That Traveling Couple

Mezzogiorno is a restaurant that had tempted us since our first walk along the beach from the north end of Bucerias.

Now having eaten there twice, it’s a restaurant that we’ve decided we both passionately love and strangely hate… but mostly love. Before we can get into why, some preface is needed.

Mezzogiorno is the last restaurant in a strip of about 10 at the northern end of Avenida del Pacifico, stretching about 400 meters from the overly conspicuous orange Adriano’s on the north side of the Bucerias town square.

Walking from the town center at dinner time on most days of the week you will pass bar owners and restaurantuers in sequence, each standing at their respective doors with special offers, imploring the tourist passers by to make this, not any other on the strip, their choice for dinner this evening. The offers are anything from live music, to 2 for one cocktails, to local seafood, to buckets of 5 Corona’s for about $16 USD. It almost gives a stroke of the ego, to walk along the strip and feel each mostly empty restaurant gallantly vying for your attention and your business… that is… until you get to the last in the line… Mezzogiorno.

Mezzogiorno sits smugly and inconspicuously in place, it’s front wall covered in plants and greenery, almost obscuring it’s entrance from view, making it seem like the doorway to a secret hideout. No restaurant owner greets you as you wander by, no waiters tempt you at the door with special offers. In fact as we learned, the menu they put at the front door isn’t even their real menu, but a mere sampling of some of the delicasies you’ll be likely to encounter if you become part of the special club. At Mezzogiorno, they don’t need your business, and it shows.

Our first night there, we strolled through the unassuming entrance way to be greeted with the mouth watering smell of sauteeing mushrooms and a hive of activity. The restaurant’s regulars were coming in in droves, greeted with hugs by the staff who were simultaneously busy rushing from table to table, pouring frozen Margherita’s and hurriedly calculating table bills.

“Table for 3 please”, we asked, as one does.

“Do you have a reservation?” came the swift, ambivalent reply.

Walking down the strip past 10, for the most part totally empty restaurants has a way of erasing the word “reservation” from your vocabulary. In fact, not once in our 3 weeks and probably 15 meals out in Puerto Vallarta had we been at a restaurant that looked like it would have even taken reservations, let alone taken them seriously.

Partly embarassed, we were forced to admit that we did not have a reservation.

Fortunately by some stroke of luck we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table.

Unlike any other restaurant on this strip, and while I haven’t seen them all, I dare say any restaurant in the whole of Bucerias, Mezzogiorno is packed to the rafters with eager tourists and (mostly) locals each and every night of the week… and for very good reason.

Geographically, the location of the beachside bar is one of the best on this strip because, being the closest to the north end, you have the best view of the proceeding towns along the beach all the way to the point at La Cruz where you see yachts and sailboats floating peacefully against the backdrop of the horizon. Not only do you have clear views of the coast in a northerly direction, you can also follow it from Mezzo’s balcony South all the way to downtown Vallarta assuming it’s a clear night.

Aesthetically the place has a cozy, almost romantic feel, with it’s dim lighting, similarly dim yet passionate red lamps, and elegant white table settings.

Finally the issue of the ‘comida’… the food.

The cuisine is Italian, and the menu ranges from a wide selection of pasta’s to light and interesting seafood dishes, to the other Italian staples like Parmigianas and Risottos. Meat eater or vegetarian, the size of the menu will ensure you have plenty to choose from, and plenty of reasons to come back a second and third time.

As expected once we picked up the fact that this was a restaurant run by a manager and a chef that really know what they’re doing, our individual selections that night we’re masterpieces.

We all went with pastas, getting a taste of the Gnocchi, the Quattro Fromaggio, and a creamy mushroom and chicken Penne… that is after a sampling of the garlic bread for starters, seemingly made in house with a tasty light garlic and herb butter. None of us are even big pasta lovers but each dish had a perfect combination of deliciously tasty pasta sauce, with succulent, well balanced, well cooked ingredients (no dry chicken, no excessive cheesiness, no lack of flavor).

And the price? We we’re more than happy to pay an above average price for our meals at Mezzo, but as we discovered after eating at a few places on that same strip, this Italian hotspot is in fact very competitively priced. The three of us ended up paying about $68 USD for 3 mains, 5 drinks, and a garlic bread.

With it’s picturesque setting, buzzing atmosphere, outrageously tasty food and affordable price, a trip to Bucerias shouldn’t be undertaken without a visit to Mezzogiorno… just don’t forget to book your table before you do!

You can call Mezzogiorno at 329-298-0350,  find them at 33 Avenida del Pacifico or visit their website at www.mezzogiorno.com.mx

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