Tag Archives: volunteering

The Casual Restaurant Critic – Quick Picks and Pans

Casual Restaurant Critic, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Carbonara, done right – Eureka

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.

Wine and dressings
Puttanesca – Due Torri

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.

Margherita Pizza – Neo

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

Merida’s Very Own Refettorio

Life in the Yucatan, , , , ,

La cultura trae conocimiento. El conocimiento conduce a la conciencia. Y cuando nos hacemos conscientes, estamos a un paso de ser socialmente responsables. La cultura es la clave

Massimo Bottura

Note: a version of this article is soon to be published in the Yucatan Today magazine.

Maria furiously swings her cane, over and over, beating on the defenseless form at her feet while I and a few others stand in a circle around her and watch a mixture of respect and a touch of alarm at her energetic, almost frantic, efforts to rip open the piñata.

“I do not want to get on her bad side.” This thought rushes into my mind as she vents a hidden fury.

While the concept of volunteering is not as evident as it is north of the border, Mexico does have a long tradition of individuals and social organizations responding to help those in need; particularly through the church. Of late, as more and more people find themselves in need, more and more individuals, organizations and even private companies have stepped forward to provide relief.

She looks up, her hair wildly out of place and flashes us a huge toothless grin. She has succeeded where the tender fists of the few children who had come to the Refettorio’s first Christmas brunch had not; candies now lie strewn about, and everyone –young and old – scrambles on all fours to grab their share. Everyone loves a piñata!

The latest entry into the world of social assistance from the private sector is a joint venture involving non-profits including Italian chef Massimo Bottura’s Food for Soul and our very own Fundación Palace Resorts. In a meticulously restored colonial mansion in the heart of Merida’s centro, a space has been designed to provide those who need it with a dignified and communal place to eat healthy, beautiful three-course meals served by volunteers. There is art on the walls, silverware on the tables. Meals are planned, based on what donations have been acquired and how they can be combined in a nutritious and attractive way. Each plate, as designed by chef José Angel Zamudio, rivals anything you will find at any of Merida’s finest restaurants, both in presentation and in deliciousness.

As the children and the adults return to their seats, a small band plays music and a few of the people get up to dance. Many of the guests, homeless or in otherwise precarious situations, are able to enjoy a moment free of tension, worry and hardship. The Refettorio is a place where they not only enjoy a first class meal, but also have the opportunity to take a shower with fresh soap and clean towels, obtain a change of clothes if necessary and even, on certain days, get a haircut.

All of this is possible through the support of the Palace Resorts and the logistical backing of Food for Soul. A minimal staff under the expert supervision of Claudia Bolio runs the operation and the active participation of dozens of volunteers – in the kitchen and in the dining room – provide the hands that ensure the work gets done.

Since opening this past year, in the middle of a very unplanned pandemic, the Refettorio has:

  • served over 21,000 plates of food
  • reclaimed over 8 tons of food
  • organized the participation of over 100 vulnteers
  • supported 34 organizations with donations
  • registered and attended over 350 individuals in need in Merida’s historic centro

There’s one other bit of data missing: how helping out has affected me, as one of a score of volunteers. Many of the families and individuals I had the opportunity to visit in their homes when we were doing meal delivery and now those who have come to the Refettorio to enjoy a meal I know by name and they know me. It has been a blessing to have found Claudia and this program, as it has allowed me to get out of my often-negative pandemic headspace and do something productive and feel useful.

If you have the time and the inclination, helping out at the Refettorio is a great way to give back to the community and assist those who need it most. See their website for details and contact information.