Back from a much needed and barely affordable vacation that is.

Once again, the Critic was in Beautiful British Columbia (it must be so, it says so right on the license plate of every vehicle!) and had the opportunity to sample many restaurants great and not so great. Here are a few of the places tried on this visit.

Vancouver

The Keg – As on a previous visit, the well known Vancouver institution The Keg (Thurlow, near Robson, downtown Vancouver) was visited and since this was covered in a previous visit, there is not much new to report other than the fact that the place is still as great as ever. If the Critic may make a beer recommendation, it would be Alexander Keith, a full bodied and slightly sweet – and not too gassy – ale.

Milestones – Another tried and true BC favorite, Milestones is known for their good food, large portions and friendly atmosphere. On this visit, the Critic and the two MiniCritics as well as the Better Half had breakfast there (English Bay, downtown Vancouver) on two occasions. While the Critic’s choice of prime beef hash with eggs on top was very satisfying, the better choice was made by the Critic’s Better Half; she chose the Eggs Benedict, with the Milestones twist of adding several good sized succulent shrimp and guacamole.

Milestone’s Prim Rib Hash (above) and Eggs Benny (below)

Water Street Cafe – also reviewed previously, this Gastown favorite (Gastown historical district, Vancouver) is as great as ever and the oyster appetizer, again, wipe-your-plate-with-the-bread good! The service seemed a little less attentive than on previous visits, leading the Critic to suggest that perhaps the restaurant had been sold, but the Critics observation was drowned out by the other members of the dining party, who thought the people doing the serving were in fact there on the last occasion.

Tsunami Sushi – Tsunami Sushi (Robson Street, downtown Vancouver) has been a Critic family favorite for about 20 years now. The big attraction is the fact that you can get a seat at the oval shaped bar, inside which the sushi chefs are hard at work and around which a small, water filled canal flows, at about eye level. As the sushi chefs prepare the different kinds of nigiri, rolls and other goodies, they place them on little colored plates on small wooden boats that go around in circles in front of you, so you can come in, sit down and begin eating immediately!

The service on this occasion left a lot to be desired, putting a severe strain on the Critics relationship with the restaurant. One piece of raw clam or conch tasted and smelled definitely past its prime and the waitress was informed, who stared blankly and not understanding what was being said. Another waitress and a possible host type person also came over, these two evidently with a better command of the English language but their reaction was of the ‘oh well’ variety. They were probably under the impression that this was another of those cases where the dumb western diner didn’t like the taste of the sushi he/she had selected and was trying to not pay for it. They of course had no idea that the Critic and Co have been coming here for about 20 years now and this was a definite case of fish being ‘off’. In any case there was not a gram (this is Canada and it’s metric) of empathy to be had and this put a damper on the rest of the meal which was thankfully near its’ end.

Powell River

The Alchemist – Everytime the Critic has the occasion to visit this small, former logging town on the optimistically named Sunshine Coast, there is a new ‘good’ restaurant. The reputation seems to last as long as it takes for the Critic to return to this charming hamlet. Last time it was the Laughing Oyster. This visit, it’s The Alchemist (Marine Avenue, Westview, Powell River) where a real, live French chef works wonders in the kitchen.

Well the local gourmets are not exaggerating! The Critic is pleased to report that this is as good as anything in Vancouver or elsewhere, tucked away in an unassuming former house with a (somewhat limited and only on a clear day) view of the snow covered peaks of Vancouver Island across the water.

Service, atmosphere, food; it is amazing! There are some photos below (did someone request food porn?!) so as not to make this post more time consuming than it already is for you…

two main courses and a cheese plate for dessert!)

The Critic highly recommends this restaurant if you are in the unlikely position of both being a reader of this blog and in the Sunshine Coast area.

More Critic mini-reviews from this visit later! It’s late and my eyes aren’t what they used to be.

As a result of Uxmal being closed due to the mass hysteria surrounding the latest flu epidemic, the Casual Restaurant Critic and the JF Crew visiting from Montreal, Canada found themselves in Campeche. Visiting museums and forts was, of course off limits since the INAH has closed historical sites countrywide, so after a stroll through the restored historical center and the impressive but very windy malecon (boardwalk) it was decided that a seafood dinner was in order. Where better to have seafood than at what is probably the best-known of the great seafood restaurants in Campeche, La Pigua.

Arriving at around 6:30-7:00 pm, the restaurant looked deserted; no lights and no cars out front. Mrs. JF jumped out of the car to see if they were open and oh surprise, they were! Everyone got out and went inside.

The Casual Restaurant Critic commented to the waiter going in, that perhaps they turn on a light or something to indicate that they were open since the place looked closed from the outside. The waiter replied that no, they were indeed open. Thinking maybe he didn’t quite get it, the Critic again suggested a light; no, the waiter said, they were open.

O. K.

Things were very slow that day, remarked the waiter; only 3 tables so far, as the Critic and each member of the JF crew were given a squirt of hand sanitizer by the hostess as a welcoming treat. Gone are the days of the welcoming cocktail; in this age of swine flu hysteria, the hand sanitizer squirt is the new welcoming gesture!

Inside, La Pigua has completely changed. The Critic seems to recall that it was a palapa – kind of affair, but now it is completely modern, air conditioned and minimalist. Subdued lighting and dark colors make it very elegant indeed. Gone are the photos of celebrities who have dined here, which the Critic thinks was a nice touch and spoke volumes about the restaurants’ appeal. Oh well. Such is progress.

The food, as usual, was superb. Coconut shrimp, seafoood antipasto, seafood soup, caviar Campechano, garlic shrimp and the Critics’ favorite: Calamares Sir Francis Drake, fresh calamari (squid) cooked simply with olive oil, toasted almonds and chile de arbol.

What was really not so good, and bordered on terrible, was the service and the time it took for everything to get to the table. The Critic should add that there were a total of 3 tables occupied at this point. Drinks took a while (and it was beer, cheladas, refrescos, nothing complicated) and then the appetizers came; first the caviar Campechano, then about 5-8 minutes later, the seafood soup and the seafood antipasto.

What followed was an interminable wait for the main course, during which the waiters had to be called over to get a refill on drinks. Each time the waiter appeared with anything for the group (4 people) he asked who it was for. Somehow there was no method for the wait staff to remember who ordered what. When the dinner plates finally arrived, the waiter again asked who ordered what in the way they do, saying the name of the dish with a question mark at the end so you can raise your hand and say ‘oh that’s for me’. Ladies are not served first and glasses and plates take a while to be cleared away.

The icing on the cake was the end of the meal, when the two males in the party ordered espresso and everyone ordered some dessert (3 coconut cake, one flan). There are few dessert options and when the Critic asked which was the best, the waiter (not the same one that took the food order but he was in the area and got called over) shrugged and said they are all good. So the Critic asked which is YOUR favorite, hoping to elicit some enthusiastic response and to give him the opportunity to show off his salesmanship, he replied simply ‘the coconut cake’.

Probably a good 8 minutes later, this same waiter, looking a lot like a cross between the bumbling Manuel in Fawlty Towers and Mr. Bean, walked by the table balancing two espressos in one hand, TO THE NEXT TABLE. I remind readers that there were only 2 other tables in the entire restaurant. The gringos at that table looked up at Manuel and shook their head as he stood there expectantly; then he turned around in bewilderment, caught the Critics’ eye who was watching in disbelief, and came to the groups table. Of course, if he couldn’t remember which of the 3 tables had ordered espresso, it was even less likely, now that he finally had the right table, to remember WHO at that table had ordered the espresso. So he asked “espresso???”

The coconut cake took at least 10 minutes or more to arrive. It was of course, excellent, but in the meantime the conversation around the table revolved around the possible reasons it was taking so long. Maybe they went to San Crisanto (in Yucatan) to harvest the coconuts. They were baking it. You get the idea.

All in all, it was a very good meal but the service was embarassingly bad. There are worse restaurants, the Critic knows. But for a restaurant of this calibre and fame, to have such shoddy service is imperdonable; especially considering that La Pigua in Merida has far superior service. It is like the waiters here, while friendly enough and dressed handsomely in white shirts and black vests, were all stoned or taking Valium, much like the one at Villas Arqueologicas Uxmal some time ago.

Next time, the Critic will try something new; there must be a hundred seafood options in Campeche.

While the Critic is on the subject of botana, it might be interesting to readers to know that this tradition extends to the farther reaches of Yucatan’s beaches. Just this afternoon the Critic had to pick up his mini-Critic aka daughter in the semi-charming hamlet of Chuburná, located 2 kilometers beyond Chelem. This name might be familiar to some as it is the home of expat internet guru and empresario Robert Harker, of YMB Realty, that wild-eyed, Rod Stewart look-a-like. But the Critic digresses.

While waiting for the teenage offspring to get ready, the Critic popped into one of those beach fish restaurants comprised of plastic tables and chairs provided by the beer company (it’s either Corona or Superior, never both) and several youths probably related to the owner of the converted house who play the part of waiters. The ambience is true Yucatecan beach, which means its minimal and economic ie cheap and haphazardly thrown together to take advantage of the hordes visiting from Merida to escape the heat.

A beer was ordered, Modelo Especial, and it was so frosty that chunks of slushy ice were floating in the bottle. It went down very easily on another 42 degree day! While the Critic contemplated ordering some food, one of the aforementioned youths stopped by the table with a large tray full of little plates of food! Botana! There were two kinds of excellent fish ceviche, some dippy concoction with a fishy flavor, chivitas (a kind of weird little shellfish that is chewy) in the same lime, onion, tomato and cilantro dressing as the ceviche, warm (!) and crispy tostadas and the ubiquitous refried beans. As the Critic finished the last ceviche, another plate made its way to the table with 3 mini-kibis, topped with chopped cabbage. These were piping hot, crispy and tasty. All the food groups were represented in one fell swoop! So, no menu food was necessary at all and the bill came to a ridiculous 26 pesos for one beer with all the trimmings.

The Critic thought it was a great deal and left a $50 and the waiter/relative was a happy guy.

The name of the restaurant is probably irrelevant; all the places in Chelem and Chuburná serve botana, especially during weekends and holidays, so head out as soon as you can!

Merida has many bars that are legend for their botanas, which are small servings of prepared nibbles to accompany your beer, much like the concept of tapas in Spain, where lids were placed on wine glasses to keep out the dust and then someone said “let’s put something tasty on those lids” and a culinary tradition was born. Maybe they didn’t say that – it was probably in Castilian Spanish for one thing.

The most famous in Merida of these bars or cantinas was for the longest time, La Prosperidad, which the Critic visited almost 20 years ago. Never been back. Now, the most well-known is probably Eladio’s, who have branches all over the city and in Progreso too.

Yesterday, as part of the Blogger Summit held in Merida, a numerous contingent of palefaces descended on another Merida classic cantina, La Ruina. There was some initial confusion regarding the placement and joining together of several tables; it seems that the proposed arrangement by the Critic – under the fans – would have implied taking tables from TWO waiters areas and this was very confusing until it was suggested that perhaps two waiters could look after the table, since there were going to be 12 or more people. Once this critical detail was sorted out, the lunch began.

Beers were ordered and the botanas started arriving. Plate after plate after plate. There were cooked but now cold organ meat (love that term) dishes, fresh guacamole, zesty sikil-pak dip, pickled beets, coditos (macaroni with traces of tomato sauce), pickled carrots, chicharrones (pork rinds), ceviche, dzic de venado made with beef and a few others that currently escape the Critic’s memory. Honestly, there was nothing particularly OMFG excellent in the selection of the botanas, but the beer was frosty.

Food is also available from a menu handwritten on a piece of paper that the waiter leaves with you. There are about 6 dishes to choose from, all extremely local and things you will not find on the menu at Taco Bell any time soon.

The bar was empty when the PaleFaces arrived, but full to the point of bursting an hour later. This is a very popular spot!

The beer is cold, the botana is abundant and the service is fine. You should probably visit one of these places at some point in your Merida visit to get a real sense of where the locals hang out when the sun bakes the city to a crisp.

It was about bloody time the Critic tried something new, so when the opportunity came along to sample this new seafood restaurant, the Critic jumped at the chance. Almost literally, since actual jumping would involve exercise and that is anathema to the Critic’s existence.

The Vibora restaurant is located in that little, out of the way shopping plaza where the Carls Jr. burger restaurant was relocated after Burger King (same owners) requisitioned their Montejo location. To get to this place, you might have to ask a local for directions. If you are asking, mention Planet Bol (as in Bowling Planet) and you will be in the right area; the mini-plaza is just a few steps from that treeless monstrosity of a building.

The food at Vibora is surprisingly different, in a good way. There are tacos, tostadas, ceviches, cocktails, pastas, empanadas and all kinds of main dishes featuring octopus, calamar aka squid, fish, shrimp and even oysters. What makes this place different is the way all these fishy items are prepared. There is, for example a tostada covered in marlin/chipotle fishy concoction that is quite tasty, as is the order of shrimp a la diabla; fresh shrimp cooked in a lightly spiced sauce and served in tacos.

The Critic tried several dishes, and the prices are reasonable. Service is friendly. After you are seated, the waiter brings each member of the party a small sherry glass filled with something hot. This is on the house and turns out to be very good shrimp/seafood broth. A hot appetizer in a glass! Nice touch.

There are a couple of things the Critic noticed that, corrected, would elevate the restaurant to top-notch status. The tortillas are machine made or store bought or whatever and their lackluster quality and brittle consistency severely detract from the delicious creations tucked inside. The salsa, to this Critic, is not as good as it could be. It is a pickled tomato salsa, and the pickling gave the Critic the impression of being stale and on a second visit, slightly ‘off’. A fresh salsa would be better ITCHO (In The Critic’s Humble Opinion). If you order a Bloody Mary, or a tomato or clamato juice preparado (all the makings of the Bloody Mary without the liquor) you will notice that the celery stick has been past it’s prime for weeks and is a wrinkled, brown-edged and completely unappetizing intrusion in the drink.

This place is worth a visit just because it is new and they are trying hard to create a good impression.

The other day the Critic had lunch at the Principe Tutul Xiu restaurant in Mani, previously reviewed favorably on several occasions and one of the Critics’ favorites.

While the food on this occasion was very good, especially the Poc Chuc, there were a few details that hinted at a bit of complacency on the part of the Xius.

For example, when you arrive, no one greets you and should you ask, the girl behind the counter at the cash area will simply say ‘sit wherever you want’. Not particularly welcoming. The tortillas, object of endless raves by this reviewer, are brought to your table in a basket uncovered and by the time you get to the last one, they are cold. If they want to keep their reputation, what with all the competition out there in the restaurant world, they are going to have to stay on their toes.

Other than that, the food is quite good. Service is just average. Prices? Cheap. There were four people in the Critic’s party, four dishes were ordered and a pitcher of fresh squeezed OJ. The bill was $370 (pesos) before tip. At todays exchange rate, that’s just over 20 USD for 4 people. Quite reasonable, no?

After stuffing yourself, you can then stroll over to the monastery and check out the renovations going on that will leave the building quite spectacular.

Last night the Critic and friends visited Acqua, that popular newish place on the stretch of commercial street that runs from Montejo, where Office Depot, Telas Parisina and SuperBodega (does anyone still shop there?) all stare at each other across the busy intersection; to Plaza Fiesta, one of Merida’s older malls. Look for the blue neon sign at night, next to the Louvre sign. The Louvre, famous for it’s tortas and the size of the large mutant rats in the space it once occupied, is a piece of Merida history, now out of its original location and plunked down in this part of town.

The Critic and Co. sat outside, practically on the street, which was better than being inside because Acqua is a very noisy restaurant as previously noted somewhere; all the hard surfaces inside make the place reverberate with noice bouncing off everything. Also, outside you can still enjoy a smoke with your drink or after dinner coffee.

The food on this occasion was quite good, lots of interesting combinations for the meats: salmon, shrimp, duck, Angus steak, boquinete; from panko breading to mashed potatoes w/ bacon, arugula lettuce, goat cheese, caramelized pecans and more. The portions are not particularly huge so don’t be put off by the idea of ordering an appetizer beforehand. You might try their chipotle fondue, which has a bit of a bite and gives everyone something to do while you wait for the next course.

Remarkably, the service was better this time around, with the exception of the amount of time it took for the food to get to the table – it seemed to be an eternity but it was a cool night, the company was interesting and whenever the waiter did appear, he was very friendly. Drinks, ashtrays, that sort of thing. And he was also effective as a salesman, a waiter quality so rare in a Merida restaurant that it almost seemed out of place! He suggested ordering the apple pastry tart since it is baked fresh while you are enjoying your dinner and is served to you hot with vanilla ice cream on top (aka a la mode) . The party ordered 2 of these and, while not House of Pies quality, they did taste pretty good. Espresso macchiato after dinner was average. It’s nice to be able to order espresso in Merida; when the Critic first moved here things like espresso, salmon, actual brewed coffee, peanut butter were non-existent!

The bill for 6 people came to 1900 pesos including tip, which at todays’ exchange rate of aprox. 14 pesos per dollar, comes to $135 USD.

Tacos PM is another one of about a gazillion taco places in Merida that serves mostly Mexico City street food; the almighty taco is king.

What makes this place stand out from the rest is that as soon as you sit down at one of their locations (the latest one the Critic tried was in Pensiones, near the Plaza de las Americas) is that plate of watery refried beans and warm (yes warm!) tostadas or corn chips to the uninitiated. The fact that they warm them says they care enough to make sure the chips aren’t soggy when they get to you. Merida is a very humid place which makes anything crisp turn soft once the package has been opened and far fancier places like the horrendous and pricey Fogoncito chain can’t get this into their thick skulls. There is nothing worse than biting down on a corn chip, expecting a crunch and getting instead a soft chew. Ugh.

And those refried beans spread on that plate are seasoned (or maybe it’s because the Critic is always hungry when he sits down for a snack at PM) in such a way that you cannot stop eating them! And you can ask for another plate if you finish yours too quickly.

From the menu there is a huge platter that the Critic and Co tried last night; way too much food for 8 people (two were ordered). Everything but the kitchen sink is on this platter, all chopped and ready to be stuffed into either corn (handmade!!) or flour tortillas.

Guaranteed good food, they make an effort with the service, and reasonable prices.

The Critic has realized that there are pitifully few reviews these days; this is due in large part to the economic crisis affecting Mexico and the rest of the world. Absent are the reviews on Merida’s fancier restaurants and in their place reviews on smaller, cheaper places. Perhaps this is appealing to a segment of the Critic’s readership so he will not feel bad about it. If anyone would like a review of a particular restaurant and would like to donate funds in order to see that review come to pass, feel free to send an email and the Critic will happily send a PayPal request to you.

This review is about Colonos’ restaurant, located on one side of the Parque Alemán, that large colonia established in the late 50’s or early 60’s (what does the Critic know of these things) and that provides a glimpse into what Merida could have been, had the folks charged with increasing the number of developments in Merida followed the fine example of the Colonia Aleman. Wide, treed streets with actual room for parking AND driving, a huge attractive community park and a vibrant market area make this one of Meridas’ favorite traditionally middle class areas to live. Compare this area to the more recent and horrendously overpopulated Francisco de Montejo rabbit hutch development. As the chavos would say ‘nada que ver‘. By the way, the Colonia Alemán is not full of Germans, as it’s name might imply at first glance. Instead, it’s named after Miguel Alemán, a former president who ruled Mexico from 1946 to 1952.

President Miguel Aleman, just finishing lunch at Colonos in the colonia named after him – source: Wikipedia

But this is about Colonos’ restaurant. Colonos’ is a Yucatecan restaurant/bar that has been there since the dinosaurs were wiped out by the comet crashing in Chicxulub. In fact, the Colonia Alemán was built around Colonos.

The specialty at Colonos is the Yucatecan food, served individually, ie. per taco at $10 pesos a taco, or órden (order) for such items as Longaniza or Queso Relleno the Critic’s gastronomic Achilles Heel (he knows it will kill him, but insists on ordering it every time he can since it is SO good).

The Critic and his Better Half had a late lunch there just yesterday and is happy to report that the food is as great as ever. Among the items tried on this occasion:

• tacos de cochinita
• tacos de pavo en escabeche
• tacos de relleno negro
• pan de cazón
• papadzules
• longaniza de valladolid

Washed down with a Sol michelada, this expansionist hearty lunch for two was filling to the point of rupture and came to a whopping 330 pesos including a $50 peso tip. Do the math; it’s about 20 dollars US at today’s rates. You can eat less or more of course, but what an excellent way to get a good variety of authentic Yucatecan dishes for so little in a traditional Yucatecan restaurant. you won’t see many tourists here at all!

And for the observant, it is true that the Critic was unable to order the Queso Relleno this time since there was simply no room!

NOTE: If you make it there earlier, you will get ‘botana‘ (tiny plates with different Yucatecan snacks ranging from the simple – pickled cucumber slices – to the wonderfully elaborate – sik’il pak: a dip made of roasted tomatoes, ground pumpkin seeds, cilantro and minced onion) with every round of drinks or beer you order.