iconLog In  |  Register

Slow down at Mañana on Isla Mujeres

When eating out, we are most thrilled when we come across undiscovered joints or exotic menus with interesting stuff that we've never tried before. While on a recent sun-seeking trip to Mexico, something changed our minds. We decided that we would rather hang out in familiar and comfortable surroundings. The restaurant that changed our minds was called Mañana (that's Spanish for "Tomorrow", as in "There's always tomorrow"). We discovered this little place on an island barely five miles long called Isla Mujeres ("Island of Women").

Isla Mujeres is a laidback little place that's just a 15-minute ferry ride from Cancun. Most people go to Isla for the beach and we have to agree that Isla's North Beach is one of the best we have ever been to. With long stretches of soft white sand and turquoise blue waters that are waist-deep for at least 1/4 mile from shore, this is the picture perfect beach scene that you've always dreamed about.

Although there are resorts and condos here, most of the island's local charm is still intact. Calle Hidalgo is the main street in downtown Isla and is lined with charming restaurants and shops for many blocks. Hotel rooms not listed on the Internet can still be found here for $20 a night. Without too much effort, we lucked into a $40-a-night apartment complete with a kitchen, a balcony, and an ocean view.

The food selection in Isla is designed to please an international clientele. One can find everything from gourmet Italian to authentic street food at reasonable Champaign-Urbana prices. In fact, that became the problem. Eating out in Isla is just like eating out in Champaign-Urbana minus the conch. Here we are on a beautiful Caribbean island and it's hard to find Mexican food more authentic than our own El Charro or pizza that's better than Papa Del's. Eating out became boring and we began to miss home — that is until we discovered Mañana.

Mañana is an interesting combination of a restaurant and a book store owned by Paolo (the Italian), Matias (the rasta dude from Argentina), and Keren (the artist from Israel). The menu was nothing to write home about — omelettes and pancakes for breakfast, baguettes and bagels for lunch, hummus and burgers for dinner. The prices were tourist prices — $3 for toast with butter and jam, $5 for lox and bagels without tomatoes. But we couldn't get enough of the charm and vibe of the place. The decor is hippie chic with an artistic flair. The music playing is usually reggae and the opening hours are somewhat flexible. As soon as we walked in, we felt happy. So we kept coming back.

Being a mom-and-pop restaurant, one of the owners is always at the counter with a welcoming smile on their face. Their relaxed attitude was contagious, the couch nice and soft, the colors bright and happy. Once you enter the place, you don't want to leave. Since Mañana was a two-block stroll from our apartment, it was difficult not to stop in every morning just to see what was going on. So we ended up doing something we've never done before — we went back to the same restaurant almost every day for almost two weeks. Our favorite dish turned out to be their Greek Salad and our favorite drink was their Big Fruit Shake; both were prepared simply and tasted damn healthy.

Paolo, Matias, and Keren seem to be living their dream, running a little restaurant on a tropical island at their own pace in their own way. They seem genuinely happy and the restaurant reflects their inner glow. There are some lessons to be learned here. Life doesn't have to move at a breakneck speed. Slowing down can make everything more enjoyable, including the simple and the familiar. And reggae music makes everything better. We'll definitely be going back to Isla, and because we know Mañana is there, we might stay a little longer next time.

1 comments

username

paolo manzo

#1

hello…
i spend a lot of time in the manana restaurant and ,for mi , is the best way to know the island…
special food,incredible service ,and the owner always there ,ready to tell teh best plate or drink….really a special plate and the falafel plate ....mmmmmm wonderfull memory..
thank manana,and rermember if you can today ..tomorrow..manana paolo


Add A Comment

A note about our commenting policy.


Comment
  1.  captcha arrow

Most Recent Food Comments

emma reaux avatar

I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…

{username}

Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.

Joel Gillespie avatar

@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.

Rob McColley avatar

“more beer is drank”   Awesome. Way to go “editors.“

Annie Weisner avatar

You left out the best part—you have to REMEMBER your number after the beer chugging!     Yeah, I’m a member.

{username}

Great article, man. Like you, I didn’t really know Daniel all that well, but I felt the impact of his death. I too was inspired by him and it pleases me to see that he continues to live on in the spirit of the community.

Justine Fein-Bursoni avatar

Thanks you guys…I love living in a community that can connect, share, and create through food. It’s inspiring…

{username}

<div> A beautiful recap of the evening and thank you for sharing why you find what the Fund is doing is inspiring. I haven’t been able to write too much about my feelings about the community’s loss of Dan yet either, but Dan has also inspired me…

{username}

Seth and Justine, thanks so much!  Through your writing and your photos, everyone can get at least a taste of what was served up Sunday night.  Dan would very much have liked that! As you say, our community is very much “fertile ground,“ and Dan had such…

{username}

That is perhaps the best article you have ever written… a love letter to Champaign-Urbana and the people who call it home.

Most Recent Comments

{username}

Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win. 

Dan Schreiber avatar

Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is.  But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…

{username}

Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…

{username}

I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get.  I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library.  None of those activities…

{username}

These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…

{username}

(speaking as a Savoy resident)  By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc.  This is how library systems work.  The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…

Rob McColley avatar

I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“

{username}

I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?

{username}

Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.

emma reaux avatar

I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…

Dan Schreiber avatar

And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.

Dan Schreiber avatar

The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.

Timbo avatar

Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.

Timbo avatar

What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…

{username}

Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.

{username}

Thanks for the article, Ben.  I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar.  A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…

{username}

Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…

Joel Gillespie avatar

@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.

Tracy Nectoux avatar

Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.

Ben Valocchi avatar

good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…

Log In



Auto-login on future visits

Forgot your password?