Qulture Restaurant Bar and Art Co-Op in Puerto Vallarta Has Great Happy Hour Specials Food and Entertainment
Try Street Food with Manny and His Food Tour Company, Spicy Vallarta Food Tours
Puerto Vallarta Has a Card Club Called Coco’s Bridge Club. They Play Bridge at Restaurant San Lucas, a Great Margarita Stop as Well
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Hello fellow travelers, welcome to 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 to continue with the happy hour theme from the last podcast, we will visit with Bartender Extraordinaire Veronica at Qulture Restaurant Bar and Art Co-op for a look at their happy hour, entertainment and food specials during the week.
We will head up to one of my favorite restaurant bars in Vallarta, the Restaurant San Lucas and visit with Maxine Webb, who runs a big bridge club, bridgewebs.com/cocospv and they meet right there at San Lucas. We’ll see what that’s all about.
We’ll also go to one of my latest Meetups we had at Nacho Daddy where we met Manny, Manuel Rene Rangel Inda who told us, among other things about his food tours called Spicy Vallarta Food Tours. Manny is a really nice guy.
I also caught up with our friend Maya who is running a churro doughnut hole machine at Puerto Magico. We’ll find out what’s new at the Port from Maya but before we get to all that fun, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 27th of May, 2024.
Back From Another Trip To Vallarta
We are back in Los Angeles after our latest trip to Puerto Vallarta and can’t wait to go back. We stayed in Pitillal with Ray and Debbie, our Canadian friends, as has been our usual modus operandi at their casa in the hood in Piti City.
It’s Restaurant Week in Puerto Vallarta….May 15th to June 10th, 2024
It’s Restaurant Week in Puerto Vallarta Again…
From Vallarta Lifestyles….
Welcome to Restaurant Week by Vallarta Lifestyles!
Our food festival in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit will take place from May 15 to June 10, 2024. During these three weeks, the participating restaurants offer innovative three-course menus, with three options available for each course to delight both residents and visitors alike seeking to explore our destination’s outstanding cuisine at a reduced price.
Participating restaurants offer their special Restaurant Week menu at a fixed prices of 344 MXN, 459 MXN or 575 MXN per person (drinks and tips are not included.)
I have a link that will take you to literally dozens of restaurants participating this year. One of your favorites or maybe one you haven’t tried yet that you have been putting off is on the list. Get out and eat. All the way till June 10th.
Oyster Festival in Tehuamixtle
Back on May 4th, while we were in Vallarta, there was an oyster festival in Tehuamixtle, where some of
Vallarta’s best chefs joined in the fun. We were the only non-Mexicans there I think. The place was packed.
Candie’s Restaurant was packed. That place seats hundreds of people, and it was a real who’s who of Vallarta celebrities. Next year, if you have the chance, you have to go.
And I’m happy to report that the roads to Mayto from El Tuito are much improved, and so is the road from Mayto to Tehuamixtle. It’s a 45-minute walk from Mayto to Tehua by the way. Debbie and I have done it numerous times now. It’s got some hills to climb, and it can get pretty hot out there, Bring water or beer or both. Chances are, you will have some beachgoer urge you to hop in the back of their pickup truck.
We met, and interviewed a guy who discovered the artifacts of a lost civilization in Mayto, that was there 1,200 years ago. You’ll be hearing that interview in the coming weeks as well.
Support Gaby’s Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, by Eating There
When last we spoke, I reported on the issues that our friends at Gaby’s Restaurant In El Centro was having with neighbors who complained about their music being too loud. And these neighbors were reportedly American expats who had bought a home close to the restaurant, and this fight had reportedly been going on for years. Finally, there was a ruling that the American neighbors were right, that Gaby’s had to turn away the musicians that would come to the restaurant to entertain the patrons, for tips for course as is the custom in Mexico.
I mentioned that the story had made Mexican National News, as has another similar story from Mazatlán. Well, the Mexican President even had something to say about this gentrification issue…it was popping up on TikTok President of Mexico ALMO has stated he will begin the deportation of illegal American immigrants due to their gentrification and all the chaos that has been happening lately. Places like #mazatlan #durango and #puertovallarta have seen first hand gentrification attempts.
And this from Vallarta Reporter…
We need each other. We compliment each other AMLO added.
And I have a link to that article From Vallarta Reporter in the show notes.
AMLO Confirms that Limiting Visas for US Citizens Was in Jest
As for the situation at Gaby’s, Julio tells me that it’s best for now, because things need to settle down, the best thing we can do to help the situation is to come to Gaby’s to eat their delicious Mexican dishes made with love. Come for a drink from their bar, and sign up for one of Julio’s cooking classes, and support the restaurant that way.
And to that I say, yes yes yes.
Again, if you don’t know where this iconic restaurant in Centro is, it’s right up the street from the famous crowned church on Calle Hidalgo on the corner of Mina and Hidalgo. They are open daily from 1 till 10 and they close on Sunday’s.
How Did Playa De Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta Get it’s Name?
We had a chance to look at a couple of homes this trip, and we found one we liked in the Cinco de Diciembre neighborhood. Near the Cemetery, the Pantion. And one evening on the way back to Pitillal we hopped in a cab, and it was a female taxista. Only the second I’ve ever ridden with in Vallarta, and I ask her how much it will cost to take us to Plaza Pitillal, and she says 130 pesos. Then I ask her how much it would cost us to stop by this house near the graveyard on the way, and she asks us how long she will have to wait. And I said just a minute or two. So, she tacks on another 30 pesos, and off we go. You see, as real estate agents we often tell our buyers to creep the neighborhood before you buy. You want to see and hear what’s going on around your prospective home at all times of the day and night. There may be a school nearby, or maybe a loud nightclub. Maybe the area has some seedy action happening on the sidewalks during the late night hours.
So we always tell our homebuyers to buy a sandwich and park near the house you want to buy at night, roll down your windows and listen.
We wish our realtor had suggested that to us when we bought our first home. If we had, we would have known that our future neighbors were raging drunks, and yelled and screamed at each other every night when they came home from work.
Eventually they got some help…became friends of Bill…you know…AA.
Oh, and in Vallarta, when looking for a home, do look for those AA Clubs in your prospective neighborhood…they can get noisy and busy at all hours of the day and night. Churches too…
So, we get to chatting, this female taxista, in Spanish of course. Oh, by the way, my wife is on day 313. 313 straight days of Duolingo. Doing good! So, the taxista says she has lots of family in this pantion, In this graveyard, she pointed out that there were 9 of them around the municipality, and the one in Cinco was the oldest in Vallarta, but it wasn’t the first.
She said there used to be one where Parque Hidalgo is today. And when they built the park, they unearthed the graves and moved them. And then she said something I had never heard. She said there was an even older cemetery on the other side of the river, near where Los Muerto Beach is. And they moved that graveyard so they could develop the area. And then she said….”and that’s why they call it, Playa de Los Muertos. Los Muertos Beach.”
So, I look at her and ask, what about the story about the pirates and the fight on the beach? And she says….that’s just a story. So, for years, I’ve always believed the story about the pirates, and it’s all a lie. Imagine that.
Anyway, we got to the location near the cemetery at around 10 in the evening, and it was dead quiet. Not a very lively bunch in the graveyard. We stood around for a couple of minutes and then hopped back in the cab, and headed off the Pitillal.
We liked the place, but the wife cautioned me that we just began looking. We need to see more she said…so we will wait, for now.
In Search of The Best Margaritas in Puerto Vallarta
Debbie and I walked from Pitillal to Cinco de Diciembre. It took about 55 minutes. We were pretty thirsty so
we stopped in to Restaurant Rio Grande for popcorn shrimp and their killer margaritas. Still, the most deadly margaritas in Vallarta by the way.
We took some of our own advice this time down, eating a late breakfast and then sharing a mid afternoon burrito, and then, using the Happy Hour Board, we picked a happy hour near us, and went in search of the best margarita in Vallarta.
https://happyhourboard.com/puerto-vallarta
One of those places is a place we’ve been to before as a matter of fact. Back in November of 2019 we were at Qulture where we talked with the artists, but didn’t talk about the bar or the restaurant.
So, making this happy hour count, I asked the bartender, Veronica Tonanzi, if she would tell us about the bar, and their happy hour specials. The bar and restaurant are on the first floor in the middle of a courtyard. The bar is round, so like the Circle Bar, you can converse with lots of people at this gorgeous mosaic tiled bar.
So, let’s go right now to Venustiano Carranza 466, in Colonia Emiliano Zapata, and meet Veronica Tonanzi, Qulture Restaurant Bar and Art Gallery, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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Thank you very much Veronica. Great information and a really affordable happy hour with live music too and killer margaritas. I have all the information for Qulture in the show notes as well as a map to take you to their front door.
Contact Information For Qulture Puerto Vallarta
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/qulturepv
- Address: Venustiano Carranza 466, Emiliano Zapata 48380 Puerto Vallarta
- Phone: +52 322 688 6944
- Website: Webpage for Qulture Restaurant, Bar and Art Co-op
I also linked the Happy Hour Boards website and Facebook page, in the show notes as well. Thanks again Veronica.
Happy Hour Board Puerto Vallarta
Cocos Bridge Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Next, we go to my go to spot for a really great margarita. It’s one of my wife and my favorites, and that’s Restaurant San Lucas.
One day a few years back, we walked into Restaurant San Lucas, and we were surprised to find almost all the tables in the restaurant were filled with people playing cards. It was a group of Bridge Players. Yes, bridge, like the card game bridge. And there it was, being played in Puerto Vallarta.
So I asked Daniel, my favorite waiter in Puerto Vallarta who was in charge of this group, and he pointed to this lady you are about to meet. Her name is Maxine Webb. Well, she had her hands full playing bridge of course.
So I dropped her my card, and she contacted me and well, I finally got a chance to sit down with Maxine to talk about her bridge club. It’s called Coco’s Bridge Club, which she will explain to you in a moment, and that moment is now. So, let’s go to the corner of Lazaro Cardenas and Insurgentes, 355 Calle Lázaro Cárdenas to be exact, and let’s go upstairs, to a lovely open concept restaurant with a view of all the craziness of the Zona Romantica below, and let’s meet Maxine Webb, playing bridge, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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Contact Information For Cocos Bridge Club in Puerto Vallarta
https://www.bridgewebs.com/cocospv/
Thank you Maxine. I have all of their contact information in the show notes as well as the information for Restaurant San Lucas so you can find the place.
Restaurant San Lucas Contact Information
- Address: 355 Calle Lázaro Cárdenas 48380 Puerto Vallarta
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/restaurantsanlucas/
Now I wasn’t sure if there was real gambling going on there I mean it wasn’t a “I’m shocked, shocked, to find that gambling is going on in here” moment….there were chips though, no salsa.
There was drinking going on though. Those margaritas….delicious.
Churro Donut Holes At Puerto Magico
Next, we are heading to the Port. Puerto Magico, where the cruise ships dock, and where our friend, the youngest interviewee I’ve had on the show is coming back to tell us about her newest project, Let’s talk with
Maya Curtis, at her churro making booth, in Puerto Magico, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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Thank you Maya. If any of you have someone who you know could use a good job working with Maya, please send me an email and I will make sure Maya gets the information. Send me an email to
pvtravelshow@gmail.com and let’s see if we can help a local who wants to be an entrepreneur.
Also I had a chance to interview Wesley at the Butterfly experience which is a bar and lounge with stage, and
butterflies….we’ll hear from him in a few weeks. Thanks again Maya. I have pics of her and her stand, in the show notes.
Spicy Vallarta Food Tours
Last but not least we head to one of my latest meetups. I dropped in on one of JR’s meet-up’s he has every week at Nacho Daddy. He meets there Tuesday’s at 6:30, doling out information to anyone who stops by with
a question. He’s that kind of guy. So at this particular meet-up I met a very nice young man, who does food tours. His company is caller Spicy Vallarta Food Tours, and I think you will really like Manny.
So let’s go right now to JR’s meet and greet, at Nacho Daddy, located at 287 Basilio Badillo , and let’s meet my new friend, Manny, Manuel Rene Rangel Inda with Spicy Vallarta Food Tours, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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Thank you, Manny. Great information. I have all of Manny’s contact information in the show notes. Contact him the next time you are looking to take a taco tour in Vallarta, Spicy Vallarta Food Tours, is the company to look for.
Contact Information for Spicy Vallarta Food Tours
https://spicyvallarta.com/
Wow, that was a lot of interviews….more to come amigos.
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 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 Manny from Spicy Vallarta Food Tours. I have his contact information in the show notes, thanks to Veronica Tonanzi, bartender at Qulture Restaurant. She can pour a great margarita. Keep and eye on their killer happy hours with that Happy Hour Board. Thanks to Maya for filling us in on her new churro stand in the Puerto Magico, and thank you to Maxine Webb for telling us about the Coco’s Bridge Club that meets at my favorite, Restaurant San Lucas. I have links to their website as well 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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