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Last updateFri, 02 Oct 2015 1pm
The Good Life Reporter

La Manzanillo Memo – February 7, 2015

La Manzanilla’s Supper Club

A few weeks ago I received a small flyer inviting me to, La Manzanilla’s First Supper Club. The flyer let me know I could expect exquisite Mexican cuisine, the date and time, and a phone number to call to reserve my spot. No information about the sender or location was given on the flyer. It simply stated call to reserve and find out the location. Very intriguing, so I called and made my reservation.   

I quickly discovered the supper club is the creation of La Manzanilla resident, Camila Rutherford. She is a free-spirited young woman who was raised in La Manzanilla and has traveled the country extensively. She decided to do the supper club to introduce La Manzanilla to the flavors of Oaxaca, Veracruz and Puebla, said to be the heart of the Mexican kitchen, which are not given their due by our local restaurants. She is also working and experimenting with pre-Hispanic cooking techniques. She says keeping the location a secret and changing it, along with the menu, is a way for her to keep the experience dynamic and fun. 

On the prescribed date my husband and I traipsed up the hill behind our house. As we reached the top we were greeted by signs directing us down a set of stairs. Arriving at a house I didn’t even know was there, we were led to a spacious living area under a beautiful palapa. There was just a hint of an ocean view though the jungle. The patio was set with plastic tables but each was topped with a beautiful fabric, making the room feel lively and inviting. It was an intimate affair with only fifteen or twenty other diners. 

The meal started with a complementary drink called, “Torito de cacahuate” made with cane alcohol and nuts. The recipe originated in the sugar cane fields of Veracruz. It was very similar to Baileys Irish Cream in texture but with a nutty and not too sweet flavor. The first course was an appetizer of chicken wrapped in a tortilla and topped with a delicate red sauce. Before the main dish of Chiles en Nogada was served, Rutherford enlightened us about the history of the dish, its significance in Mexican cuisine, and the particular recipe she was using. The chiles had a surprisingly complex flavor due to the addition of olives in the filling. Of course the meal was accompanied by handmade tortillas and it was finished off with arroz con leche. Rutherford gives credit to a very old grandmother living in the mountains between Puebla and Oaxaca for teaching her not only the recipes, but how to add her own interpretation and thus turning each dish into a true art form and a way of self-expression. It was a very satisfying meal, in a lovely location, with a delightful hostess.  

The next event will take place at a beach house and features a specially prepared Veracruz-style seafood dish. I see no reason to publish all the details, the intrigue is half the fun.Want an invitation to the next event? Call Camila Rutherford at (315)104-8325. Dinners include a welcome drink, appetizer, main dish, and dessert for about 200 pesos per person.

Love is in the air

Looking for a romantic dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day?  You are in luck.  Several La Manzanilla restaurants and cooks are featuring special menus.

Magnolia’s Kitchen and Drinks is offering a four course Aphrodisiac Dinner including options like the bodacious broiled oyster, tipsy chilled prawn martini cocktail, sexy seafood Newburgh, provocative portabella wellington and a grand finale rapturous dessert ménage a trois. Seatings start at 5:30 pm costing 750 pesos per couple. An optional wine pairing menu is also available for an additional cost. Reservations by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (315)351-5114.

Muy Rico Alimentos has a five-course dinner and dancing at a private La Manzanilla beach front location. The evening beings with a cocktail aperitif and a belly dance performance by Mariyam.  After the performance there will be tapas, soup, salad, fish and vegetables. Dinner is finished with special dessert for the occasion. This is a gluten free meal. 340 pesos per person. Deposit required due to limited seating. To reserve email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone (315)108-9548.

Chantli Mare in nearby Boca de Iguanas will be having an evening of dinner and dancing featuring Zona Cuba from Lake Chapala. The menu features Chef Greg Coulliard’s Asian fusion specialties such as Mandarin roasted duckling tacos and a pink Saku tuna salad. Entrée choices are Dorado over Thai rice in a green coconut sauce or Kung Pao short ribs. Sweet treats include a pineapple upside down cake or a flourless chocolate cake. Cost is 700 pesos per person. For reservations call cel. (333)105-8863.

La Manzanilla Happenings

Bare Bones Readers’ Theatre presents 3…4U, three readings by various writers.  They offer two consecutive shows, Sunday, February 8 and Monday, February 9 at 7 p.m. at Las Cabañas Restaurant. Cost is 100 pesos with all proceeds being donated back into the La Manzanilla community. Advanced tickets can be purchased by calling Valerie at (315)351-5685 and for dinner reservations please call (315)351-5007.

Casa Luz: Thursday, February 12 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. A Literary Evening with local writers group reading their work. Sunday, February 15, the film series continues with “Maidentrip,” a documentary following the record-breaking round-the-world voyage of Dutch teen Laura Dekker, the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone. Film begins at 7 p.m.

Cisco’s Amigos Free Spay and Neuter Clinic February, 12-14, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.  The local nonprofit brings in vets, sets-up shop in the Casa Ejidal, and gets business done. The annual clinic services just over two hundred animals in three days. It’s an action packed flurry of activity from the time the doors open until they close. Volunteers are always welcome and positions include anything from washing and disinfecting instruments to working in the recovery room to help pets wake up and get ready to return to their owners. If you’d like to volunteer email Katherine at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (315)351-7443.

Galeria La Manzanilla: Friday, February 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. meet Guadalajara artist Victor Alcazar in the final, Meet the Artist reception of the season. His paintings are a wonderful mix of color and whimsy steeped in Mexican symbolism.  

Live Music continues at Palapa Joe’s on Wednesdays with Scottie Turner and Fridays with the Lounge Lizards with alternating Saturdays dedicated to either Open-Mic night or ensemble gatherings of local talent. Pedro’s Fish Tacos offers Simone and Mike on Thursdays in a beach environment. Las Cabañas hosts Latin rock band Exitos on Saturdays. It’s not difficult to find live music almost any evening in La Manzanilla during the winter season.

La Catalina Spanish School offers drop-in Spanish conversation classes from noon-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays are for intermediate speakers and Thursdays for advanced. Classes are 120 pesos.

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