Page 160 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2023 DISCOVERING TURKEY

the city home. Chefs and mixologists un-
leash their imaginations with Mexico’s
bounty and traditions, delighting gour-
mands and amateur foodies. With that much
originality in the air, the food scene is
bound to be exciting.
I have sampled my share of PV’s offerings
over the past three decades but have been
neglecting that region of late. I squeezed in
a quick trip last June and once again real-
ized Puerto Vallarta may well be one of
Mexico’s most picturesque coastal cities, es-
pecially if you squint to blur out the traffic
bumping over cobblestone streets.
The filigreed crown atop Our Lady of
Guadalupe church stands out between the
green hills and the shady Plaza de Armas
beside the malecón sidewalk running along
Banderas Bay. Imaginative sculptures line
the waterfront, while the beach is home to
enormous sand sculptures. Art galleries
abound, as do vendors selling all matter of
handcrafted items from wood carvings to
lace tablecloths. Carts selling PV’s trade-
mark fish on a stick and mangos shaped like
flowers ply the beaches and malecón.While
checking out the city, I managed to devour
umpteen million calories sampling street
food and gourmet offerings. I’m happy to
say Puerto Vallarta still rivals the country’s
finest culinary destinations.

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