John Gray's Place
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The problem with having “Fave Spots” that are not in your hometown, is that they are not in your hometown. On the upside it does add one more reason to make more frequent visits to one of my favorite holiday destinations, Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Visiting John Gray’s Place alone may not justify the cost of airfare to Mexico, but it’s close.
I first experienced John Gray’s Place in the months following Hurricane Wilma (Wilma struck in October of 2005.) On a side note, we were struck with similarly damaging media dis-information (simply swap hurricane with influenza). The usual suspects had reported that Playa del Carmen had been “devastated” by the hurricane further painting a mental image of a town in ruin. While there was certainly damage, the town was far from devastated.
Back on point, John Gray’s Place was one of the establishments that had suffered hurricane damage. At the time, the restaurant’s dining room was located on the cozy and eclectic second floor, which was nestled in the tree branches. On my first visit to John Gray’s this dining room was closed for repairs and the kitchen was running a very abbreviated menu served in the ground floor bar. This is also when I first met John Gray. While looking over the menu I found a few things of interest but nothing was jumping out at me. John asked, “What are you in the mood for?” In the following minutes we discussed food and wine and my current cravings. He got up and said, “I think I know what I can do.” Minutes later plates starting coming out and I was hooked. Everything was tremendous and best of all I got to experience the true genius of the chef and his establishment. At John Gray’s Place, the menu is always changing.
John Gray’s Place in Playa del Carmen is the chef’s second place in the Riviera Maya. The first spot was opened in nearby Puerto Morelos in 2001. From the very early days this restaurant was met with great critical success and soon became a favorite among locals. Built on this success John Gray built his Playa del Carmen restaurant in 2004. 2008 was a bust year for the chef who had earned his stripes as an executive chef with the Ritz Carlton Hotel group. He opened in downtown Cancun, a second place in Puerto Morelos (La Suegra), and completely revamped his Playa del Carmen location.
John Gray’s Place in Playa del Carmen was always thick with charm and style but the new edition is terrific. The restaurant is still located on Calle Corazón, a small side street filled with boutiques right off of Playa’s main street, 5th Avenue. The original spot was on the right with 5th to your back. The bar was located right inside the entrance and the dining room was upstairs. In December of 2008 the primary dining room was relocated directly across Calle Corazon creating a natural out door dining room in the 10-meter space between the two structures. The original bar is now known as “The Den” and the newly built dining room has the same feel as the old spot with dark woods and soft lighting.
Of course, the food is as good as ever. Dishes enjoyed on this most recent trip include: grilled chicken with cilantro pesto, goat cheese pizza, and spicy tuna roll. The menu is as eclectic as ever. I also had what may be new favorite burger in the Den one evening while watching a game. It’s thick, fresh ground beef with melted Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and lettuce served on a chiabata roll with thick cut fries. It was far from “just a burger” and I am already having dreams about it just as I am of a return visit to Playa del Carmen and John Gray’s Place.
I first experienced John Gray’s Place in the months following Hurricane Wilma (Wilma struck in October of 2005.) On a side note, we were struck with similarly damaging media dis-information (simply swap hurricane with influenza). The usual suspects had reported that Playa del Carmen had been “devastated” by the hurricane further painting a mental image of a town in ruin. While there was certainly damage, the town was far from devastated.
Back on point, John Gray’s Place was one of the establishments that had suffered hurricane damage. At the time, the restaurant’s dining room was located on the cozy and eclectic second floor, which was nestled in the tree branches. On my first visit to John Gray’s this dining room was closed for repairs and the kitchen was running a very abbreviated menu served in the ground floor bar. This is also when I first met John Gray. While looking over the menu I found a few things of interest but nothing was jumping out at me. John asked, “What are you in the mood for?” In the following minutes we discussed food and wine and my current cravings. He got up and said, “I think I know what I can do.” Minutes later plates starting coming out and I was hooked. Everything was tremendous and best of all I got to experience the true genius of the chef and his establishment. At John Gray’s Place, the menu is always changing.
John Gray’s Place in Playa del Carmen is the chef’s second place in the Riviera Maya. The first spot was opened in nearby Puerto Morelos in 2001. From the very early days this restaurant was met with great critical success and soon became a favorite among locals. Built on this success John Gray built his Playa del Carmen restaurant in 2004. 2008 was a bust year for the chef who had earned his stripes as an executive chef with the Ritz Carlton Hotel group. He opened in downtown Cancun, a second place in Puerto Morelos (La Suegra), and completely revamped his Playa del Carmen location.
John Gray’s Place in Playa del Carmen was always thick with charm and style but the new edition is terrific. The restaurant is still located on Calle Corazón, a small side street filled with boutiques right off of Playa’s main street, 5th Avenue. The original spot was on the right with 5th to your back. The bar was located right inside the entrance and the dining room was upstairs. In December of 2008 the primary dining room was relocated directly across Calle Corazon creating a natural out door dining room in the 10-meter space between the two structures. The original bar is now known as “The Den” and the newly built dining room has the same feel as the old spot with dark woods and soft lighting.
Of course, the food is as good as ever. Dishes enjoyed on this most recent trip include: grilled chicken with cilantro pesto, goat cheese pizza, and spicy tuna roll. The menu is as eclectic as ever. I also had what may be new favorite burger in the Den one evening while watching a game. It’s thick, fresh ground beef with melted Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and lettuce served on a chiabata roll with thick cut fries. It was far from “just a burger” and I am already having dreams about it just as I am of a return visit to Playa del Carmen and John Gray’s Place.
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