"Life's a Beach"

Last week, I had the great pleasure of attending the press conference for Diamonds International® Taste of Playa 2011. Not my first time at a TOP press conference, having headed up the Marketing Committee for the first two seasons, but my first time attending purely in the role of Sponsor. There was a good turnout for the press conference, a ...

Taste of Playa's Executive Committee is very pleased to announce that Diamonds International® has been named as the title sponsor for the third annual Taste of Playa, the Riviera Maya's premier culinary festival. Diamonds International® Taste of Playa will be held on November 20, 2011 in Parque ...

The John Gray Restaurant Group is pleased to announce the introduction of a new menu concept in both of its Riviera Maya restaurant locations. Beginning in May, John Gray’s Kitchen in Puerto Morelos and John Gray’s Place in Playa del Carmen will introduce a fixed price menu. Guests will be able to choose from a selection of Chef ...

Playa del Carmen’s third annual Taste of Playa has been announced for November 20, 2011. Taste of Playa, the Riviera Maya’s premier culinary festival, will once again be held in Parque Fundadores on the shores of the Mexican Caribbean. This day-long event will offer residents and visitors alike a unique opportunity to ...

Headed to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico? Then Puerto Morelos, midway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, is worth a stop. One of this region’s best kept secrets with its world class snorkeling and a LIVE music nightlife to envy, has a new claim to fame that is putting Puerto Morelos on the map. A map that some visitors to Cancun may not ...

I'm hoping this is a good thing as several people have approached me in the grocery store (people I do not know) and said "Taste of Playa, si?" gesturing toward my ever present TOP baseball cap. "Bueno, bonito, barato!" they exclaim enthusiastically! I smile in return and nod my head. "Si, si. Gracias por venir." ...

This past Monday, Chef John Gray opened his kitchen at the crack of dawn and started his team prepping for the inauguration of his new breakfast menu! John Gray's Downtown in Cancun has been open for breakfast for a few months now and attracting quite a following among the stylish professionals in this crazy coastal resort city. Finally, with ...

After a nice break for the hot summer months, The Little Mexican Cooking School in Puerto Morelos is back in action with a new Chef, a new curriculum and lots of new recipes! Recently, I invited myself to sit in on one of the first classes with Chef Pablo Lopez Espinosa and a group comprised almost entirely of media representatives and travel and ...

On Thursday September 30, the members of the Municipal Government of Solidaridad, including Presidente Román Quian Alcocer, gathered in force in Playa del Carmen's sports multi-plex (Poliforum) for a rally with 640 local students from 8 local public schools. Cruzada por la Juventud (Crusade for Youth) is a fledgling initiative designed ...

Last weekend, Rob and I were invited to a special evening hosted by Chef and friend, John Gray, at his flagship restaurant in Puerto Morelos. A "degustacion" menu had been planned and we were to be amongst the first to try some of his newest culinary creations. We arrived in time for the 7pm seating and quickly realized we would ...