Balam Balam Seafood Restaurant is Truly Vallarta Style Cooking in an Unusual Setting
We Visit The Owner Antonio Cruz, Born and Raised in Puerto Vallarta about his Days at Carlos O’Brian’s Restaurant and his new Restaurant Balam Balam
Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my
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favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
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That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta’s Oldest Restaurant on the famous Los Muertos Beach, and The El Dorado Restaurant and Beach Club right next door so you can enjoy that fantastic view of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors, or during the day in its grand splendor for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with our toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends.
This week I’m taking you to a really cool restaurant in an unusual spot along the Rio Cuale, and I’m going to introduce you to Antonio Cruz, and his place Balam Balam Seafood Restaurant where he serves the real deal Vallarta style seafood. You will like Tony but before we get tom Antonio, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta the 22nd of November, 2019.
Twelve Days of Celebrations in Puerto Vallarta
We’re about a week away from the start of the biggest holiday here in Vallarta. It’s a 12 day event. Let’s read from ..Bahia Observatoria
Semana Santa is on it’s way More than 180 thousand faithful will go on pilgrimage to the parish of La Guadalupe, in Puerto Vallarta.
It is expected that from December 1 to 12, the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe and San José in Puerto Vallarta will be visited by more than 180 thousand pilgrims, who will attend more than 360 processions before the venerated image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, according to announced the curate of the place, Roberto Cordero Robles.
And it is that these celebrations will also be the prelude to the celebrations of this parish that in October 2021 will celebrate its first 100 years of being founded.
“We believe that our employers’ festivities are the perfect framework for personal and community preparation to celebrate our life as an ecclesial community, Cordero Robles said at a press conference.
The priest added that this year the pilgrimages will be dedicated to Jesus Christ seen as a sacrament of God the Father, that although they are parties in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, what is intended with the processions is to “reflect on the experience of the sacraments of each one of the faithful, who participated in the life of our parish, “because in truth there are many brothers who participate in the festivities in honor of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, but from various towns and parishes in the region. The estimated influx of pilgrims to the parish temple will be for this docenary 2019, about 180 thousand.
“During this liturgical year,” added Robles Lamb, “we especially want to deepen together with all our pilgrim brothers, that each of us baptized is a sacrament of the living presence of Jesus Christ through his Holy Spirit. That is why we want to invite you to reflect on the sacramental signs during the 12 days of our patron celebrations, sharing a particular theme “(through the allegorical carts in the pilgrimages and / or in the masses).
The first day will be the subject of The Sacraments, the second theme will be Baptism, the third Confirmation, the fourth of the Eucharist, the fifth Reconciliation, the sixth the Anointing of the Sick, the seventh the Priestly Order, the eighth Marriage, the ninth the Sacramentals, the tenth the Church, Sacrament of Jesus Christ, the eleventh the Virgin Mary and the Sacraments, and the twelfth and last will be the central theme: Jesus Christ, Sacrament of the Father.
The Guadalupe Fervor mobilizes thousands of people, an example of this is the pilgrimage of “The favored ones”, which represents a very special manifestation of the affection that our Blessed Mother has and the devotion and faith of all Vallartans, said Cordero Robles .
He also said that the participation of foreigners and tourists is also of great importance during these pilgrimages, said the pastor, because “many of them, mostly who share the Christian faith, participate in this event. But there are even people who are not Catholic and who, driven by the fervor of all Catholics who manifest their faith to the Virgin of Guadalupe, also join, and are very respectful, and share this very special moment. Tourists are an important part of the festivities, ”he said.
I have a link to the article in the shownotes and you go ahead and translate it yourselves.
Malecon Sculpture Tour is Back
Gary Thompson is back for the 14th season!
That’s right our friend Gary Thompson from Galeria Pacifico Downtown Puerto Vallarta is starting up his morning tour. They are Tuesdays at 9:30 am starting at the Millennium sculpture by Hotel Rosita. Mathis Lidice and Kevin Simpson also join Gary every week. And by the way, I’m going to have Kevin on next week and we are going to be talking Huichols. It’s such a great conversation. Anyway, back to Gary and his Sculpture tour, after the tour, donations are gratefully accepted to benefit Los Mangos Library.
He now gives evening tours on Thursday evenings at 6 pm where they meet at Galeria Pacifico on Aldama street, and have a wonderful cool, evening sculpture tour, finishing up at Jim Demetro’s Gallery on Lazaro Cardenas, which by the way, teamed up with A Page in The Sun, the coffee shop and bookstore that was right next door to them, but they lost their lease, so now the Gallery and Page in the Sun share the same space. So anyway, check out that evening tour and morning one if you haven’t already right?
Lucy’s Coco Cabana is Up For Sale
I saw a post that our friends Lucy and Gil from Lucy’s Cucu Cabana are looking to finally retire…
We are both happy and sad to announce that Lucy’s Cucu Cabaña is officially for sale. It’s been twenty-five great years, and now it’s time to go on vacation forever!
They are selling it with all the stock, and all the guidance a new business owner would need to run an establishment like Lucy’s.
And let’s see this offering here…
If any of you are interested, check out the blogpost where I have the specifics and the contact for Lucy and Gil. Love you guys! Best of luck to you, and to the new owners.
Chenando’s Is Open For Business
One of my favorite restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, Chenando’s is open. They are a dinner spot, and if you want to know what I order when I go there, I get the Fillet
Minion, they have the most delicious shrimp crapes that you need to share with everyone at the table. Everything is so good at Chenando’s on Lazaro Cardenas 520, Puerto Vallarta. Stop in and see Fernando and Christian and the whole family.
Also, thank you James for letting me know that Mi Café is indeed open.
He writes….
I live about 50 steps from Mi Cafe and it has re-opened today(Nov18)! Yay! It is still a little rough around the edges and it looks like they are having a bit of an issue with the restaurant being twice the size as the previous one, but it is open
Enjoy!
I have pictures in the shownotes that Adalberto sent me. So go there. Check it out. Also rumor has it, Mi Café plans on opening for dinner too, so stay tuned for that!
Lix Ice Cream Open a Second Location
Our friends Todd and Kathleen Atkins at Lix Ice Cream have just opened a now location, a second location in Fluvial, behind Costco next to Alcatreses. The address is Lago Victoria 141-3. Like I said in Fluvial.
Todd and Kathleen sold their chocolate business, Xocodiva to a lovely couple who I hope to meet and interview in January, so they are concentrating on the ice cream business it seems. They still have their original Lix on Basilio Badillo, so go see them soon, and get your lix in.
Emails From Listeners
Thanks to all of you who took me up on my plea last week to resend emails that I didn’t answer due to all of them going into my spam catcher and then subsequently, they were automatically emptied after a month. I’ve been getting a steady stream of them lately so I got that fixed, and now I can answer those questions from you all.
My friend, listener Beth writes…
I continue to enjoy your podcasts Barry and admire your dedication to producing so much great content. I am looking forward to meeting you this season. I have always loved the questions you ask everyone at the end of your podcast (and the beginning about their journey to PV). I thought of one that might be fun (but only would pertain to seasonal visitors like me).
It is: What is one thing you bring to PV from home and one thing you bring back home from PV?
Over the years I have been going back and forth, I have become something of a soap mule! I love the Lirio Dermatological Soap (Soriana) which I haul several from PV to MN for myself & my brother who has fallen in love with it after a visit to PV. I also now haul Irish Spring soap from MN to PV for my Mexican friend who fell in love with it during his visit to my home in MN. It is sort of a cultural soap exchange!
I also bring several bottles of this great cinnamon (also Soriana) that I share with friends in MN. I thought of writing to you today because I was listening to your podcast as I was filling up another bottle of cinnamon!
Just a thought.
Take care and thank you so much for helping all of us not lucky enough to live in PV to stay in touch.
No responses needed!
Well, thank you for the email Beth. We’ll see you in Vallarta soon. I think that’s a great question to add to the ones I already ask my guests. And by the way, if you have a question you think I should be asking my guests that you would like me to add to my line of questioning, send them in for sure, but I think this is a good question for you out there. Do you mule down things for friends? Is there something you can’t get anywhere but in Puerto Vallarta that you mule back for yourself or a friend stateside or Canada side? Let us know what it is.
I had planned on talking about my new obsession, Mexican candy, but I’ll wait till next week to talk about it, I’ve been doing tons of research you see, and after I’ve done some more taste testing and some kitchen testing as well I’ll get it to you like I said, next week. I need to work out my pancreas. I do this all for you of course. And speaking of doing it all for you, let’s get to the interview shall we?
Balam Balam Seafood Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
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I get many of my ideas from you guys and thanks to the what is now…I have a hard time believing this, but I’ve done about 150 interviews since I started the podcast.
And from these 150 people, I’ve gleaned a whole treasure trove of special restaurants, taco stands, holes in the walls.
This restaurant I’m taking you to came from a suggestion from Lisa Manoogian,
she and her husband Billy volunteer at RISE, Refujio Infantil Santa Esperanza, and she raved about Balam Balam and Antonio, and from JR, who lives right around the corner and up a ways from there has pointed out Antonio’s place to me for some
time as we walk past on our way to some watering hole in town. Have you talked with Tony he would ask. So. After my interview with Lisa at RISE, I asked JR if he would do the introductions, and he did, and I stopped by to see Antonio to set up our interview.
Balam Balam is located at the top of Lazaro Cardenas, right where the bridge goes over the Rio Cuale. As you face the bridge, it’s just to the left. It’s small, and at first glance, you don’t notice it’s a restaurant at all and I think it’s due to it’s roadside
location. It looks like a place where folks sit to picnic and watch the river, maybe barbecue fish on a stick and chill. But then you focus your eyes a little bit and notice a small kitchen tucked in the corner, tables, chairs and, restrooms, yes, restrooms
and you realize hey, this is actually a cool restaurant. And the food…let me tell you. Real Vallarta style cooking. Old school. Lots of local clientele as well as visiting tourists eat here. These are people who are in the know because if you have found
Balam Balam, you most likely found it by accident, or someone who loves you told you about it. And because I love you, I think I’ll tell you about it too. So, let’s have our guest tell us his story, let’s go to Calle Riviera Del Rio 177, in the Emiliano
Zapata Neighborhood, because it’s time to meet Balam…The Jaguar, mi amigo Antonio Cruz…the owner of Balam Balam Seafood Restaurant, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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Contact information For Balam Balam Seafood Restaurant
- Address: Riveria del Rio 177, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Mexico
- Phone: +52 322 779 3443
- Facebook Page for Balam Balam: https://www.facebook.com/BalamPV/
Antonio’s Favorite Restaurants
Breakfast:
Favorite Coffee Shop
Favorite Day Trip
Favorite 3 Day Trip:
Suggestion For a First Time Visitor
- Come to him for advice at the restaurant.
Thank you, Antonio. I love your story and I love your restaurant. You would never know by the way the interview sounded, but Antonio had to get up to cook, and help clients all during the interview. I was there for about an hour and forty five
minutes to record that 30 minute segment. He was so busy because he was short handed so bravo Tony for busting your rear end for me and your customers. He really cares about his customers. He truly is the epidemy of Vallarta style service and cooking. I really love his place. And when he talks about Carlos O’Brian’s, I fondly remember that place. The waiters were like rock stars. Handsome, brash, silly. They really put on a show for their customers right at their tables. Funny, attentive, Buckets of beer, great food, the noise, the smoke, the music. It was good times. That’s for sure.
Okay like I said I have pictures of Antonio today, and from the Carlos OBrian days as well in the shownotes. Pictures of the restaurant Balam Balam, and of the food. It’s so good. And yes, you will find all that in the shownotes including links and maps.
Okay that should do it for this week.
Next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more. Until then,
remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.
And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value
proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no
more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-
board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes.
And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember
I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website, you really need to have a look there. I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.
Thanks to Antonio Cruz of Balam Balam. Make sure you stop by and say hi to the Jaguar. Try some of his world famous Vallarta Style grilled red snapper, his tender octopus, his out of this world ceviche. It’s amazing, and the location is so old school
Vallarta. You will love it. Please make a point of going there the next time you are in town..Bring pesos, remember, no credit cards here. And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!