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Restaurants and Fine Dining 
««« Click HERE for Recent Restaurants & Fine Dining Grape Crop Lifts Hopes for '05 Vintage
Jerry Hirsch
 As California's vintners pull in the last of this harvest's grapes, 2005 is turning out to be a very good year for wine. The crop is plentiful, the largest since 2000. A long, cool growing season and picture-perfect weather produced high-quality grapes that some winemakers say are reminiscent of the well-regarded 1997 crush. more »»»
Mexico's Vineyards are Small, but the Buzz is Big
Noelia Santos
 The existence of a Wine Route, and the Mexican wine country through which it wends, has become one of the more pleasant additions to a nation generally more known for tequila and beer. But the buzz on the region's expansion is too loud to ignore. more »»»
Local Charities Benefit at the Culinary Jam Session
Bob Cohen
 Three local charities were given 54,000 pesos each, proceeds from the Culinary Jam Sunday at the CasaMagna Marriott. The 250-300 people in attendance enjoyed the finest of foods from Puerto Vallarta's best chefs and restaurants, but the real winners were the charities which received all the proceeds form the event. more »»»
Five Star Diamond Award for Vista Grill
PVNN
 On October 4th one of the most popular fine dining restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, Vista Grill, received the Five Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Restaurant and Hospitality Science. more »»»
Study Suggests Fish Is Good for Brain
Carla K. Johnson
 Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, a study suggests. The research adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp. more »»»
Mexican Food is Undeniably a Popular Cuisine
Mary Dearen
 The popularity of Mexican food cannot be denied. There are actually three types of Mexican food. Tex-Mex, New Mexican and traditional. more »»»
Welcome to the Killing Fields Cafe...
Ek Madra
 A new Cambodian cafe is offering diners a slice of life under the Khmer Rouge, with a menu featuring rice-water and leaves, and waitresses dressed in the black fatigues worn by Pol Pot's ultra-Maoist guerrillas. more »»»
Portland Baker Writes Diet Book Based on Da Vinci Code Formula
Clarke Canfield
 A baker who lost half his business to the low-carb craze has written a book based on the mathematical principles of the Golden Ratio, a formula used by Leonardo Da Vinci and made popular in the best seller, "The Da Vinci Code." more »»»
Sea Turtle Meat Still Considered a Delicacy
Wire services
 In the past five years, Mexico has doubled the number of police and troops working to save turtles in an effort to better protect the animals and their eggs on the nation's beaches. This month, as the egglaying season reaches its height, conservation groups are intensifying efforts to save the turtles. more »»»
Mexican Wines Make a Comeback in Land of Tequila
Reuters
 Long before Mexico gained fame for its cool bottled beers and searing shots of tequila, pioneering winemakers were planting vines and laying down the New World's first vintages there. Banned in the 1600s by Spain and subsequently eclipsed by local brewers and distillers, the once flourishing industry is now making a comeback in three semi-desert valleys a few miles south of the U.S. border. more »»»
Savor the Flavors of Mexico
Denise Derameé
 In September, in celebration of El Mes de la Patria, several Puerto Vallarta restaurants are offering traditional Mexican dishes and special Independence Day menus and events that reflect Mexico's sophisticated tastes and charms. more »»»
More Restaurants Offer Gluten-Free Menus
Seth Sutel
 As a longtime chef in four-star restaurants, Joseph Pace had seen appreciative customers before. But nothing prepared him for the day that a well-dressed man walked into his Greenwich Village restaurant, ordered a pizza and a beer, and broke into tears. more »»»
Kaiser Maximilian Serves Up Fine Dining for a Cause
PVNN
 From August 22-27 Kaiser Maximilian Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico will join hundreds of top restaurants in North America that are participating in an all-new initiative to help fight childhood hunger. more »»»
Taco Tweakers Push Limits of Classic Dish
Courtney Taylor
 Talk to almost any Mexican-American, and the story is the same. The tacos they prefer aren't far removed from the ones they ate as kids. If you've been eating tacos filled with spiced hamburger meat, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese, then you've never really had a taco. more »»»
Bake Great Cakes
Vicky Cowal
 Mexican cakes are not generally among the best in the world. Even at the top restaurants you don't often find mouthwatering cakes such as those you might eat in many other countries. They tend to be dry and not that flavorful. The one exception is pastel tres leches which is moist and really good. more »»»
Local Chef Wins Culinary Excellence Award
PVNN
 On July 25, Vince Salaverri, Marriott International Regional Vice President of Operations for Mexico, Caribbean and Latin America, awarded the Marriott 2005 Culinary Excellence Award to Fred Ruiz, Executive Chef of the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort. more »»»
Vallarta Resort Group Showcases Old World Flavors of Italy
PVNN
 Puerto Vallarta’s all-suite luxury resort group, Playa del Sol, serves up two delicious Italian eateries that dazzle diners with the traditional tastes of Sicily. La Bella Italia at Playa del Sol Grand transports diners to Italy with bubbling stone fountains and melodic Italian love songs wafting on the soft night air. more »»»
Black Panther Foundation To Sell Burn Baby Burn Hot Sauce
Canadian Press
 Former Black Panthers are hoping the phrase "Burn Baby Burn" will help their non-profit organization market a new product - hot sauce. The Huey P. Newton Foundation, named for the co-founder of the 1960s militant group, is seeking to trademark the phrase that for many brings to mind the racially charged 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles. more »»»
Getting the Right Cut
Vicky Cowal
 Several months ago I received an email from a U.S. reader asking me if I would write an article on names used in Mexico for cuts of beef. Sure, I said, understanding full well her confusion and frustration when she hungers for a favorite back-home dish and no dictionary will tell her the precise words. more »»»
Mexico Without Mexican Food
Stett Holbrook
 Last Month I spent 10 days in Sayulita, Mexico, a small but growing coastal town about 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta with great waves and a wonderfully slow pace of life. There are no thumping nightclubs or restaurants that cater to tourists. It's a Mexican town that still feels like Mexico. more »»»
Perfect Mole in Puebla
Greg Britt
 I love mole, but mole is definitely an acquired taste. The richly piquant flavor of chocolate, nuts and about 1,000 other ingredients is just not one that non-Mexicans grow up with. Sometimes I actually crave the thick, brown concoction. But not just any mole will do. more »»»
Empanadas: Snack-Sized Pocket Pastries
Vicky Cowal
 The word empanada comes from the Spanish for "to bake in pastry." Empanadas range in size from the huge empanada gallega, large enough to feed a whole family, to tiny ravioli-size empanaditas. more »»»
Finding a Thousand-Year-Old Recipe for Barbacoa
Wire services
 Barbacoa is a revelation, dripping with grease, but with a flavor better than any beef fajitas. It is one of those defining food experiences, like eating your first truly good steak or Maine lobster. more »»»
Arriba! Arriba! Britons Becoming Big Mexican Faj-Eaters
AFP
 Mexican cuisine is on course to replace Chinese as Britain's second favourite ethnic food, market analysts say, as Brits increasingly give noodles the veto and bite into burritos. more »»»
Snapping Up A Fresh Catch
Vicky Cowal
 If you have the same yen for really fresh seafood in Mexico City, the very best place to go for the freshest seafood is the Central de Abastos, the world's second largest market. The market is practically a city onto itself and there are dozens and dozens of seafood locales. more »»»
Internationally Acclaimed Chef Heats Up Karmina's Kitchens
PRLeap.com
 Award-winning all-suite Kármina Palace is pleased to announce the appointment of an internationally acclaimed Bavarian chef Christoph Angermeier to spice up the resort’s menus. more »»»
Casseroles ŕ La Azteca
Vicky Cowal
 Fresh corn tortillas, like freshly baked bread, are heavenly, but they dry out quickly. As Mexican cooks are thrifty and never throw away any edible food, they have invented many ways to make old tortillas just as good but different as when they came hot off the griddle. more »»»
Eat On The Street
Erich Haubrich
 Some of the best kept culinary secrets in Puerto Vallarta are right in front of us, but as travellers sometimes we forget to sample the local fare. I'm talking about street food. Taco stands, walking vendors and carts offer some amazing food for cheap. more »»»
Tortitas: Any-Flavor Fritter Favorites
Vicky Cowal
 My husband's Polish aunt, a great Old World cook, gave me a wonderful and longlasting wedding present: two week's worth of cooking classes at her house under her stern guidance. more »»»
With Potbellies Back In, Buffet Pots Are Humming
Timothy Egan
 While the government continues to warn that excess weight and related concerns are a major threat to the 65 percent of adult Americans who are either overweight or obese, that is not the message that many people are getting from the latest report from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. more »»»
Add Color And Flavor With Bellpeppers
Vicky Cowal
 Bell peppers sit in the vegetable section of supermarkets in Mexico shiny and beautiful, and often ignored. As they are not spicy, they are simply not much of a part of the Mexican diet except in a few salads or as a garnish. But they are too good to be dismissed. more »»»
Restaurant Week Coming May 15-31
PVNN
 When it comes to dining, Puerto Vallarta does it "con gusto" and, from May 15th through 31st, some of the finest restaurants in Puerto Vallarta will be serving up special three-course menus during Vallarta Restaurant Week 2005. more »»»
The Legend Of Margarita
Claudia Sternbach
 Just who was Margarita? And why was the drink named after her? Mystery and myth arise when it comes to tracing the history of the tangy cocktail, according to Cocktailtimes.com. One story involves a wealthy Dallas socialite, Margarita Sames. more »»»
How Sweet It Is . . . Paradise Bakery
PVNN
 Paradise Bakery & Catering will be moving to a new location on Wednesday April 27 - and to celebrate the move, they'll be giving a FREE cinnamon roll to everyone on their first visit to the new location! more »»»
Quesadillas 'De La Seńora' In Your Kitchen
Vicky Cowal
 If you are like me, you might just get a sudden giant craving for a quesadilla, preferably made by the hard-working woman at the corner of your street. And no, you don't want the already made one sitting forlornly at the corner of her grill. more »»»
The Hard Stuff Now Includes Wine
Eric Asimov
 Not so many years ago, most California wines clocked in at an economical 12 to 13 percent alcohol. It was perhaps a shade higher than what their European colleagues achieved, but California was blessed with generous sunshine that made ripening grapes an easier proposition than in the cooler climates of Bordeaux and Burgundy more »»»
Alberto Perez - A Family Tradition
PVNN
 Alberto Perez is not only the owner of La Palapa, but also a talented musician who was born and raised in Puerto Vallarta. Through his life he has experienced first hand the growth and changes that have made Puerto Vallarta a leading international tourist destination. more »»»
Rise of Coffee Shops Hasn't Changed Consumption
Reuters
 Coffee shops are one of the few expanding businesses in the restaurant industry, spilling all over the United States and cutting into java consumption at home, according to market research firm NPD Group. more »»»
Why Not Just Put Hannibal Lecter on the Label?
Reuters
 Wine labeled with a photo of brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was pulled from shelves in the Canadian province of Manitoba this week after complaints from the local Ukrainian community. more »»»
The Waiter You Stiffed Has Not Forgotten
Julia Moskin
 What evil lurks in the hearts of waiters? Now you can find out. But can you stomach the results? Grievances are being revealed with gusto on the Internet by restaurant staff members. more »»»
New Banderas Bay Sunset Dinner Cruise
Barbara Peters
 The Vaquero II offers Puerto Vallarta residents and tourists a new entertainment option. The Vaquero II is a new three-hour Sunset Dinner Cruise featuring live music, a Mexican dinner and an open bar for just $400 pesos per person. more »»»
When the Sous-Chef Is an Inkjet
David Bernstein
 Homaro Cantu's maki look a lot like the sushi rolls served at other upscale restaurants: pristine, coin-size disks stuffed with lumps of fresh crab and rice and wrapped in shiny nori. They also taste like sushi, deliciously fishy and seaweedy. more »»»
Latino Chefs Share Their Holiday Delicacies
Hispanic Magazine
 Roberto Santibáńez remembers how, months before the holidays, his grandmother fed the turkey chestnuts, pumpkin seeds, corn, tortillas and milk-drenched oatmeal to improve the bird’s taste. Before the slaughter, she would get the animal drunk with brandy. more »»»
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