We are always looking for new experiences and we made the wise choice to take a Puerto Vallarta Walking Food Tour. We made a very good choice and signed up for the
walking food tour offered by Vallarta Eats. Our tour leader , steeps the tour in Mexican history and all the food stops are tied to the history and the culture, including pre-hispanic cultures. We will walk you through the stops and leave your mouth watering.
El Mole de Jovita
The first stop on our tour was in old town at this restaurant that specializes in the complex preparations of one or two dozen ingredients into the traditional sauce called Mole
(Pronounced Moh -lay with the accent on the first syllable. ). We ate three enchiladas each one covered with a different mole, red, green, poblano (which is brown and my personal favorite).
Sadly, this restaurant has closed permanently. Probably a victim of the pandemic.
Shrimp on a Stick.
We walked toward the beach for the famous fish and shrimp on a stickat Langosta Loca. Before grilling, they are coated with a mild red seasoning. It is ok, but really comes to life with recommended squeeze of lime and a dash of the Huichol salsa recommended by our guide, She asks us if we want more. Already we are wising up that the answer needs to be consistently .... no gracias.
Grilled Corn
Next we walked across the pedestrian bridge to the Malecon. There we were offered samples of 4 different kinds of roasted corn, Once we chose the one we liked. You probably have heard of Elote. This is off the cob and the Mexican term is Esquite.We were given a small plastic glass. with corn. If you order it "con todo" which means with everyting, you get mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, and various versions of hot peppers. I was insightful enough to ask them to go light on the mayonnaise. If you take the tour, this is the place to start eating half of what they serve you. That is if you you want to be able to walk at the end of the evening.
The salsa options are hugely varied and incredibly delicious.
Tuba. Yes I Said Tuba
A few shorts steps way, we find a genleman in traditional Mexican garb, with a 5 gallon plasic jug an interesting piece of crockery. He pours some half from each container and we experience a traditional fermented coconut, probiotic drink. Ok. you only live once. We really liked it, Hey Mikey !! He even added some cut up apple and walnuts on top. However, we would have never walked up and asked him for a drink without the tour. This is when we learnsomething interesting . All the vendors in the downtown tourist area are licensed and inspected by the city government.
Tamales and Requeson
Next we walk up to the main square under the shadow of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. The traditional restaurant El Campanario that specializes in Tamales and the traditional soup called Pozole. This was absolutely the best stop yet for some of our group. I myself do not love tamales . The Pozole here is the white type (as opposed to the green tomatillo type) and a bit bland for my tastes. but it was still interesting to try it. The taco Dorado with requeson cheese was more up my alley. The drink they serve is atole, it is a thick drink made with hominy corn flour, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Chocolate is an optional addition. It is quite tasty but a bit much after 2 or 3 hours of eating.
Final Stop Ice Cream and Popsicles
Thank Goodness it is downhill to the final stop. A traditional family business from the state of Michoacon serves popsicles and ice cream. the most interesting flavor is tamarind and chile . It is sweet, sour and spicy all at once.
Three hours and a dozen exotic flavors mixed with history and culture all for one reasonable price. What a great deal. you can find the tour on line at Vallarta Eats website . The walking food tour we took in Puerto Vallarta was aptly named mole and pozole, but we suspect the other tours they offer are equally interesting and delicious.
