A welcome addition to the very hip northern section of “Quinta Avenida” (5th Ave.) in Playa del Carmen is JOHNNY CARIO’S new restaurant.  We caught up with the owners John Gray and George Cairo for a chat about their history and an up-date on their new location.

George and John joined forces in 1989, having first crossed paths at the Ritz- Carlton’s Laguna Niguel property.  At the ripe old age of 18 John had already traveled extensively and worked with some of the finest chefs in the world.  George had been in the restaurant business for years and wanted to open a place of his own.  After they both absorbed everything the Ritz could teach them George encouraged John to team up with him and move to the Yucatan to open the first Johnny Cairo’s.  Since Cancun was already saturated with restaurants they decided to open their new venue in the small fishing village of Puerto Morelos, @15 minutes south of Cancun.  It was a recipe for success and soon became the toast of the town.  Travelers were blown away by the fantastic flavors of special dishes created by John, and the impeccable service and personal touch provided by George and the staff.

The new Johnny Cairo’s in Playa del Carmen is cut right from the same mold.  This one, just opened in March 2000, is in a very happening location on upper Quinta Avenida, a place that is rapidly becoming the place "to be and be seen" in Playa.  George and John are there nightly to cook, mingle with the guests and add that personal touch.  They have retained their philosophy of keeping the menu simple, good and inexpensive.  As John says, “We are making a strong effort of showing how fancy we’re not.  The prices are extremely inexpensive for the products that we use.”  Five or six of their delicious mainstay specialties will be on the menu permanently (like the yummy tequila duck) but they want to be known for good cuisine not just one good dish.  George says, “Our intention is to constantly change the menu every month or two.”  That should be easy to do considering John’s creativity and culinary repertoire.

If you come to the Riviera Maya and want to enjoy a restaurant with five star quality at three star prices you need to stop in Playa del Carmen and find Johnny Cairo’s.  These guys are great for special occasions or anytime you’re hungry for a really good meal.  They also have a great bar, nice wine list and fantastic desserts.  The restaurant is right by the Quinta Mija hotel just north of 5th Avenue and 12th Street. Definitely, two thumbs up!
 
 

The tradition of "Cinco de Mayo"

this article is reprinted courtesy of:
Regents of the University of California and CLNet 

CINCO DE MAYO is a date of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. It marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla. Althought the Mexican army was eventually defeated, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism. With this victory, Mexico demonstrated to the world that Mexico and all of Latin America were willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention. Especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest.

Cinco de Mayo's history has its roots in the French occupation of Mexico. The French occupation took shape in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. With this war, Mexico entered a period of national crisis during the 1850's. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for a brief period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume. 

The English, Spanish and French refused to allow president Juarez to do this, and instead decided to invade Mexico and get payments by whatever means necessary. The Spanish and English eventually withdrew, but the French refused to leave. Their intention was to create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III. Some have argued that the true French occupation was a response to growing American power and to the Monroe Doctrine (America for the Americans). Napoleon III believed that if the United States was allowed to prosper indescriminantly, it would eventually become a power in and of itself. In 1862, the French army began its advance. Under General Ignacio Zaragoza, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army in what came to be known as the "Batalla de Puebla" on the fifth of May. 

In the United States, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to be known as simply "5 de Mayo" and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810, nearly a fifty year difference. Over, the years Cinco de Mayo has become very commercialized and many people see this holiday as a time for fun and dance. Oddly enough, Cinco de Mayo has become more of a Chicano holiday than a Mexican one. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities.

For more information on the Chicana/o Latina/o communities visit the CLNet website.

New Listings

Los Primos in South Akumal

Las Palapas in Playa del Carmen

Casa Jihae Y Casa Kristie on Soliman Bay

Casa Ina Tan Kanab, in Akumal.  (Known as the Loehman house to the locals.)
Casa Laguna, in North Akumal