Mexico: My Favorite Hotels

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The Viceroy Riviera Maya (Photo by Brad A.Johnson)

“What’s your favorite hotel in Mexico?” That’s a question I get asked a lot.

It’s a loadeded question to which my answer changes daily. I’ve stayed at so many hotels and resorts in Mexico that I can’t possible count—or even remember—all of them. A favorite? I hesitate to pick just one. However, when pressed, I can usually come up with a short list of the places I most want to go back to again and again. This is, of course, a very personal and subjective list, one that varies wildly from glam to rustic, high-end to low. And it depends on whom I’m traveling with, too. So when asked about my favorite hotel, I generally respond with, “What are you in the mood for?”    Continue reading

Around the World: 20 Best Dishes of 2011!

Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Madrid, Singapore, Hangzhou, Playa del Carmen… a world of amazing meals. And here are the 20 best dishes of the year…

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Tuna crudo with tomato granita at Cocina de Autor, Playa del Carmen (Brad A. Johnson)

1. Cocina de Autor, Playa del Carmen
Albacore tuna crudo with tomato granita, soy sponge, guacamole, cactus and cucumber. Grand Velas Resort. Carretera Cancun 62, Playa del Carmen, Mexico (866) 230-7221 Continue reading

Exclusive Sneak Peek: Las Ventanas’ Menu Revamp (All Mexican! No More Baja-Med)

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Tres leches from the upcoming menu at The Restaurant at Las Ventanas al Paraiso (Brad A Johnson)

Worldwide exclusive: Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos has been serving so-called “Baja Mediterranean” cuisine (a term it coined) at its signature Restaurant since the resort’s inception in 1997. But come January, that not-quite-authentic approach will be jettisoned in favor of a new, more genuinely Mexican menu inspired by regional classics (still incorporating the finest local ingredients), thus creating a far more authentic sense of place and local culture at the resort. Continue reading

Challenge the Chef: Tortilla Soup at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos (recipe included)

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Texas Meets Yucatan-style tortilla soup (Brad A. Johnson)

I challenged the chef—and I won.

Well, sort of. Las Ventanas al Pariaso in Los Cabos offers a program called Challenge the Chef. To be honest, it’s not exactly what I thought it was going to be when I first heard about it. Initially I thought it was going to be a head-to-head competition, and I thought to myself, “Bring it!” More specifically, I was thinking of tortilla soup. I’ll pit my tortilla soup against anybody’s, even the chef of a five-star resort in Mexico. Continue reading