15 Destination-Worthy Restaurants in the Mexican Caribbean | Eater

"Driving down the miles-long road to the Chablé Maroma property, you might wonder if you’re lost, almost hitting a wild baby pig as it races across the road. But then you’re welcomed into the wellness retreat with a Mayan cleansing ritual, smoke billowing. Once you’ve set an intention with the spa’s Mayan elder, you’ll be led to the restaurant to eat. Bu’ul, Mayan for bean, was created by Jorge Vallejo of two-Michelin-star Quintonil and recently nominated for both the world’s most original wine list as well as the best-designed wine list. It’s one of the only restaurants in Mexico recognized for its wine program, helmed by in-house sommelier Michael González. The dishes at Michelin-recommended Bu’ul are a lesson in how something seemingly ordinary isn’t ordinary at all. Before meals, families across Mexico will eat beans with tortillas, and a meal at Bu’ul starts the same way: with a bread course of rich, blended beans spooned onto homemade tortillas and drizzled with a trio of salsas. Even the simplest dish here has a thousand-year history, a terroir, and a story. Continue your meal with the Charred Mamey Tartare. Tossed with escamoles and served alongside a housemade sweet bread dotted with dried fruit, it’s paired with a Schloss Johannesburg riesling, which tastes like bobbing for fresh peaches and apricots in a shockingly cold ice bath. Move onto the J2:10 Mexican cabernet sauvignon and nebbiolo blend with the duck, which is dipped into a Oaxacan chichilo negro mole. Made of charred vegetables and thickened with masa, there’s something poetic about building a sauce around what’s been burnt and finding pleasure in the bitterness." - Lee Musho