Category: Feast in South America

The end of the road in José Ignacio, Uruguay
Travel to Uruguay’s famous small town /

Depending on when you travel to Uruguay’s José Ignacio, you could either find a sleepy fishing village or a crowded jet setter’s playground. Chances are, you will love José Ignacio either way, as there is just so much to fall in love with. Well off the beaten path and fantastically difficult to get to, José Ignacio combines some of our favorite things in one place: untouched beaches, casual but fabulous food, and a chill vibe. Lunch at the rustic beach shack Parador La Huella, a Jose Ignacio see-and-be-seen scene, starts at 2pm and runs into dinner.

Travel to Uruguay For José Ignacio’s Under the Radar glam

Dirt roads with hand-painted signs add to the casual chic-ness of José Ignacio. But don’t be fooled, it is incredibly under-the-radar glam. Tiny pop-up boutiques along the beach roads are charming and then juxtaposed with a bright red Ferrari, which you soon realize isn’t unusual in José Ignacio. Imagine the Hamptons fifty years ago, as that starts to give you an idea of what to expect from this tiny strip of land, sandwiched between two beaches, a little over an hour from Montevideo.

As we decided to travel to Uruguay in the off-season, there were fewer Ferraris and more bicycles, and we were able to get around easily enough. Our resort, Bahia Vik, had bikes on hand for all of us, but we could have just as happily walked into town. The long vast beach line was so untouched and relatively tourist-free in March, perfect for kite flying as we soon discovered. There are so few people and so much to explore along the craggy coast.

At one point, my husband started to look for music to accompany his beach yoga session and quickly realized that he was already listening to the perfect playlist, the beach sounds were soft and soothing. No Spotify is necessary.

Travel to Uruguay For José Ignacio’s Estancia Vik

My daughter and I took advantage of Bahia Vik’s sister property, Estancia Vik, which is ten minutes away, for a half-day horseback ride. Horses are generally not my thing, but the riding was gentle, and the scenery majestic. Trotting along the expanse of rolling hills of the estancia for a few hours was incredibly peaceful and serene. It is surprising to see the landscape change from sand, dunes, and rock to pure forest in the span of a few miles.

We spent six nights in this little corner of Uruguay and could have stayed longer. It was a lifestyle I could see myself adopting. I imagine the high season is as crazy as the low season is sleepy. About a mile down the beach from us was the third Vik property, Playa Vik, which was severe and angular, and thoroughly modern in design.

The pool, with its dark blue water and underlighting of stars, jutted out towards the sea like a knife. I have never seen another pool like it. We ordered the house wine and sat on the pool’s edge for sunset more than once. Then, we retreated to the nearby firepit to get warm as the sun disappeared.

Travel to Uruguay For A touch of France in José Ignacio

One restaurant that kept drawing us back (until the waiter knew not only our wine choice but our kids’ names) was Almacen El Palmar. The menu is French, surprisingly. Part bakery, part market, part outdoor garden, it is intriguing mostly because of how unassuming it looks.

A hand-painted group of signs greets you on the path, pointing you toward Peru, Spain, and Japan. The France sign points you to the front door. It looks so low-key you might not expect anything from the food. We loved the low-buzzy atmosphere (and the food!) so much that we went back three times. An unusual move for a family that prides itself on never doing the same thing twice.

While there was much to do in and around José Ignacio, such as horseback riding, olive oil tastings, and touring nearby Punta del Este, we realized the most beautiful thing about José Ignacio was just settling into it and letting go.

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Travel to Uruguay For A Taste Of Tannat

Tannat is the bold, savory, spicy red grape that has put Uruguayan wines on the map. Bodega Garzón is a perfectly modern, slick, 85-million-dollar property from which to taste it. Uruguay has much to offer oenophiles the world over. Lovingly called the Tuscany of Uruguay, wine lovers travel to Uruguay to experience the unique wines and admire the rolling hills and hectares of vines.

Travel to Uruguay

Travel to Uruguay for the wine, the beaches, the beach shacks, and the remote hotels. Stay for the vibe and the scenery. José Ignacio’s under-the-radar style is a breath of fresh air—miles from the expected. Time to get there before the secrets of José Ignacio are secrets no longer.

Check availability at Bahia Vik here!

Five reasons to get lost in José Ignacio, Uruguay:
- The starry-bottomed architectural and gravitational wonder of a pool at Playa Vik.
- Trying the Tannat, Uruguay’s star red grape.
- Sinking into a three-hour lunch at Parador La Huella…barefoot.
- The nightly fire pits at Bahia Vik and Play Vik will motivate you not only to have one more drink but to maybe engage in conversations with strangers.
- Opening the doors to Playa Vik around sunset, and being temporarily blinded by rays as you head out towards the pool. Remember that scene in Indiana Jones when the sun finally hits the staff in the right place to reveal the location of the ark? That kind of blinding light.
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March 1, 2023
The Vines, Mendoza—Culinary Highlights and Amazing Adventures

Mendoza, Argentina /

Francis Mallmann may be one of the top chefs in the Americas, but as of January 2016, we had never heard of him. That is, until one snowy night at home we saw his episode of the Netflix docu-series, Chef’s Table. Each episode highlights a chef from around the world, and the footage and scenery intertwined with the food can be mesmerizing, especially if you watch it when you are hungry!

Part of what makes Mallmann unique is his use of cooking on open flames, whether that be above ground or underground, and never in an expected way.

So when the show zeroed in on his Argentine restaurant in the Uco Valley of Mendoza, Siete Fuegos (literally Seven Fires), which is in a resort called The Vines, nestled at the base of the Andes mountains, we headed straight for the computer and booked on the spot. A spontaneous and slightly alcohol-induced move, no doubt. From there, we built our two-week spring break holiday and didn’t look back.

Mendoza’s Top Winery/Luxury Resort

The Vines is a spectacular find. Set, as you’d imagine, around an expanse of vineyards, it is part winery and part luxury resort. You can take the complimentary bikes and explore the 1500 hectares of private vines, where you will inevitably stumble upon the free-standing, all-glass gym and rock climbing wall that rises above the grapes so that you have an unobstructed view of the Andes while you work out.

The villas at The Vines are beautifully decorated, I wanted to move in and stay there, it felt like a home, not a hotel. Stone hot tub, rooftop seating, complimentary iPads and Apple TV for entertainment, all the creature comforts of home, nestled along a path of desert-like gardens, it far exceeded our expectations.

The Siete Fuegos Experience at The Vines

We dined at Siete Fuegos more than once, the main restaurant at the resort. True to Argentine custom, dinners were served quite late (with service being much slower and leisurely than we were used to) and the Malbec flowed generously and at all hours. One night we left the kids behind and had one of the Mallmann’s Seven Fire dining experiences.

Set outside, yet within the open kitchen, and surrounded by the seven different ‘fires’, a table for 30 was set up for a long Argentine communal meal. As the night went on, and the courses came out, the decibel level got higher and higher.

Guests from Norway, Finland, Brazil, and Connecticut—everyone with a different story about how they found themselves here. The salmon had been baked in a cast iron skillet for hours and within a three-inch crust of salt. We had goat that had been strung up to a cage with an open bonfire-style fire surrounding it. It was a culinary adventure with a chef we had all traveled far and wide to see. No one was disappointed, it was a magical dinner experience.

Bodegas and Surprises in Mendoza

We were told we couldn’t leave Mendoza without lunch and a winery tour at Bodega La Azul. Due to an unexpected glitch, we found ourselves without a lunch reservation as planned. However, the owner said he would still happily take us on a tour of his boutique winery.

Falling into the category of ‘sometimes things happen for a reason’, we let nature take its course, although truth be told I was envious of all the guests being seated on the patio as we walked past. Maybe he saw my disappointment because he then told us about a family he knew that was opening a restaurant nearby out of their home. It sounded intriguing, so we got the address, took a leap of faith, and headed into the foothills to find El Paisano.

It was far from a restaurant; it was a home, but we ate one of the most authentic meals we could have hoped for, all eight traditional courses prepared and served by five members of a lovely Argentine family. We sat at a table on the banks of a freshwater stream, the kids found some fishing poles and tried their luck. Daniel and I sat with a bottle of wine and wondered how we ended up here. Oh, and the wine? La Azul, of course.

Check the Availability of The Vines Here!

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March 5, 2021