Anniversary in Mexico

So this post isn’t about food that I prepared for a client or for myself but food that was prepared for my husband and I while in Mexico celebrating our anniversary. During our trip we both decided that there are a few types of travelers and this case those who enjoy the resorts and the resort activities – which don’t get me wrong the resort is great in that everything is pretty much done for you and the beach is accessible and the lawn chairs are always around and you can have a cocktail anytime you want and someone will make it for you. Great stuff for relaxation. The food on the other hand is nothing to write home (or write a blog about). On to the next type of traveler – those who like to scout out smaller quaint hotels with a lot going on in charm department and with that goes finding great local restaurants. My husband and I are not into the organized games and activities the resort has to offer – we tend to explore where we are – learn the history and experience the food. On this trip to Cancun (talk about touristy!) we explored downtown central Cancun and of course you can’t help but be sucked into a flea market. We purchased some good tequila and talked to a few locals about a recommendation for a good Mexican restaurant. GOOD Mexican food. Address in hand from the tequila guy we headed out to locate the restaurant during the day and then knowing our way we would head out to celebrate our anniversary with a great dinner. After getting lost several times and stumbling upon a very quaint and beautiful hotel that we swore we return and stay at – we found it – La Parilla. We had a margarita, talked with the server about the menu and the restaurant and made our reservations. Pleased with our new find we headed back to our hotel and laid in the sun until it was time to leave for our dinner reservation. A torrential rain storm hit the same time we headed to the bus stop to pick up our bus into town – the long walk through from the bus stop to the restaurant was not a pleasant one in sandals and cute dress I bought for the evening but we made it! To our surprise the server remembered our conversation that it was our anniversary and had a special table waiting – all set with a bottle of champagne! The service at La Parilla was outstanding to say the least! It was clear that the restaurant is a favorite with locals and those lucky tourists who stumble upon it or receive a recommendation from the tequila guy at the flea market. We had an appetizer of stuffed jalapenos – which are nothing like the stuffed jalapenos that would be found at home. The peppers were spicy and fresh and cheese was creamy and decadent. For an entrée – I had Tequila Shrimp Flambe – 7 large shrimp sautéed in tequila and white wine with a little cream and served with a rice pilaf and carrots and chayote that were sautéed with shallots. The dish was prepared at our table and the shrimp were cooked perfectly – the vegetables were very savory and tequila sauce was delicious! My husband had beef fajitas (which of course he can get anywhere!!!) but the beef was tender and the tortillas were fresh and homemade. During our appetizers the Mariachi band played a song for us and that was fun. After our dinner the server surprised us again with a small cake with a candle – the cake was served on a plate and it was decorated with hearts and happy anniversary written with frosting gel. The Mariachi band returned and played a song – still not sure what song they played but it brought tears to my eyes and being with my husband on such a great occasion and having a wonderful meal with staff that was so attentive was amazing.