| | |  Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | December 2009 
Caio Tres - Simply Delicious
 Gary R. Beck - PVNN
December 31, 2009
| | Caio Tres is located at Morelos #726, just one block from Malecón in downtown Puerto Vallarta. For more information or to make reservations, call (322) 222-6789. | |
Hearing quite a buzz around town led our party to this restaurant in the downtown area to check for ourselves. The colors of the decor and the art lure one inside to a rather sparse open garden area with side arched covered veranda-like portion of this former casa.
The third brother in the Curiel family was nicknamed Caio, not Italian for "goodbye", so this is the origin of the business name. While perusing the menu, we were delighted to be served a starter of hot refried bean dip which was tasty with fresh crisp totopos (chips).
One lady in the party ordered an eggplant appetizer for the reasons that she loved eggplant and it was not often seen on local menus - plus she was not famished and felt the smaller portion would satiate her well. We gasped when the platter arrived as it was enormous with the grilled slices wrapped around four cheeses. Needless to say some assistance was offered and accepted. A basket of bread arrived with a ramekin of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) mixed with chile and balsamic vinegar.
Fish of the day was chosen and it arrived with a lovely light pomodoro tomato-herb sauce. Fillet was properly cooked, moist and fork-tender. A topic of conversation was how it is a great idea to choose the fish offered that night since it should be the freshest option from the kitchen. Flatbread, which sounded much like a rectangular pizza, arrived in a beautiful display. It was thin-crusted, Mediterranean-style bread topped with pesto and goat cheese, a perfect match in many dishes. Half the huge portion was taken home to the famous 'doggy'.
The Arrachera was large and thick enough but seemed a bit overcooked and tough, though the appearance was wonderful. To spot lamb shanks on a menu brings a squeal from many diners. Here, the meat fell off the bone as it should, right into a base of a very flavorful meaty au jus. Kudos to the chef.
The locale is well-suited for special events. There is a large stage and dance floor. One could almost see the tango dancers or was it Cumbia?
Caio Tres is located at Morelos #726, just one block from Malecón in downtown Puerto Vallarta. For more information or to make reservations, call (322) 222-6789.
 After 20 years in the San Francisco restaurant business, Gary R. Beck turned his attentions to cooking, dining out, creating recipes and exploring Puerto Vallarta's rich array of eateries. Famous for his restaurant guide, available online at CafePress.com or Lulu.com, Gary also writes restaurant reviews for Puerto Vallarta newspapers, Bay Area magazines, and now, a feature column for BanderasNews.com. Contact Gary at garyrbeck1(at)yahoo.com.
Click HERE for more articles by Gary R. Beck. |
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