Belated and Bugged

Well, this is a bit belated, to say the least. I went to these places the last week I was in Mexico, March 22nd to be precise, and then didn’t get around to writing about them until now. Took me awhile to dig everything out from my suitcase and get the pictures uploaded. I finally found a charger for my camera at a new Radio Shack that must have just opened this year.

Wednesday is art walk day in Puerto Vallarta so you get to stop into a number of art galleries and get a free glass of wine or a cocktail (if you are lucky). The Mysterious Chinese Woman also had her eye on a restaurant that was supposed to serve the most authentic Mexican food in Puerto Vallarta so we decided to combine the two, go on the art walk and then have dinner. Well, it kind of worked.

Flea Market Bar



We walked across the bridge that takes you from the south side of town where we stay to the north side of town where the galleries and the restaurant are located. Right across the bridge is a flea market little bar inside of it that has decent drinks at a low price. I just couldn’t pass it by so we stopped in while I slacked my thirst a bit.

It was getting a bit late by the time I finished up so we only had time to hit one gallery before heading to the restaurant.

El Arrayan



This is a very pleasant restaurant with an authentic Mexican décor and a little bar off to the side. The hi-lite of the meal had to be the appetizer, roasted grasshoppers.



Now before you gag let me tell you that they really were quite tasty, kind of crunchy with a bit of a smoky nut-like flavor.



You really should try them if you get a chance, and this would be a good place to do it. They let me cut back the normal portion of three tacos to just one so I didn’t actually have to make a meal of them As you can imagine, the Mysterious Chinese Woman wasn’t about to help me out with this.

After dinner I had a quick drink at the bar before moving on out.



Piano Bar



There was a pretty good singing guitar player in here but aside from us and a female admirer the place was totally empty. I hope it was because it was so early because it seemed like a very nice place and the bartender was friendly enough. It must be pretty frustrating to have to play and sing your heart out to an empty place. We did put a nice tip in his jar to help keep his spirits up.

I had a shot of tequila, Herradura reposada, my new favorite, with a Pacifico chaser at the bar.



I have been practicing pronouncing Herradura so I only get a puzzled look about half the time when I order it. It takes awhile to figure out how to roll your “R”s.

Roxy



Well it took me long enough to get back here this year. You may remember that this was the last bar that I hit on my twelve bar march last year. The sign has changed but not much else. Still a great late nice place to pop into for a few drinks and to listen to some decent music. You can dance your heart out too.

We just had a couple of beers (and another Herrandura for me then headed on home after a nice night on the town.



They had a new line of tee-shirts so I felt compelled to add to my collection.



Maybe next year we will get to a few more art galleries.

A Little Heinie

I thought today I would write about a beer instead of a bar. I was contacted by a representative of Hass MS&L, a public relations firm that has Heineken as one of their clients. They asked me if I would do a post on my blog for a new beer if they sent me a sample. Well, those of you who have been following this blog know that I couldn’t turn down a deal like that. I mean after all, free beer that arrives in the mail. What could be better.

As it turned out the new beer is Heineken Premium Light, a “new imported light beer, brewed specifically with light beer drinkers in mind…” They say it “offers an extraordinary smooth and light taste experience with all the premium cachet of a Heineken.”

Now, I must admit that I am not really a fan of light beers and seldom drink even the run-of-the-mill domestic lagers due to their lack of any real taste. Perhaps because I have just returned from Mexico where I pretty much drank nothing but Corona and Pacifico, which are also fairly light beers, the Heineken Premium Light didn’t taste too bad. It does have a bit of the Heineken flavor to it but, like all light beers, has a bit of a water back-taste as well. Still, if one is bound and determined to have a light beer, this one is as good as any and better than most. I guess a lot of people do like light beer because it currently accounts for almost 50% of the total volume sold within the United States beer market. I guess that accounts for why Heineken is jumping into it.

Be sure you notice the new slimmer and taller bottle with the vertical logo on the label, makes you feel a bit thinner just looking at it. The packages have silver as the dominant color to suggest both premium and light. Clever, aren’t they.

I won’t be making Heineken Premium Light my beer of choice, but that is because my personal taste runs to the heavier, more robust flavored lagers and ales and on into the porters and stouts. Still, if I was participating in one of those strenuous athletic events such as softball, golf, fishing, or bowling where you are expected to dump down a six-pack or two, this might make a decent brew to quaff.