Tag Archives: longaniza

The Casual Restaurant Critic at Carnes Concepción – Temozón

March 16, 2020Casual Restaurant Criticcarne ahumada, Carnes Concepcion, longaniza, restaurantes, smoked meat, Temozon, Valladolid, YucatanWilliamLawson

“In the town of Temozón
you will find Carnes Concepción…”

This was going to be a rhyme as those two words seemed to make sense in that context, but the Critic will continue as normal since poetic inspiration is at a virus-infused low point at the moment.

A search on this blog revealed that the Critic has never written about Carnes Concepción, one of several smoked meat options on the highway to Ek Balam or Rio Lagartos when coming from Valladolid.

A must-stop for lunch, the smoked meat (pretty well all pork) and longaniza is justifiably famous and mouth-wateringly delicious. If only the Critic wasn’t socially distancing himself at the moment he might take advantage of this lull in his regular activities to drive over and eat something.

Why Carnes Concepción in particular? On one occasion the Critic forgot his phone there and did not realize it until he was in Valladolid. When he raced back to the restaurant, the kind ladies had found and kept the phone for him. This has earned them the Critic’s undying loyalty and anytime he is in the area with guests, a stop at Carnes Concepcion for lunch is a must.

On the occasion that these photos were taken – a Monday – there was frijol con puerco (pork and beans) to be savored. When you go, order the mixed platter which has everything on it and take whatever you can’t eat home. Smoked pork or longaniza is great chopped into your scrambled breakfast huevos the next day!

Some serious smoking going on back here

Smoked pork close-up

The garnishes/complements for the Frijol con Puerco

That’s smoked pork in there.

Longaniza – the smoked sausage Temozon is famous for

The Casual Restaurant Critic at Kinich yet again

January 20, 2019Casual Restaurant CriticCasual Restaurant Critic, comida en merida, comida yucateca, flan, food, izamal, izamaleño, kinich, Lawsons Yucatan, lawsonsyucatan.com, longaniza, Merida, merida restaurants, mexico, papadzul, queso relleno, relleno negro, restaurantes, sikil pak, the best, Yucatecan, yucatecan food, yucatecan restaurantsWilliamLawson

Kinich, in Izamal, is the bomb. Go have lunch there if you haven’t, for some of the best Yucatecan food on the peninsula, served by smiling young ladies in a beautiful thatched roof restaurant.

Smoky longaniza

Salbutes

Sikil pak

Queso Relleno

Relleno negro

Nance and coconut sherbet/ice cream. Flan in the background

The Casual Restaurant Critic visits the Hacienda Temozon

January 29, 2012Casual Restaurant CriticCasual Restaurant Critic, comida yucateca, dining in merida, hacienda temozon, longaniza, Merida, merida restaurants, panuchos, restaurants, sopa de lima, William Lawson, yucatecan food, yucatecan restaurantsWilliamLawson

While checking out several haciendas recently, the Casual Restaurant Critic had the opportunity to visit – and have a meal, albeit a small one – in the restaurant at the Hacienda Temozon, an upscale hotel part of the Starwood Collection of very high-end hacienda accommodations in the Yucatan.

In the past, the experience in the restaurant has been a far cry from the rest of the delights offered to the senses when one visits this property; the gardens, the pool, spa and rooms are gorgeous, while the restaurant lacked the level of quality commensurate with the high standards set in the previously mentioned areas.

On this occasion, the Critic and two guests had a light lunch consisting of jamaica, the refreshing red tea made from jamaica flowers, a lime soup, a trio of panuchos and the Critic’s choice: a Kinich salad (photo pending). The food was tasty and fresh, particularly the salad, which was a real mix of typical Yucatecan ingredients including ground pumpkin seed and chunks of smoky longaniza sausage. On the service end, there is still room for improvement. Although the welcome was cordial and the attention to guests and Critic alike courteous and prompt, the Critic feels that in a restaurant of this caliber ladies should be served first and the typical arrival of the food on a tray parked next to the table, followed by the waiter picking up a plate and announcing it with a question should be outlawed. The reason they ask is because they don’t know who ordered what and this could so easily be solved, as it has been in countless restaurants around the world, buy a simple system of numbers corresponding to guests and their menu choices. This would eliminate the need for the question “Sopa de Lima??” and enable waiters to serve ladies first, not last, as was the case during this lunch.

The flies were also a problem, getting into the drinks for a swim, settling busily on the bread and in general causing much fanning of hands and napkins more akin to an experience at a much less luxurious dining establishment.

Prices were on the high end for the food offered (Yucatecan dishes at $150 pesos plus) considering what one can obtain for such a price tag at places closer to town and the service and fly details mentioned above. The view of course and the semi-outdoor experience of dining in such a beautiful space was fantastic however and for a special occasion, this might be a pleasant destination to head to for a special occasion.