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Good Times at Bad Boys

Monday, February 28th, 2011

by Tyra Hamilton

By day, Bad Boys is a laid back beach club offering loungers, food and cool refreshing beverages.  But it is on Thursday and Saturday afternoons that the magic really happens and Bad Boys is transformed into a rocking good time.   Bad Boys, located on the beach between 4th and 2nd Streets (Calles) has become the place to be when JJ and the Nasty Bastards take the stage every Thursday and Saturday from 5 to 9 pm.

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There is always a big crowd at Bad Boys Beach Bar on Thursdays and Saturdays

On a recent Thursday I found myself in need of some entertainment and naturally I decided a trip to Bad Boys was in order.   I was not to be disappointed this day.  I arrived around 6 pm and the festivities had already begun.  Every table was full and JJ and the Nasty Bastards were cranking out the tunes.

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JJ and the Nasty Bastards perform every Thursday and Saturday from 5 to 9 pm

The house band at Bad Boys, JJ and the Nasty Bastards, plays a mix of popular cover tunes that will have you out on the dance floor (or dancing on the bar) and singing along with the band.  The band welcomes visiting musicians and vocalists to sit in during their third set.  From bagpipes to washboards, from well known recording artists to a drunken bachelorette partiers, I have seen some super talented (and some not so talented) people sit in with the band.   A highlight of this particular evening was the performance of blues singer, song writer and recording artist, Angela Strehli.  I have enjoyed seeing Angela perform at various venues back home in Texas and it was a special treat to see her on stage at one of my favorite places here in Playa del Carmen.

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A group of Good Girls having a VERY good time at Bad Boys Beach Bar from left to right, Jana, Heather, Deb, Tyra, Kim, Judy and Karen

As usual, I totally enjoyed  my  evening at Bad Boys.   Good music, good drinks, good service, and good friends = GOOD TIME!

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Posted in beach clubs, restaurants and bars, things to do | 2 Comments »

ComoComo

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

by Monica Hartlief

If you’ve had any conversation that involved restaurants in Playa over the last few months I’m sure you’ve been hearing the buzz as well …. ComoComo. The name kept popping up around me so I thought it was time to give it a try.

ComoComo is located on 5th Avenue between Calle 38 and 40, in the middle of the new and fashionable 38th street area. Everything that’s hip and hot at the moment seems to be there and I’m not talking about clubs or bars but I’m talking restaurants, small bars, a salon, nice furniture store, etc.

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ComoComo

ComoComo is a relatively small restaurant with comfortable seating inside and outside on a pretty wooden deck. It is nicely decorated, basic, not overdone with beautiful candles from Artevelas. I got the feeling that at ComoComo the focus is on the food rather than the interior.

I took only a few pictures and was planning on taking many more but got distracted and lost in the food pretty much as soon as my starter arrived (of which I did manage to take a picture). Mussels and clams prepared the traditional Italian way with white wine, tomato and lots of garlic. The menu is mostly Italian or Mediterranean cuisine with a lot of daily specials that are not on the menu. As a main course we had a special of meatballs and mashed potatoes and fettuccini with olive oil, tomato and lobster that we ordered off the menu. I was fully expecting pasta with a few pieces of lobster but no … it came with an entire (small) lobster, way to go ComoComo! Needless to say I loved it and my apologies for not taking any pictures. I’ll have to go back to take some (that’s my excuse). We weren’t very hungry after the 7 meatballs and a whole lobster so we shared a dessert of apfel strudel with vanilla ice cream and some good Italian coffee.

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mmm mussels and clams

With prices that are around 100 pesos for starters and desserts and no more than 200 pesos for a main course the bill was a pleasant surprise.  The service is also worth mentioning, very professional and friendly. I felt was eating at a place where people actually know what they’re doing and understand the restaurant business.

If you want to try it out for yourself don’t forget to make a reservation first: 9848591646. You can find more information on the restaurant’s facebook page or website.

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Posted in Playa del Carmen - general, restaurants and bars, what's happening in Playa | 3 Comments »

Coco’s Cat Rescue introduces the Kitty Kottage

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

by Tyra Hamilton

I recently had the opportunity to attend a small BBQ for the inauguration of the Kitty Kottage, the newest Coco’s Cat Rescue facility.  Coco’s Cat Rescue is a non-profit agency dedicated to reducing the population of cats (dogs too!) in the Playa del Carmen area.  With two full time veterinarians on staff, Coco’s has implemented a very successful spay/neuter program – a total of 363 cats and dogs were sterilized in November and December 2010.  Additionally, Coco’s is a no-kill rescue facility with a focus on finding loving homes for the kittens in their care.

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The Kitten Kottage is a light and airy building filled with all of the things that kittens love

The Kitty Kottage was built by Roz and Dave, two of Coco’s tireless volunteers.  This unique facility was created to care specifically for newborn and special needs kittens, as well as other Coco’s kittens when needed.  The kittens that will be housed in the Kottage will often times require almost round the clock care and feeding.  In this new facility, under the loving care of Roz, these lucky kittens will be given every chance to become healthy and grow up to find forever homes.

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Roz, Kitten Kottage den mother, and Sherry, Coco’s Cat Rescue Board Member

The Kitten Kottage is not open to the public, however Coco’s hosts Kitten Cuddling every Friday afternoon from 2 to 4 pm at their main facility.  Kitten Cuddling is not only a fun way to spend a couple of hours, it also an important step in the taming and socialization of the kittens.

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The tent currently serves as a play area for the kittens, but can also be used by Roz when the kittens in her care require feedings every two hours.

I was very happy to have the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon with an introduction to the new Kitty Kottage, a chance to love on the resident kittens and to stuff myself on some yummy burgers, BBQ chicken and salads galore.  Many thanks go out to Roz and Dave for their hospitality, all of their hard work and their devotion to the kittens.

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I fell in love with this little ginger kitten!

For more information on Coco’s Cat Rescue, please visit their website or find them on FaceBook at CocosCatRescue.

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Posted in Playa del Carmen - general, what's happening in Playa | 4 Comments »

Season Bistro

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

by Monica Hartlief

As you might have noticed I did very few restaurant reviews the last couple of months, ok I did none, but yesterday evening we decided it was time to try out a new place. We choose Season Bistro on 8th street. The place has many wonderful reviews on Tripadvisor and were participants in Taste of Playa 2010 (but unfortunately never made it to the actual event) so we were eager to check it out.

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Season Bistro entrance

Season Bistro changes its menu with every season, hence the name, so it being January we were treated to the winter menu. Nothing is more wintery than soup in my opinion so we had the onion soup and the Dos Colores soup for starters. The soups came looking very pretty, smelling great (melted cheese will do that), and tasting even better. The onion soup was thick, sweet, well spiced and it could have been an entire meal that’s how filling it was.  The Dos Colores soup looked beautiful, poured into the cup like a yin and yang painting. It is 2 different soups together in a bowl, roasted poblano pepper and creamy corn soup and they tasted surprisingly really well together.

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Dos Colores soup

The main courses were a bit disappointing. We had shrimp and lobster lasagna that tasted good, but it was covered in, a bit too much, creamy sauce which also didn’t do much for the presentation . The venison we ordered was presented beautifully and tasted ok but could’ve been so much better. So on to the desserts we went.

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Venison in a chipotle sauce with masked potatoes and asparagus

If you’ve read some of my other reviews you know I’m a sucker for crème brûlée so when they mentioned the apricot crème brûlée I didn’t hesitate for a second. We also ordered a flourless chocolate – whisky cake with vanilla ice cream. Personally I don’t think you should mess with crème brûlée, it is hard enough to get it exactly right when making the classic version so I think you should just leave it as it is but in this case I was completely wrong! The apricot crème brûlée was fantastic, light and fluffy, possibly even better than when made with the classic vanilla flavored custard, the caramel on top was exactly right as well contrasting nicely with the creamy custard. An A+ on my crème brûlée list (yes, there’s a list). But not to forget about the chocolate cake which was absolutely wonderful too, rich dark sticky chocolate and plenty of whisky – cake with good vanilla ice cream on top, and a great presentation. After putting most of it away and gaining several pounds in the process we asked for the bill. The prices are not exactly “old Playa prices” but where do you get those these days and to be honest the meal wasn’t old Playa style either. Overall we were pretty happy with our dinner, the setting is wonderful, the wine and drink list original and pretty complete for a restaurant, the food creative, tasty and beautifully presented and the service is good and very friendly. Will we go back and try the next season? Absolutely!

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Chocolate whisky cake and apricot crème brûlée

Season Bistro is located on Calle 8 between the beach and Fifth Avenue. They’re open daily from 4 – 11 PM, closed on Tuedays. For more info and the latest season menu you can check out the restaurant’s website http://www.seasonbistro.com

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Wine tasting at Off the Vine

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

by Monica Hartlief

If you thought you only could drink tequila and beer in Playa, think again! At the Off the Vine store and bar you can get wines (and liquors) from all over the world and if they don’t have it they can order it for you or even better, make a suggestion for a similar or comparable wine. I suggest you try a Mexican wine, you’re in Mexico after all, and they have some fantastic wines here. Both the owner and staff are knowledgeable (much more than me), friendly and have customer service on top of their list.

Off the Vine is not just a wine store with a great selection of wines, they also do home delivery, organize wine tastings, wine courses, and participate in food and drink related events like Taste of Playa. If that’s all too much or too complicated, you can also have a glass of wine on the lovely terrace in front of the store.

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Off the Vine - wine tasting - Thursday's 8 PM

Last week I participated in one of the wine tastings with some friends and we had a wonderful evening. We tasted several reds and one white from Spain (they highlight a different country every week) and it is a good thing dinner is part of the tasting because my idea of tasting includes drinking the wine, not spitting it out (and I wasn’t the only one). The dinner was lovely, 3 courses which included a starter of some very nice Spanish Serrano ham and a variety of cheeses. The ambiance is informal and casual, so you can dress up but you don’t have to. Ricardo, the owner, explained about the wines we drank, where they were from, and what made them special. It is great to listen to someone talk about what they love while sipping on a good glass of wine. There is limited seating so it is a good idea to make a reservation before you go. The wine tastings are every Thursday at 8 PM, the cost is 35 USD (what a deal) and a 3 course dinner is included.

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wines and liquors from all over the world

Off the Vine is located on 1st Avenue between Calle 26 and 28, for reservations or delivery call 984 803 5244 or send them an email through the Off the Vine website.

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Off the Vine wine & deli bar

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Fusion Beach Bar & Grill, not just another beach club

Friday, August 13th, 2010

by Ellen de Jonge

If you are looking for a great meal or a tropical day on the beach you should give Fusion a try. This colorful bar and grill is located right on the beach of Playa del Carmen and has lots to offer besides sun and fun.

You can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner right on the beach enjoying the great view with the sand between your toes.

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Fusion Beach Bar & Grill*

The menu has a great variety of fusion cuisine, of course. It is known for serving fresh fish, traditional Mexican specialties and great sandwiches. The cheeseburgers are possibly some of the best in Playa! All served directly on the beach or in the restaurant by friendly staff to help you make your day laid-back and comfortable.

Around 5 pm the beach set-up changes from “lounging on your beach chair” to “lounging on a candle lit beach”. Your entertainment comes from the house band playing live music and fire dancers later in the evening.

Every time I spend a day or night at Fusion I come home feeling I just had a little holiday, well rested and happy. And if this blog post sounds like I copied it from a travel guide or an ad … well, I could’ve but I didn’t, I simply love the place!

You can find Fusion on 6th street and the beach. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks until late.

Fusion Beach Bar & Grill is also a participant in Taste of Playa, 2nd year in a row!

* picture taken from Fusion website: Fusion Beach Bar & Grill

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Posted in beach clubs, restaurants and bars, things to do | 4 Comments »

Dirty Martini Lounge – a favorite local hangout in Playa del Carmen

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

by Monica Hartlief

Why does one bar become a favorite local hangout and the other one never seems to make it? I don´t know of course, because if I did I would be selling this answer for a lot of money. What I do know is why I keep going back to the same place: location, atmosphere, music, service and people pretty much covers it.

The Dirty Martini Lounge in Playa is one of the places I keep going back to. You could call it my favorite local hangout, and I´m not the only one who thinks so because it is often packed with locals, local expats, semi-local expats, tourists, returning tourist, etc.

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Dirty Martini Lounge - Playa del Carmen

The Dirty Martini Lounge is not very big, it has a funky classy (yes, that sounds impossible) European style decor, and feels like a bar more than a cocktail lounge. You can comfortably sit at the bar or on the deck that looks out over the street while sipping your favorite drink. I suggest you try one of their signature martinis like the Cucumber Martini (all invented by Karen Lange, one of the owners). If martinis are not your thing, no problem, they have all the other stuff like beer, wine, spirits, tequilas, etc as well.

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Martinis, martinis. martinis

One of the best things about the Dirty Martini is the music. Greco, one of the owners, is a real music buff and he makes sure there are always great tunes playing in the bar, ranging from blues and jazz to country, pop and rock.

Service is of course very important as well and the Dirty Martini has a small group of staff that knows most people by name and drink, so don´t be surprised if your regular drink is standing on the bar as you´re walking in! Cynthia, Meyssi, Paloma, and Vale know their regulars and their cocktails.

Anyway, I can go on and on describing all the good things you´ll find at the Dirty Martini Lounge. I suggest you come on down and check it out yourself.

Dirty Martini Lounge – 1st Avenue between street 10 and 12, open daily from 1 PM to  2 AM, Fri and Sat until 3 AM.

You can also visit the Dirty Martini Lounge  on November 21st at Taste of Playa 2010.

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Posted in restaurants and bars, what's happening in Playa | 2 Comments »

Haciendas in Yucatan

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

By Monica Hartlief

When I first moved to Mexico in 1999 it wasn’t to Playa del Carmen but to the city of Merida, in the state of Yucatan. I spent 2 years living there and, mainly because of personal reasons, I didn’t like it very much. What I did like was that I got a lot of visitors during the time I lived there and together we explored much of Merida and the surrounding areas. I think I visited Chichen Itza at least 8 times in 12 months, but we also explored less known Mayan ruins sites like Uxmal and Dzibilchaltun. As impressive as these ruins are what I liked best about exploring the state of Yucatan was visiting the many restored haciendas, most of which are located an easy drive from Merida.

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Hacienda Temozon pool area

Haciendas in Mexico were the basis of an economic system introduced by the Spaniards in the 16th century, similar to the feudal system of Europe. Many of them were originally cattle ranches which in the 19th century converted to produce rope from henequen.* In Yucatan, the hacienda owners used the local Mayan population to work the fields and factories at slave-like wages or no wages at all. Over time, haciendas became symbols of wealth and culture, decorated with architecture, furnishings and art from around the world. There are over 170 haciendas in Yucatan, some of them completely renovated and turned into 5 star hotels and historical museums while others are left unrestored, sometimes abandoned, to collapse and fall apart over time.

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restaurant at Hacienda Temozon

A hacienda usually consisted of the Casa Principal, or main house, where the hacendado and his family lived and the administration of the business took place. The processing of the henequen took place in the Casa de Maquinas, the machine house, the overseer lived in the Casa del Majordomo, many of the haciendas also had a chapel, La Capilla, and several other smaller buildings used for storage and living quarters.

I´ve visited several haciendas during the time I lived in Merida and my favorite is Hacienda Temozon. This hacienda is located about 40 minutes south of Merida, in the town of Temozon Sur. The hacienda was beautifully renovated in 1997 and is now a 5 star hotel. I´ve never actually spent the night there (although it is high on my wish list) but I´ve had lunch and dinner there on several occasions and it was always a great experience. The pictures of Hacienda Temozon were borrowed from its website.

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*henequen: a type of agave cactus which is processed for its fibers, primarily to produce rope

Now that the family holidays are behind us maybe it is a good idea to start planning your next trip to Mexico. If you want more information about the Haciendas in Yucatan, or vacation rentals and services in the Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya area please send us an email through our website. We´re more than happy to help you with the planning!

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Posted in things to do | 5 Comments »

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