Playa del Carmen, Wish I was there!
I’m currently in Chicago where it is chilly and damp, and we’re watching the Packers vs Giants. There’s not much else to do on a day like today in Chicago, and Terry, my husband, is a die-hard Packers fan. Fortunately the Packers are ahead and we’ll hope they continue their winning streak. Although Terry’s happy, I’d rather be watching the game on 5th ave in Playa! Actually, I’m only here in Chicago physically; my mind and my heart are in Playa right now. I’m already thinking about the beach, the sun, the water, the food, our friends and being back in Paradise.
We leave December 8 to spend a few days there and I can’t wait. I’m often asked how Playa is in November and December, and all I can tell is that it’s Paradise. The weather is perfect – 80′s and sunny during the day, high 60′s to low 70′s at night. No wonder why Playa del Carmen, Wish I was there!
Playa’s in the same time zone as Chicago (that is so hard to believe), but a bit further west, so it’s dark by 6 pm. We open a bottle of wine (or 2) every night we’re in Playa, and all of our friends and guests know they are welcome to stop by and have a drink before we head out to dinner. The day is spent walking the beach, having lunch at Asi Beach Club, Coco Maya, Wicky’s or Fusion. When we leave the beach, we’ll go have an expresso or latte at Sasta’s, next door to Starbucks. (I can get Starbucks at home any day. I love Sasta’s and sitting outside people watching on 5th Ave. Then we head back to the condo (either 216 at Porto Playa or 341 at El Taj Ocean), and have a siesta before our daily wine ritual. Our neighbor, Ed Vidgen, is a regular and it wouldn’t be the same without him.
Dinner is always up in the air, but I’m already looking forward to our nightly journeys. Usually we’ll stroll down 5th Ave and stop at whatever strikes our fancy. We always go to Casa Mediterannea – the bruschetta is the best in the world and the owners, Mauricio and Marie are the most gracious hosts in Playa. All of the food is hand prepared daily and is outstanding.
Our favorite restaurant is Casa Mediterranea, just off 5th Ave. Best bruschetta ever!
Another night we’re sure to go to is Da Gigi’s. It’s a little pricier, but to sit under the stars outside and be served wonderful Italian food in an elegant manner is an experience we enjoy. Origenes is a bit further up the street and closer to the beach. One night we’ll have to go to Piola. Terry loves the pizza there. Again, we sit outside and enjoy the weather, good food, and good company. There’s any number of additional places we might also go to, but these are always on our list of places to eat.
We might stop on the way home, and have a Mayan Coffee. It’s a $10 cup of coffee made at your table that involves several liqueurs, and quite a show involving lots of waiters. Brandy, one of the ingredients, is added to a container, then lit on fire. The flaming alcohol is poured back and forth into different cups several times, and then distributed in equal amounts to each of the coffee mugs. A mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg are then shaken into each container, which causes sparks to fly from the still-flaming brandy. Coffee is then poured into each mug, which should extinguish the flames. A spoonful of heavy cream is then added to each container.
Another liqueur goes on last, but not without another fiery show. It’s poured down and around the corkscrew of the orange that was peeled ealier. Cut-up lime wedges are then placed on each serving plate and the mugs are then placed on the serving plates with the lime wedges. A flaming tablespoon of Kahlua is set on top of each drink. Finally, the lime wedge is squeezed onto the flame just before serving, aggravating and then extinguishing the final flame just before consumption. It is something to behold.
Laura Leli Carmine splits her time between Chicago and Playa del Carmen. For information on Playa del Carmen, or rates and availability at Porto Playa, El Taj Ocean, El Taj Beach, Maya Villa or Villas Sacbe, email Laura at drlauraleli@gmail.com
Laura Leli Carmine and family in Playa del Carmen.