Recap: Good Morning, From Here, November 08 -14
Monday
Santi’s Place brought in a couple of adorable puppies for adoption at last Friday’s ‘Game On with Christian’ at La Catrina Cantina. Santiago himself was there alongside volunteer David Smith, keeping the two rescue dogs more or less contained on the patio. A Jeopardy/Trivia game packed the upstairs bar on Lazaro Cardenas with about a dozen teams vying for over 30k in prizes. This game show concept has been gaining popularity every other week at La CC, next up on November 14. Teams gather at 4:30, and the show starts at 5 pm. Our Scrabble Team is patiently waiting in the wings for a chance to compete!
Tonny Kenneth’s show that followed was super special as Tonny’s family was visiting from Panama. They all received ecstatic hugs after every song; he was so happy to be performing for them. And us! Don’t miss Tonny’s show upcoming this Saturday at 7 pm, at Coco Cabaret called ‘Rock the Opera.’
One of last year’s surprise hits of the season at The Palm Cabaret was a tribute to Bruce Springsteen with Mau Jimenez. This season’s iteration is even better with the ‘Olas Altas Street Band’ (forget E-Street!), comprised of Edgar Bernache on keys, Paul Lions, guitar, Hamlet CV, drums, Jared Garcia, bass guitar, and fine saxophonist Oscar Terrazas.
All of your favorite songs are here to sing along with or dance in the aisles. Give it your best ‘Courtney Cox’ and you may end up dancing with The Boss himself onstage.
”Who’s the Boss” also stars two beautiful roadies – Eva Jimenez, LOVA co-producer of the show, baby sister of Mau, and superstar of the Pink Tribute at Coco Cabaret, and their big brother, Alejandro Balderas, who filmed the entire show and streamed it live.
I was struck by the outflow of loving chit-chat from Mau between songs. Here is Mau, a Mexican singing Vietnam War Veteran protest songs, the smash hit ‘Born in the USA,’ far, far removed in age and space from that terrible phase of American history, but focusing on the now, this moment of celebrating the music of a US icon in a Puerto Vallarta Cabaret, with a captivated NAFTA-fueled house. Mexicans, Canadians, and Americans predominantly comprise the audiences at The Palm. Mau said at one point, ”Music is love.” That is all there is.
‘Who’s the Boss’ is a kick-ass rock and roll show from the first note to the standing ovation at the end. If Bruce Springsteen were ever in the audience at The Palm, he would be the first on his feet, cheering, and wishing his voice were as good as Mau’s. And, if you’re, like me, not particularly a Bruce Springsteen fan, you will still hum an unforgettable hit or two and smile all the way home. An irrepressible and loving tribute – bravos to all involved.
Birthday number 74 is in the can. I want to thank everybody who hit the send button on the automatic Facebook birthday reminder, as well as those who sent personal messages, and everyone I didn’t know at Il Pesce last night who sang ‘Happy Birthday’ loud enough to be heard in Tepic. I am grateful, From Here.
Tuesday
As is tradition in Vallarta – at least for Scorpios, birthday celebrations will continue until the end of this month. That means all pieces of pie/cake are happily accepted for another couple of weeks.
Qulture, a visionary concept by Jim Lee, celebrated its 7th anniversary last week. Drinks and passed hors d’oeuvres flowed for hours in the Art Gallery/Restaurant/Bar to the tune of a rock band that offered up super dance tunes. The wait staff was kept extremely busy, and owner Gabriel was caught on camera happily washing glasses – helping the bartender so he could refill them for the dozens of guests. I will be back at ‘The Q’ tomorrow for Scrabble.
Langostino’s on the beach has been a part of my celebrations for many years in Vallarta, and my birthday number 74 was officially started with a chile poblano omelette on the beach on a perfect day, with my sister, Patrice, and dear friend, Brian Bott, enjoying the lovely food and scenery.
Later in the day, Music in the Park returned to the Isla Cuale, sponsored by the Vallarta Garden Club. These free concerts, held in a spectacular outdoor setting, featured child prodigy Angeloo, tucked under a massive shade tree by the Rio Cuale, and showcased why he wins voice competitions.
He finished the afternoon with a rousing rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with lots of help from his audience. The Garden Club offers chairs for rent; however, you are also welcome to bring your own. Or a blanket if you prefer to sit on the grass. Wine and beer are available for a small donation; please also bring a tip for the performers. It is a lovely way to spend a late Sunday afternoon. See VallartaCalendar.com for dates and information on who is performing every other week at 5:30 pm.
Patrice and I strolled across the Island, remarking on its beauty and applauding Guy Weeks and the Vallarta Garden Club for their often heroic volunteer work beautifying and preserving this last remaining strip of Mother Nature in the heart of our city.
We ended up at Il Pesce (soon to become ‘Nomada’) on Constitución for our favorite pasta dish, featuring mushrooms and truffle oil. I have had this delightful homemade fettuccine every time I have gone to Il Pesce, and each time it has been replicated to perfection. I cannot say that about any other restaurant anywhere.
The congenial owner of Il Pesce, Carlos Venegas, invited Patrice and me to accompany him to see the soon-to-be-inaugurated new home of Il Pesce. We walked a block over to the former Banderas Bay curio shop/fab folk art gallery/store run by the Bowmans for years. Inside has been transformed into a sleek, stylish eatery with a pet-friendly open garden in the back, a small holding bar up front, and the main body of the restaurant looks straight at a brand-new kitchen galley. It is like being in the belly of a grand ship – if ships had exposed adobe brick walls. Stay tuned for Grand Opening details soon, From Here.
Wednesday
Just before I headed on vacation this summer, Jerry Jones, the publisher of Out and About magazine, suggested we have breakfast at Trovasi on Aquiles Serdan. It was my first time eating there – what a joy! We revisited a few days ago to celebrate our November bdays, and to catch up on the latest happenings in the city. One bite of the fresh berries in cream blasted me right back to Sweden, which holds first prize in the pastry division among all the countries we visited in Europe. With crisp linen tablecloths and napkins, Trovasi blends European charm with Mexican warmth. They are now serving dinner as well as breakfast and lunch! I am looking forward to introducing my sister Patrice to this culinary haven tucked into Los Mercados on Aquiles Serdan.
The third season of ‘Come Blow Your Horn,’ Open Mic hosted by Gouda Gabor at Nacho Daddy opened last night. Only one newcomer was on the roster, a Cuban who will be showcased at Coco Cabaret coming up soon. Bing Young presided over the keyboard and played beautifully when called upon.
It was Lydia Damato’s birthday; she shared her cake with the crowded room! (Something I am loath to do… just sayin’!). Lydia joined Gouda onstage for a quick improv sketch with Canadian Funny Girl Diana Frances, who will be bringing two shows to Nacho Daddy this season, plus teaching an Improv workshop at Arte Vallarta. Make it a habit to check VallartaCalendar.com daily as part of your morning routine, along with your coffee, to see what’s happening where. There is no reason anymore to miss a thing!
Hilariously funny with a full-bodied voice, Amy Armstrong is back for another season at Nacho Daddy, with two shows a week; it was lovely to hear her voice again. Angeloo took some serious good-natured ribbing about marriage from Gouda Gabor; he was justifiably baffled, and, at 12 years old, that wasn’t surprising!
Angel belted out two of Patrice’s and my favorite numbers from his repertoire. Miana Melendez gifted us a jazz song perfectly rendered. I believe she has found her niche. And Zoe Lewis is back! Come Blow Your Horn was a fantastic return of ‘Incanto-Days’ energy that has taken on a life of its own under Gouda and Nacho Daddy’s care, and can often be the best show in town, every Tuesday at 7:30 pm.
Scrabble today at The Q at 12:30, followed by Colina Spay and Neuter Clinic Bingo at 4, at Nacho Daddy. Directly from there, Patrice and I are off to a Grand Opening downtown – a full report on those happenings in the morning. In the meantime, be sure to engage everyone you pass on the street today and say hi with your eyes, From Here.
Thursday
Friends are arriving from Canada tomorrow – both Patrice and I will be happy to see them, share some shows, foodie news and maybe intice them to pop into Vallarta’s latest Speakeasy for an amazing cocktail.
White Rabbit Lie is the creation of Andrea Wranik and her son, Chris, who moved from Las Vegas to live in Vallarta. They also brought a lot of Vegas pizazz.
Patrice and I stood across the street and looked over at the brightly lit ‘White Rabbit Laundry.’ The address was correct – 701 Morelos, and I knew White Rabbit Lie was the proper name of the bar, so they had to be connected, but my brain was thrown off by the incongruity of it all.
Where the hell is the door??? Found it and tried this latch and that knob to no avail. Pushed and pulled every lever and nothing worked. After a hot minute of ‘should I stay or should I go,’ the door swung open, and with a cheerful, Cheshire Cat grin on her face, Andrea let us in to the soundproof, dark but inviting space.
Rob and Sunny Rossi were sitting close to the door on a long banquette with a view of the stage and the rest of the bar; the best seats in the house, and we happily joined them and Lupe Patterson and Selena Luna, who were on the other side of Sunny from us.
The conversation was linear and centered primarily on the list of cocktails that we, as invited guests, were there to test-drive, so to speak(easy… I coudn’t resist). With classic Alice in Wonderland-theme names, like ‘Through the Looking Glass’ and ‘Mad Tea Twist,’ we started with flutes of champagne and eschewing the gin, chose a couple of other drinks, but when Patrice ordered a simple ‘Old Fashioned’, and let us all give it a sip, the bartender was busy making us all one! OMG, it was delicious!
The dancers, choreographed by Andrea, whose parents were both professionals, were extremely well-rehearsed and comfortable with one another. Lots of hip hop with Latin numbers sprinkled in to make the repertoire interesting and varied.
The decor is fascinating, with parts of the ceiling dressed up as heaven, very cool wall lamps that resemble the coasters, and tables with chairs that mimic suits in a deck of cards.
The sound system is fabulous with zero leakage into the front entrance. Just know you will be fooled, and know too that on the other side of the baffling door is a closed-circuit camera with a rescuer in wait to take you by the hand and gently lead you down the rabbit hole, and see if you get larger or smaller with the signature cocktails of White Rabbit Lie.
Going to the Living Room Bookstore’s new location in 5 de diciembre tomorrow morning for coffee and some nibblies and to pick up some used books. I know owner Madeline Milne will have some cool things for sale mixed in with the bestsellers on her shelves. See you again at the crack of tomorrow, From Here.
Friday
For every plan A, there has to be a Plan B. I found out late last night that Madeline Milne can’t be at her new bookstore in 5 de diciembre to meet with Patrice and me this morning. A look at my calendar, that is getting more and more crowded as Season progresses, it’ll be another week before we can get together.
While a disappointment, it eases up on the other stuff that has to be done today. Or not – the only two things that can happen, right? You get stuff done or you don’t. Hopefully, either way there is little disruption, but that is life.
A month from yesterday, on December 13th, will be one of the most fantastic events happening in Vallarta. If you have had the pleasure of attending a party at Casa Yvonekka, you know how fabulous they are. This year’s celebration is even more poignant in light of the recent passing of Yvonne Kalman. Her last wish before she died in California last week, was for Frida X to go on without her. Her Yvonneka Foundation will continue, and by attending this fabulous gala next month, you will be honoring her memory exactly the way she would have chosen. It will seem strange not to see her there, resplendent in her family jewels, head adorned with flowers, drink in hand, and a lovely smile on her face. If ever a woman was ‘regal,’ it was Yvonne. Her foundation has saved thousands of dogs from a miserable existence on the streets of Vallarta and will continue to do so with your help, of course. By attending Frida X, 100% of your ticket price goes to Yvonne’s precious puppies. For more information and tickets https://vallartacalendar.com/events/frida-x-annual-fundraiser/
I am excited to see the latest Airotic show called ‘Tease’ at Coco Cabaret tonight at 9 pm. Tomorrow, also at Coco, I am revisiting one of the most beautiful shows ever produced in Vallarta called ‘Dia de Muertos.’ It is a history of the Day of the Dead traditions in song, dance, and video clips of interviews. My sister is entranced by Day of the Dead and always has been, and I know she will love this show. It made me weep with its raw generosity of spirit, and I am delighted it has been held over past the beginning of November. Everybody will learn something new in this fantastic production. We will stay then for ‘Rock the Opera’ starring the irrepressible Tonny Kenneth, which follows at 7 pm.
We are also planning a trip to the enormous tianguis on Sunday morning in Mojoneras. Plan B will include extra sleep. We’ll see which prevails! We haven’t been to ‘Mojo’ for more than a year; it will be a great long walk. We can get through the Coapinole tianguis in two hours; Mojoneras requires at least four hours, which will include getting lost in the maze of streets selling everything from a used piece of 1/2-inch PVC to a camper truck.
It is intimidating and can be overwhelming the first couple of times you go, but if you are looking for bargains and have the time, Mojoneras is a busy gold mine. Actually, more like an ant hill! Go and enjoy!
Until Monday morning, have a good weekend, and remember to share the love, From Here.
