ChocoBanana Restaurant in Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico Has Been Serving Breakfast and Lunch To Locals and Tourists For Decades
Owner Tracie Willis Started Selling Chocolate Frozen Bananas on Vallarta Beaches in The 90’s
Tracie’s Passion is Environmental Awareness and Her Pet Project is Ser Su Voz, Be Their Voice
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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 are going north of Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita, a once little sleepy fishing village, turned into a trendy beach town about 45 minutes from downtown Vallarta. We are going to meet Tracie Willis, the owner of a legendary fixture on the Sayulita central
plaza, a restaurant called ChocoBanana, Sayulita. Tracie has a great story. Sure, chocolate frozen bananas are her specialty but Tracie is quite the environmentalist. We will hear about her restaurant and her pet project Ser Su Voz, which translates from Spanish to “be their voice”, in English. We’ll get to Tracie and ChocoBanana in just a minute but before we get to all that, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 17th of September, 2022.
Contact Information For ChocoBanana, Sayulita
- Website: https://restaurantsnapshot.com/ChocoBanana/
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sayulitachocobanana/
- Address: Delfin 14, Sayulita, Mexico
- Phone: +52 329 291 3051
- Ser Su Voz: https://www.facebook.com/sersuvozsayulita
- Ser Su Voz Website: https://sersuvozsayulita.com/
Rainfall In Vallarta Falling Short of Last Year’s Totals
It’s raining a bunch, and it seems storms are lining up bringing lots of rain, but still not nearly as much rain as Vallarta had last year. According to my buddy Clark Curtis, who has a weather station up in Colonia Ramblases, he said last night’s storm brought almost
2 inches of rain bringing the month’s total to 13.14 inches, and 42 inches for the year. Last year, by the 1st of September Vallarta had, according to Clark’s gear, 70 inches. So way short of last year’s totals. He says the rivers that come from the mountains are full, but the spring driven creeks up in his neighborhood which were knee deep last year, are just a few inches deep this year. That’s not a good sign. The water table is still low. But last year Hurricane Nora brought a ton of rain the very end of August, and we still have the rest of this month and October to catch up. We need to keep our eyes on the water situation, that’s for sure.
What are Your Favorite Must Visit Restaurants in Vallarta?
Last week I read Reggie’s email asking listeners what their must go to restaurant, whenever you come to Vallarta. For Reggie and his wife Donna, it’s Archie’s Wok…and I got an email from listener and contributor Ray, my firefighter buddy from Wisconsin, and Ray says…
Hey Barry, hope all is well. Thanks for all your hard work. This is Cherie and my never miss restaurant list.
- Breakfast-Mi Café
- Lunch-Figueroa’s Burritos
- Dinner on certain Sundays is Eat at David’s Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner
Take care and hope to cross paths sometime soon,
Ray and Cherie
Okay, thank you Ray. You know, I have never eaten at Figueroa’s and I guess maybe I should. Both you and Cherie and Zizi and AJ, the Vallarta Co-work Podcasters have now
chimed in on Figueroa’s burritos, two weeks in a row, so I best get over there next time down. And Eat at David’s is another one I’ve never eaten at. My wife loves a thanksgiving feast, it’s her favorite meal in fact she insists I prepare her a turkey dinner with all the fixins for her birthday every April. That’s how serious she is about her turkey dinner so now I really need to get over to Eat at David’s I guess too.
Thank you, Ray, for that email. Ray and Cherie have been on the show and it’s great running into them from time to time when I’m down recording interviews. I love those two.
Vallarta Remembers The Queen of England
Last week marked the end of an era as the Queen of England passed away at age 96, the 9th of September.
I wouldn’t usually mention the death of a royal, but out of respect to JR, born and raised in London, England and to my many Canadian listeners, my sincere condolences. But the fact that Queen Elizabeth actually did visit Puerto Vallarta, deserves a mention don’t you think?
According to this article in Vallarta Reporter. …
Queen Elizabeth II Visited Puerto Vallarta Almost Four Decades Ago
and I have a link to that article from the Vallarta Reporter online in the shownotes…now way back in the back of my mind I remembered Gil Gevins from Lucy’s Cucu Cabana telling the story of the queen’s visit in only the way Gil can tell it…so I went back into the archives and pulled a clip from that conversation I had with Gil Gevins, Author and all around good guy back in February, 2018 ..take it away Gil….
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That was a fun interview I’ll tell you.
I have that entire interview in the show notes. But alas, Gil and Lucy closed Lucy’s Cucu Cabana just before the Pandemic, I believe…I really should do a quick review of places I’ve been, that are gone.
Gil Gevins and Lucy’s Cucu Cabaña in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
I mean, I’ve done close to 225 episodes so there are a handful of businesses that just didn’t make it. I’ll do that soon. I promise.
AMLO Calls US State Department Mexico Alerts, Unserious
As I said a couple of weeks ago was very excited to be coming to Vallarta the end of October to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos in paradise with my wife and another couple, her friends, but the other couple backed out because they couldn’t get dog sitting set up. Or maybe it was a question I got from them, where their kids pointed out warnings put out by the US State Department regarding travel advisories for Mexico….Now I told them that those travel advisories are nothing new, that they have been on the State Department website for as long as I’ve been traveling to Mexico, but here’s an article from Vallarta Reporter online where Mexican President Obrador, AMLO points out the hypocrisy coming out of the US Department of State….
AMLO Calls US Nosy for Issuing Mexico Travel Alerts
Dated September 8th 2022…
And of course, nothing will change…I have a link to that article from Vallarta Advisor in the show notes.
Salvador’s Story Gets Interesting
The last time I was in Vallarta I had a long discussion with my buddy, Salvador Estrada, the Candyman on the Malecon.
If you don’t know who Salvador is, he sells candy and cigarettes from his wheelchair where he sets up just north, or south of where the three loud nightclubs are right next door to each other. They are La Vaquita, The Zoo, and Mandala.
For those of you who have been following the show for a long time, you would know that Salvador is an athlete. He’s even a marathoner. He has a tricycle that he rides, using his arms to propel him because he has on use of his legs.
His story that he told me, was that he was born and raised in Puerto Vallarta. And that he was living the American Dream, the sueno Americano with a wife and 6 month old baby in Florida when his life was turned upside down by a criminal who demanded his money at gunpoint, and when even though he handed over his wallet, the thief shot him anyway, severing his spinal cord and left him wheelchair bound for life. And his young wife, after suggesting they all go back to Puerto Vallarta to go live with his family, flew down with him and the baby to Vallarta, then turned around and left him…taking the baby boy with her back to the states, never to be heard from again. Left him to live with his family in Colonia Paso Ancho. I have the entire story translated linked in the show notes. Salvador’s story is tragic and heartwarming. He’s my dear friend.
The Candy Man on The Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, Salvador Estrada, Marathonista
Well, over the years he’s let on that he has located his son, in Santa Ana California, about an hour and a half from my house in Simi Valley, and that he was planning on getting married.
Then he shares with me a photo of his son, at his wedding, with the entire wedding party including his ex-wife, Marisol. He tells me that he has some things he has some items he wants me to take home with me from Vallarta, and distribute to his son, and his ex-wife.
So, I took the items home with me, and just the other day, I got a call from Salvador’s ex, Marisol. I must admit it was pretty freaky…..I really don’t know how to feel about her. You know? Anyway, this weekend I just might be meeting up with her, and I hope she will have some time to talk with me….I’m just a little apprehensive, and well, we’ll see how it goes.
This last time down in August I had a chance to use the services of Dr. German Lomeli, the dentist I had on the show a few months back from Periodent PV. German fixed a chipped molar and the following week he cleaned my teeth and when I come back next month, I have and appointment with him to whiten my teeth, so yes, in case you were wondering, I use the people I suggest to you.
Also, I used the services of my buddy, the Uber driver in paradise Erik with a K. Now, IN driver is on the outs in Vallarta, so Erik is not identifying anymore as an IN driver, driver. It seems the platform hasn’t greased enough palms in Vallarta to keep afloat. At least I’m going to just assume that’s the case…. but when I traveled up to Sayulita to interview Tracie at Choco Banana, it was Erik who did the driving…as a matter of fact, let’s get to the interview and the adventure right now shall we? Let’s go to Sayulita and Choco Banana.
How do you Get From Vallarta to Sayulita?
The first thing is getting to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta.
Getting to Sayulita is easier than getting back.
You can drive, take a taxi, take an Uber or take a bus up to Sayulita. Getting an Uber back from Sayulita, is difficult because Uber isn’t licensed to operate in Nayarit. They may pick up a ride on a return trip to Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta, but it’s slip pickin’s.
I like to take the bus personally, and I catch the bus at the Walmart across from the Puerto Magico, the Compestella Bus, the guy at the bus stop with the clipboard will assist you and make sure you get on the right bus. And for just a few dollars, the bus takes you to the center of town in Sayulita.
This time I splurged and hired my buddy Erik to drive me, Johnny D and my buddy Polly tagged along, and for 1,200 pesos, plus a nice 300 peso tip, had our personal driver for the day. The plan was to meet Tracie at the restaurant at 11. And after a lovely ride through the jungles, passing unfinished portions of the last leg of the new Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara toll road and the funky roadside vendors selling huge shiny copperware pots, pans and platters which they must spend hours polishing and keeping highway dust off of, my goodness. Souvenir stands selling among other things sacks of salt. These are family run operations, many open 24 hours a day according to Driver Erik. It really is a scenic drive to Sayulita, and when we got there, on time, Erik needed to drop us off at the restaurant to find a place to park. Sayulita is a busy little town. The streets are narrow because people park, and walk to the beach, or to shops and restaurants. You notice lots of younger people, after spending time in Vallarta where the median age is what? 70? This is a stark difference. It’s not all cars by the way. Lots of golf carts, modified golf carts, scooters too. Lots of foot traffic and friendly, smiling faces.
Choco Banana is located right in the middle of the town. Right off the town square. It’s easy to see because it’s a two story Banana yellow building with a full on restaurant both indoor and patio seating. A passthrough to go order window where baked goodies and
chocolate covered frozen bananas are the big thing. It’s most likely the busiest spot on the plaza on any given morning, and why not? Every time I’ve been to Choco Banana the wait staff is the best, and the food is always solid.
So when we got to the restaurant and asked about Tracie we were told that she was on her way, and that we should have a seat, and if we were hungry, we should have breakfast, which we did. I ordered the chiliquelles of course, I didn’t pay attention to what Polly or Johnny ordered. I kept looking for Erik, hoping he found a place to park. I invited him to join us for breakfast.
So as we ate and chatted, a lady walked up to the table, picked up my coffee cup and placed it on a coaster, and looked me in the eye and said in a lovely English Accent, oh…what a coincidence, on the day we give tribute to the Queen of England…what do you
know…anyway in a lively English accent she introduces herself as Tracie Willis and apologized for being a bit late. She ordered herself something to eat while we searched for a tame spot in the busy restaurant to record the interview. We found a table tucked in a corner to dampen the background noise, and as she ate her breakfast, I set up the recording equipment.
And when we got going, we really got going.
Tracie is a fireball as you will see. She is a fighter for the environment and her passion is amazing. Let’s go right now to the second floor balcony overlooking the central plaza in Sayulita, at a table in a legendary restaurant, with a legendary woman, meet Tracie Willis, owner of Restaurant Choco Banana, founder of Ser Su Voz, be their voice, in Sayulita, Nuevo Nayarit, Mexico.
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Contact Information For ChocoBanana, Sayulita
- Website: https://restaurantsnapshot.com/ChocoBanana/
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sayulitachocobanana/
- Address: Delfin 14, Sayulita, Mexico
- Phone: +52 329 291 3051
- Ser Su Voz: https://www.facebook.com/sersuvozsayulita
Wow, what did I tell you? I just love Tracie’s Passion and I really love the restaurant and all she does to help Sayulita, using the restaurant as her means of doing so. She walks the walk and you can hear it in her voice. I have some great pictures, including some old ones with Tracie and her mom, selling fruit and bananas and coffee. Check them out in the show notes.
After the interview Polly and I walked down to the beach…..it was a Saturday early afternoon and it was packed with mostly the local crowd, with families playing in the calm surf. Tons of colorful umbrellas all along the beach. What always strikes me about Sayulita is the jungle literally just comes right down to the beach. Kinda like it used to be in Vallarta, many years ago.
We walked up and checked out some shops and bars before we climbed back in the car…oh yeah…Erik actually did find a spot to park after just 2 passes, so he said, and he decided to take a nap instead of eating with us. So, we took the back way home, along the coast past some beaches I need Erik to take us back to. Maybe next trip. We’ll see. We finished off the afternoon in Cinco de Diciembre in a bar called Bar Benjas, an old Mexican dive bar with a pool table and cheap beer. A perfect day.
I have links to Choco Babana Sayulita in the shownotes as well as pictures in the shownotes. I have links to take you to Ser Su Voz, be their voice. Check out the webpage and donate, spread the word, help Tracie help the animals, help her preserve what is really a beautiful place, Sayulita, Nayarit.
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 follow share with a lover of Puerto Vallarta or give me a good review wherever or however you happen to be listening. 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 Tracie Willis at ChocoBanana in Sayulita, in the state of Nayarit, just a hour or so north of Puerto Vallarta. Stop in and have breakfast or lunch until 6 pm. Have a frozen chocolate dipped and rolled banana. Bring your to go cups, your reusable water
bottles, your Tupperware containers your thermal bag and good intentions to Sayulita and to Vallarta too. Look up Tracie’s pet project Ser Su Voz…be their voice….I have links and pictures in the show notes. I have maps and all you will need. And you can find all that information in the blog 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.
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