Slow Food

On the first day, when we entered the Laguna Makax, we passed this restaurant overhanging the water and I resolved that we had to find it and eat there. When we passed by on the boat an atmosphere of calm and relaxation emanated from the patrons who were eating and enjoying some beers. I became even more resolved when I didn't see any signs pointing to it from the main road, so one day I proclaimed that we had to turn off the road and drive around in the general area until we found it. My boyfriend was skeptical but I was adamant so turn off we did, onto a dusty dirt road that wound around without too much purpose. Finally we saw the spot from across a lot and had to do some more driving around in order to finally pull up in front of El Varadero de Oscar. The place is tiny, there are a few inside tables and then about four tables out on the deck. The atmosphere is simple and tropical with a juke box that played old Mexican oldies and Elvis. We put money in and chose some songs, but it seemed like the box played what it wanted most of the time. The menu is fresh grilled seafood served with potatoes. We were a little late for peak lunch time so the guacamole had already run out, so we ate chips and salsa and drank Corona while we waited for our meals. I ordered a whole grilled fish and followed the examples of the other patrons and threw the bones into the water when I was done. As they sank down, fish who had been waiting under the deck swam out to nibble the leftover meat. I can't give accurate directions of how to get there but it is definitely worth the trip, exploring the back roads of the neighborhoods was fun too.


One thing that I tried to have at least once a day was a fresh coconut - coco frio. I grew up in the tropics so coconuts are are very nostalgic for me and I seek them out whenever I am in a tropical country. Lucky for me there were several roadside stands around the island where you could stop and have a quick coco to cool you off.
Our hotel included breakfast and one other meal everyday and on most days we opted for dinner. At lunch we were usually out exploring so we grabbed something light along the way, but the dinner at Restaurant Casa Rolandi was something we looked forward to. The menu was mostly Italian, and the food was very good, but there were some local options too, delicious ceviches and lots of other fresh fish dishes on the menu. The location is incredible, a deck out over the ocean overlooking the twinkling lights of Cancun after dark, and it was a popular restaurant for guests and non-guests alike. One night during our stay we had our dinner down on the sand. The waitstaff at the Hotel Villa Rolandi was really great, and they made our beach dinner beautiful and romantic, complete with a delicious flambe crepe desert while the waves lapped a few feet away.