Bar Frida y Restaurante is one of Puerto Vallarta’s Friendliest Bars Located in the Emiliano Zapata Neighborhood
Bar Frida Serves up Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in a Relaxed Atmosphere
Pride Week and the Pride Parade Return to Puerto Vallarta May 17th thru the 26th
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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 favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
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 your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so, Puerto
Vallarta my friends. This week we visit one of my favorite places to have a drink, eat a meal and visit with friends in the Emiliano Zapata Neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta, that’s Bar Frida and we will be talking with Tom Findley.
Contact Information For Bar Frida in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Address: Venustiano Carranza 493 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- Phone: 52-322 222 5846
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barfrida
Also, I just returned from my latest visit to Vallarta where we celebrated JR’s 82nd birthday. I had a wonderful time staying with my buddies Debbie and Ray at their home in central Pitillal. I’ll talk a little about that latest trip, we have Vallarta news and more so let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 12th of May, 2022…
Mask Mandate Drops in Jalisco
I guess the big news is that mask mandates are dropping in Jalisco…The governor of Jalisco made an announcement the other day proclaiming an end to the use of face masks in the fight against the nasty corona pandemic.
From Mexico News Daily dated May 10th…
The use of face masks is no longer mandatory in public places in Jalisco with the exception of public transit and health care facilities.
Governor Enrique Alfaro said Monday that the decision to lift the mask mandate was taken after consultation with health experts. He said it was possible because the spread of the coronavirus has been controlled in Jalisco, which includes Guadalajara and tourist destinations such as Puerto Vallarta and the Lake Chapala area.
“The reality is that the numbers tell us we’re doing well, that we’ve made progress and the pandemic in our state has been controlled,” Alfaro said.
The governor said the state is currently recording an average of 59 new cases per day whereas the average over the past two years was 819. He said that just 21 coronavirus patients were hospitalized and there were only 19 COVID-related deaths last month, the lowest monthly total since April 2020.
“These indicators make us think that we can take a step forward with care, with awareness that this hasn’t finished,” Alfaro said.
He advised people with coronavirus-like symptoms to use face masks and noted that there has been a “persistent demand“ in schools for the mask mandate to be lifted.
“Now with the … heat, using a face mask has been an enormous burden for girls and boys,” Alfaro said.
He said his government understands that people are tired of face masks after two years of continuous use but warned citizens not to drop their guard.
Alfaro said he was confident that the decision to end the mask mandate – which officially concluded Tuesday – was the right one and that coronavirus case numbers will remain low.
Several other states have dropped mask mandates – at least for open air spaces – including Baja California Sur, Baja California, Mexico City, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León.
Mexico went through a large omicron-fueled fourth wave of infections that peaked in January with almost 1 million new cases recorded.
The Health Ministry said Tuesday that the pandemic was continuing with “minimal activity,” noting that there was an average of 370 cases per day over the past week.
Mexico has recorded over 5.7 million confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic and more than 324,000 COVID-19 deaths. About two-thirds of the population is vaccinated, a figure that should soon increase as the government is now offering vaccines to all children aged 12 and over.
With reports from El Universal
And I have a link to that article from Mexico News Daily in the Show Notes.
I was wondering with the mask mandates dropping off in airports in the US, if I was going to have to mask up on a Mexican Airline and sure enough, I was required to wear a mask on my flight from Tijuana to Puerto Vallarta via Viva aero Bus. Both the Puerto Vallarta and the Tijuana airport required them.
This trip down I did what I’ve been doing for almost a year now, and that’s fly out of Tijuana via CBX or Cross Border Express. I take a charter bus to the facility, built right against the wall separating the US and Mexico, directly adjacent to the Tijuana Airport
where I pay to cross over a walkway from the facility in Otay Mesa, Dan Diego, over the wall and down into the Tijuana Airport. The flights are cheap and crossing doesn’t require you have a stick up your nose to go back and forth.
This trip I was offered a place to stay by my friends Debbie and Ray, from Alberta Canada. You know Debbie from the early podcasts as cheap Debbie, and I had Ray and Debbie on the podcast when we talked about them buying their casita in Pitillal.
Well, I had a wonderful time staying with Ray and Debbie. So hospitable and kind. I had tacos in the morning Debbie picked up from the corner taco stand. Every time a cab took me home they said it was the best taco stand in Pitillal…they actually sounded jealous…They made me a couple of home cooked breakfasts…so yummy…I never get those…when I’m in Vallarta. They had a neighbor who is a cab driver so it was easy to catch a ride into town, but if he wasn’t there, there was always a cab waiting across from the big church in
the town square in Pitillal just 2 blocks from their house. It was really handy. Cab drivers were amused to have a gringo ask them hey, how much to take me to central Pitilal late at night from the Malecon or the romantic zone to take me home. I had some great conversations with taxistas…The ride took about a half hour from the church in Pitillal to Tile Park and ranged from 100-120 pesos or 5-6 dollars.
I took Debbie and Ray to my new favorite restaurant in Vallarta, and it’s a destination restaurant because it’s in colonia Ixtapa. The restaurant is La Tienda Grande, and if you
Contact Information For La Tienda Grande
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaTiendaGrandepv/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latiendagrande/?fbclid=IwAR0FdHw_H02YaqvUEo1eYHco59ZMZ9kanuaGWr7Ihh_owNKnJiBKmnxydh0
- Address: Central Ixtapa 48280, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Phone: +52 322 291 7717
recall, Jeff Musto, the PV Kid introduced me to it. I contacted the owner Chef Salvador Carrillo before I left for Vallarta to have him on the show, and he apologized to me , he says Barry, I’m in Saudi Arabia and won’t be back till July…so I asked Salvador, what are you doing in Saudi? Opening a restaurant? And he says…si…in the Emirates. Wow…local boy hits the big time…I hope I will see him when he gets back but on the meantime, all I can say is you need to wait for the interview till mid summer. But don’t wait to eat there. Go right now… you must have breakfast, lunch or dinner at La Tienda Grande in Xtapa. If you go on a Sunday you will drive right through the Tiangius in Mojaneras. It’s blocks long and deep and you can find anything you need in that tiangius.. Make an afternoon of it on a Sunday. I have pictures in the shownotes. Also in Ixtapa, La Casa de Las Orquedeas Restaurante de Juanitos. A delightful breakfast restaurant with lovely service and surrounded by orchids.
Anyway, I can’t say enough about Ray and Debbie’s hospitality. It’s really nice to have someone to chat with after a long day of traipsing through town holding a microphone in people’s faces. Very cost effective too…so thank you again. I received a few offers of places from a few of you out there this time down and Anne, Russell and Elle, Hillary, thank you all for your kind offers of a place to stay. It means so much to me. It’s very touching you have no idea.
I always get a happy feeling when someone I don’t know, recognizes me, and it happened one afternoon at Cuates y Cuetes. I sat down next to two listeners, Andy and Andreas…the two Andrews. Anyway, Andreas told me about an incident where he had been drugged. He was ok, and I hope you send me the story Andreas, but at any rate, there is and inordinate amount of drink spiking going on around town, along with pickpickets and mustard squirter thieves….and the only way to protect yourself from somebody slipping you a mickey, is to have total control of your drink at all times. Don’t place it on a bar and turn your back no….hold that drink till you suck it dry. Take it with you to the bathroom. Andreas, send me your story amigo….and thanks for listening and the good smoke…and the beer….another bonus to meeting listeners in paradise. You guys know me already….right?
And thanks to Marty and Jeanine for your kind hospitality. Marty had some smooth tequila for sipping and a great ocean view for a Puerto Vallarta Sunset from the 6th floor of the Plazamar. Next week I’ll have Marty on to talk about their trip to Tequila…
Sabores de Vallarta at Puerto Magico May 28th
And another event coming up at the Port, Puerto Magico brought to you by our friend Edgar Rivas, the Taco festival, civiche festival, raicilla, festival…the aguachili festival..the festival festival guy, you’ve heard his voice many times on the show, he is having his newest festival, an exhibition really called Sabores de Vallarta, Exposicion Gastronomica, Flavors of Vallarta Gastronomic Exhibition.
From their Facebook page…An excellent opportunity to try a wide variety and styles of food, recipes and flavors that our beautiful port offers us through the different restaurants we will have participating in the event.
There will be mixologists, music, seafood tacos, aguachili, raicilla, local beers, if you have been to any of Edgar’s events you know you are guaranteed a good time. It will be at Puerto Magico, Saturday May 28th from 2 till 10 at night. Parking and entrance is free. Get down to Puerto Magico!
Actually this weekend on Isla Cuale they will be pouring raicilla at the Raicilla Festival Today, Friday May 13th till Sunday the 15th. I can’t see the hours anywhere but be aware, there’s moonshine being served on La Isla Cuale this weekend…sometime.
Speaking of Isla Cuale I’m going to have Guy Weeks on the show next week. He has spearheaded a Cuale Island restoration project. We toured the Island together and wow, I had no idea the amount of sand the river left on that Island after Hurricane Nora hit in September. We’ll talk with Guy next week.
Vote For Vallarta Botanical Gardens for the USA Today 10 best contest
It’s that time again to vote for our favorite Botanical Garden for the USA Today 10 best list for the year. The Vallarta Botanical Gardens are up against some pretty stiff competition, currently they are standing at number 3, but there is still time to get them to number one. I have a link in the show notes and the counting stops 10 days from today, on the 22nd of May. I have a link to the voting in the show notes…
get on over there and let’s get them to number one. I believe you can vote multiple times, like once a day…do it…put in on your google calendar.
Things are on High Alert in Marina Vallarta
A few weeks back I mentioned the arrest in Mexico City of one of the co-owners of The Bar District 5 in Puerto Vallarta, where the former governor of the State of Jalisco Aristotles Sandoval, was gunned down while taking a piss during a night of partying and drinking with associates.
Well, that arrest led to an incident in Marina Vallarta where allegedly some cartel folks are hanging…at any rate, marine and national guard found and shot and killed a dude known as Saul “N” Chopas, from the Jalisco new Generation Cartel and captured a couple of his guys in the process. This happened just a couple days before I flew in, on the 24th I believe. So I had a feeling something in the form of reprisal….a get back for the killing of one of these cartel leaders might be happening in the coming days, and it happened May first when two female national guard personal, apparently on Vacation were abducted setting off helicopters, searching for them, a few days later they were released, apparently in exchange for the dudes they captured at the marina…a bit sketchy I must say.
Then, also May first there was interstate and inter cartel gun battles in Mazamitla, between the Jalisco New Generation and the Pajaros Sierra cartel, on the border of Jalisco and Michoacan. That caused me to change my plans for a ride up to Talpa and Mascota. I Thought it just safer to stay off the highways in the mountains.
There is still a big red safety warning alert for Puerto Vallarta from the US State Department, due to the cartel presence and violence, but hey…I did see lots of national guard troops all over the place. Even cruising the streets in Pitillal where I was staying. There is a big military presence in Vallarta.
Restaurant Week In Puerto Vallarta May 15th to June 10th
The 18th edition of Restaurant Week by Vallarta Lifestyles takes place from May 15 – June 10, 2022
Participating restaurants have a fixed price menu designed to give the common diner a taste of a restaurant they may not have tried due to cost or just that there are so many places to eat in town. It’s a good excuse to get out and dine and try a new place. I have a link to the participating restaurants or look for the restaurant week banner in the windows of participating restaurants along the entire bay.
Gay Pride Week in Puerto Vallarta 2022
Also if it’s May, it’s gay in Puerto Vallarta, Gay pride week…month…year…and the Gay Pride Parade, coming right up… Gay Pride week and the Gay Pride Parade, finally making a comeback. The parade is scheduled for May 26th at 7 o’clock.
If you want to participate you must sign up right now if you haven’t already….
PARADE CONTEST!
Every entry will be judged on the following. three criteria by our judging panel:
1) Best Originality
2) Best Energy
3) Best Theme
1st Place $15,000 MXN
2nd Place $10,000 MXN
3rd Place $5,000 MXN
To qualify you must be a registered parade entry that has applied and paid your entry fee as well as you MUST complete the parade to the very end of the route.
I have a link to the application in the show notes. The parade route is from the Sheraton Hotel Parking Lot, along the Malecon and into the Zona Romantica. The Weeks events schedule are as follows…
OFFICIAL EVENTS
Additional Events will be added as they are confirmed.
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
March for the World Against Homophobia
March for the world against homophobia day
Leaves 7pm outside the Sheraton
7:00pm
Sheraton Hotel, Hotel Zone, Puerto Vallarta
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Pink Dinner – Pride Kick Off
Kick off Vallarta Pride at the Pink Dinner Fundraiser for Vallarta Pride at top the Almar Resort with stunning ocean views and incredible fo…
7:30pm
The Top @ Almar
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Pink Dinner After Party
After dinner…the party begins!
The Pink Dinner is the official kick off for Vallarta Pride 2021 and this year!
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Lesbian Meet & Greet Party
Música en vivo, cocktails y cena de canapés / Live music, cocktails, full dinner of pass-around appetizers, info…
7:30pm-10:30pm
OCULTO secret dinners by El Arrayán
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Vallarta Pride Parade We’re back and ready to march!! Join the Vallarta Pride Parade which takes place from the Sheraton down the Malecon and into the Zona Romant…
7pm
Enter the parade at vallartapride.org/parade-application
Again I have that info for pride week, coming right up beginning the 17th of May.
JR Turns 82 Years Old
While I was in town I had an opportunity to catch up with some old friends who you will be hearing from in the coming weeks. As I said it was JR’s 82nd birthday and it’s not often I get a chance to spend a birthday celebration with JR, because his birthday is one day
before my wife’s birthday, but this year he was having his party on the 28th and I arrived on the 27th, so I moseyed on over to The Gringo Loco Cantina over in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood on I Madero, and Larry has a great band playing there two nights or three
a week, Paranoia Rock Experience is the name of the band and they are really good. If you get a chance to hear them I suggest you give them a try. The live music in Vallarta is incredible. I recorded a few quick clips from JR’s party. By the time I stuck a microphone
in his face he was pretty waisted…Everybody was buying him drinks and he had 2 birthday cakes. He sent me a message telling me he found a bunch of things in his pockets that might need some explaining…so I went up to his place the next day and he had some home made gummies, special brownies, cosmic cookies and assorted amounts of weed. What I’m trying to say is you will hear from JR, but very briefly…
Speaking of JR, I tell you this every week at the end of the show, but I just want to remind you that he does sell tours at hos website vallartainfo.com, so remember him when you book a tour along the Bahia de Banderas.
At any rate let’s go to JR’s party at Gringo Loco, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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An hour and a half into the party, Jeff, the PV Kid and I walked up to another event that
was taking place the same time as JR’s party, not far from Gringo Loco, and since we had both RSVP’ed for it, we took a quick break from JR’s party and walked to the Seahorse Restaurant, Raul’s Italian place overlooking the Plaza de Armas, where Crissy the
Brazilian was holding one of her monthly Mingles Event. This event had a Carnival theme, and was very well attended with lots of good looking well-dressed people mingling and sipping cocktails…a really nice event where you could tell some planning was involved. I hunted down Chrissy and asked her if she would talk with us and she said yes…so let’s squeeze in and talk with the lovely Crissy the Brazilian at the Seahorse Bar and Cucina….Puerto Vallarta…
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Thank you Crissy. She is really bubbly isn’t she? I have a picture of her in the show notes as well as some pics of the event itself. I have a link to Crissy’s Facebook Page called Puerto Vallarta Friends and Events Mingles in the show notes.
Crissy was dressed beautifully in purple, I have a pic of her like I said. Jeff and I were under dressed…we cut out of there as soon as the interview was finished….better planning next time I guess..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1162961544157062
I have an email I wanted to read from listener Matt, and while looking for Matt’s email I see I’ve missed a few of your emails which I will get to right away and maybe read next week, but let’s get to our interview shall we?
Bar Frida in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
I’m always looking for friendly places in Vallarta to sit, have a bite, a drink and watch the world go by, maybe catch a friend walking past and shoot the breeze. And I often find myself way up Calle Lazaro Cardenas, towards JR’s Place which is on the other side of
the bridge in El Coloso. I find myself at a place called Bar Frida. Bar Frida had a comfortable patio in front with tables and shade, and a nice bar and restaurant, enclosed, white tile floors, a sound system and stage area for entertainment, clean restrooms, a comfortable safe bar to eat and drink at. I reached out to my buddy John Diduck who I
knew, knew the owner of Bar Frida, Tom Findley. John told me when I could find him, and I just slid on down and cornered him…not really, Tom was very generous with his time…so let’s go right now, to a table set outside one of the friendliest bars in town and let’s meet Tom Findley, Bar Frida, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico…
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Thank you Tom, I really enjoyed sitting outside Bar Frida and talking with Tom. I think you will too.
Contact Information For Bar Frida in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Address: Venustiano Carranza 493 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- Phone: 52-322 222 5846
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barfrida
Stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner for clean food and good drinks and friendly service. I have pictures of Tom and Luis, as well as the inside and outside of the bar as well as a Google map to take you to the front door of Bar Frida, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Okay, that should do it for today…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.
Thank you to Tom Findley from Bar Frida, one of the friendliest bars in Puerto Vallarta. Don’t be afraid to stop in and have a drink or a bite to eat. Like I said earlier I have pics and maps of Bar Frida Puerto Vallarta, in the show notes at.
www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
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.