Vallarta Lifestyles

Duck Invitational: While chicken is a mainstay of many a diet, my own included, I rarely treat myself to duck, considering it a special occasion poultry. And, truth be told, when I do indulge it’s either in Peking Duck or Duck a l’Orange – not only because I love them both, but until recently they were the only duck dishes I knew!

Chiles Secos: The Essense of Mexican Salsa: An essential element of Mexican cuisine, hot peppers, or chiles, can be used and purchased either fresh, canned or dehydrated (secos). In fact, chile seco is a term used for a broad variety of peppers that are allowed to mature and dehydrate.

Scallop Ceviche with “Red Sky” Sauce: Scallop Ceviche with "Red Sky" Sauce courtesy of Le Bistro.

Great Finds: Jai: While many musicians around town do a good job entertaining, we couldn’t dismiss the way this quintet captivated its audience at a recent fundraising event. Little did we know; they have been performing their unique take on pop and rock songs from Mexico and the USA on a nightly basis at the Marriott CasaMagna for almost a year!

Manuel Ramírez: Experience and Success: Manuel Ramirez Miranda came to Puerto Vallarta 30 years ago to manage the local Lloyd branch. He got the job while vacationing in Guadalajara, after serving for two years in the US Army during the Vietnam War.

Discovering Off-Malecon in Vallarta: Every city has its hidden corners, its unseen treasures. While sculpture is featured on the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, those who know the city suggest that you not stop there. In fact, some of the more interesting corners are off the main drag. This piece focuses on Vallarta’s off -Malecon sculptures, as well as tidbits and stories related to them.

Advocating for the Animals: Vallarta's abandoned companion animals now have a light at the end of the tunnel, efforts being made on their behalf by the new government-registered SPCA of Puerto Vallarta.

Adopt an Alebrije: Most alebrije artists tend to focus on small pieces, primarily due to practical reasons. Indeed, the amount of time required to complete these intricately painted woodcarvings increases exponentially with size, and focusing on a single piece often prevents artists and their families from generating income through the sale of smaller items in the interim.

New Field Guide to Regional Fauna Debuts: Originally from Czechoslovakia, author Petr Myska has been documenting local flora and fauna since 2002. Both a zoologist and an experienced photographer, Myska has just completed “Viva Natura,” a field guide to the fauna of western Mexico.

Taking Hand to Brush: So, you're bending the elbow a bit, practicing the gentle art of Margaritaville on the beach when you decide to get more creative. Once it's time to dig your toes out of the sand, where can you find something for the soul? Surprisingly, many locals artists offer classes, for advanced students or even beginners.

Molly Fisher: Serving the Community: Unity is a central theme in the community service projects organized by Molly Fisher of P.E.A.C.E. (Protection Education Animals Culture & Environment), the acronym working in both Spanish and English. It stands to reason that Molly, bilingual herself, would create an organization that bridges languages, cultures, ideas and social systems.

Art from Shards: Step past the mosaic gateposts of A Broken Art and enter a world of creativity. Glittering glass covers part of one worktable, and along the wall piles of colorful pottery pieces invite touching and arranging.

Bucerias Art Walk: An amazing array of arts set out along a charming cobblestone street is what made the Bucerias Art Walk a triumph in its inaugural 2006-2007 year. This season the art walk in this Nayarit pueblo on the beach is back, with more artists, more events and more special plans designed to entice visitors to come enjoy the abundance of excellent talent and fine crafts.

Patrick Denoun: A Tribute: Patrick Denoun painted many different subjects in several different styles during his career as an artist, a career that tragically ended with a fatal motorcycle accident on Easter Sunday 2007. Patrick was an incredibly energetic and dynamic person, animated to the extreme when explaining his newest interests, both artistic and personal, but especially relating to his art.