watering creation.

Salmon carpaccio

Special of the day – homemade focaccia w bresaola, pear and a gorgonzola cream dressing

Special of the day – a most amazing ravioli dish with pistachio/salvia sauce, the pasta pillows are stuffed with homemade sausage and cheese

The Casual Restaurant Critic at Eureka

January 3, 2019Casual Restaurant Criticauthentic, bottega, carbonara, Casual Restaurant Critic, comida en merida, comida italiana, delicious, eureka, focaccia, food, funghi, italian food, Lawsons Yucatan, lawsonsyucatan.com, life in Merida, Life in the Yucatan, pasta, real, restaurantes, restaurantes en merida, restaurants, vino, William Lawson, Yucatan, yucatan restaurants, yucatan travelWilliamLawson

It’s not a screaming headline that the Critic loves Eureka. It is, in fact, the only restaurant in town where he will let the chef cook up whatever and it will be fabulous, menu be damned.

On this occasion, and in celebration of the arrival of 2019, the Critic, MiniCritic and omnipresent Better Half enjoyed a delicious New Years lunch at what is arguably one of Merida’s best restaurants.

The Casual Restaurant Critic at Pizza Rock, Las Vegas USA

March 16, 2017Casual Restaurant Critic, TravelsCasual Restaurant Critic, fremont street experience, italian food, margherit, mejor pizza, napolitano, Nevada, pizza, Pizza Rock, restaurantes en Vegas, restaurants, top restaurants, VegasWilliamLawson

A short visit to the “city of sin” which is such a silly term for the bleached and bland Vegas of plastic malls, outlets full of fake Chinese merchandise you don’t need and fountains of fake breasts bursting out of skimpy outfits in every direction, prompted the Critic to sample some new restaurants along with some perennial favorites.

One of the restaurants falling into the “new” category, at least for this Critic, was one of Vegas’ best pizza joints – Pizza Rock. They have a margherita pizza, Napolitano style and cooked in a 900 degree oven in seconds, approved by the folks in Naples, where it actually received a ‘best pizza’ recognition, no small feat. The Critic had one, luckily it was still available as they only make 73 per day. BetterHalf had a Sausage and Stout pizza with dough that incorporates stout beer (only 23 made each day) which to the Critics tastebuds was a little too sweet. A Cuatro Carnes pizza for the MiniCritic and the Americano for the CanadianCritic.

The waiter informed the group that this was going to be a lot of food and was appropriately amazed when only two pieces of pizza were left after the feeding frenzy ended.

The pizzas are amazing. Don’t miss this place! There are no photos as the pizzas were devoured before the Critic had a chance to take a picture!

http://pizzarocklasvegas.com/_pages/pr-menu.html

Casual Restaurant Critic at Osteria Piccoli Cucina Italiana

October 14, 2014Casual Restaurant CriticCasual Restaurant Critic, chef Luca, comida en merida, food, italian food, Lawsons Yucatan, Merida, merida restaurants, Osteria, restaurantes en merida, restaurants, yucatan restaurantsWilliamLawson

It seems that whenever you turn around, there is a new ‘authentic’ Italian restaurant in Merida.

The Critic and Better Half visited yet another one last night; this one located on the prolongacion Paseo de Montejo between 23 and 25 streets, in the Colonia Mexico, in a tiny plaza called by some ‘Plaza Blockbuster’ in allusion to the store that once dominated that square. For those into fish, you may remember this plaza as the one where mariscos.com was before that whole operation went south.

The restaurant was empty, as can be expected on a Monday night at 8 PM – too late for lunch and too early for dinner in Merida, but people were arriving as the Critic and BH were leaving, around 9 – 9:30 PM.

The service was pleasant, and surprisingly quick, but again your mileage might vary. The food however, was quite good. The little parmesan cheese basket with a salad in it was not at all little; it was a rather large salad in a rather large crisp parmigiano cheese basket. The caprese was fresh and there was lots of it as well. These salads, along with the bread basket (try the fried bread with the balsamic vinegar and olive mayo – delish) would be perfect as a meal in and of themselves but of course, in the interest of research for the 17 readers of these reviews, the Critic and Better Half ordered a main course as well.

The pasta – fettucini with panna and prosciutto – tasted fine, but was light on the prosciutto and heavy on the cream. The Critic was unable to finish the dish. Better Half did much better with the melanzana, the classic Italian eggplant dish, a la parmigiana. The tomato sauce was quite tasty.

Sangrias were drunk and no desserts were had and the bill came to $685 MXP before tips. Would the Critic go back? Yes, probably, but there are a number of other Italian restaurants to sample first.

More info on the restaurant at Yucatan Today: click here.

Caprese Salad

Fettucini Panna & Prosciutto

Eggplant

Bread Basket

Salad w Parmesan Basket