Mexico and Argentina, and she did not spend all of her formative years in Mérida. She traveled back and forth and, during one of her stays in Yucatán, she wondered why there weren’t more clubs with live music downtown. A friend suggested that she start her own place. The idea buzzed around in her brain until she finally did so in 1993. “Like my colleague, Míriam, I wanted to name my restaurant for someone I admired, Dr. Jesús Amaro Gamboa. He was rector of the UADY in 1936 where he championed students’ rights. Dr. Amaro was a master of diverse pursuits, such as biology, literature, and philosophy. It was an honor to know him.” Nowadays, Amaro ranks as a favorite spot to enjoy a few drinks or a meal al fresco and listen to trova — the music genre that has flourished in Yucatán since the 1890s. Because both women work right in the heart of the city, they say hey have a true perspective on all its potential and its challenges. “Understandably many people fall in love with Mérida and look for a way to live here. A lot of them seem to believe that starting their own business in such a magical place must be relatively easy,” says Míriam, “but overcrowding and excessive noise in the downtown core are issues that must be resolved before more growth is viable.” On the other hand, they feel there is great potential for entrepreneurs in the state’s smaller cities. Stimulating investment in these places would promote more employment opportunities, and more services would be available to the citizens. For the investor, creating a business in a new place would provide a chance to have both a satisfying lifestyle and work environment. “Of course, in a different locale or in a new job, success is dependent on many variables. But you need to keep chopping onions,” says Míriam. Olga looks puzzled by the reference, so Míriam explains, “When you chop a lot of onions they make you cry. But you keep on chopping because you know they’ll wake up the flavor of the dish you’re making. And the same is true when you need to resolve an issue that prevents you from creating the life you want, you need to stay consistent, work like crazy, and keep on chopping onions!” BY JOANNA van der GRACHT de ROSADO PHOTO LEE STEELE
Mary Valle From criminal attorney to Yucatán’s Scoop Goddess
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ce cream heaven began out of hellish circumstances, and I am grateful. Mary Valle, known as the Scoop Goddess, started her business after Pho MX, a popular Vietnamese restaurant she managed, became a lockdown casualty. But when she started Ela2, she was the happy face we looked forward to seeing, especially during those difficult days. When she was 8, her family moved from Spain to Mexico, where she pursued a career as a criminal attorney and worked for the federal Supreme Court. Then one day, the family started looking toward Mérida as a possible place for her parents to retire. Mary’s husband, Juan Barragán, was transferred here by his company, and in a whirlwind move five years ago, here they are. When the restaurant closed, they put their heads together and connected with a previous family trade: It turns out that ice cream is in her husband’s family tradition. So they decided to start making sorbets. Seeing a niche to fill, she then learned to make all-natural ice cream, sugar-free, and vegan. The name Ela2 (“ee-la-dos”) is a play on words that mixes the Spanish word for ice cream — helados — and the Periodic Table of Elements, a sly reference to her parents’ careers as chemists. “I wanted a product that would make people happy but also that individual connection to each person in my community,” says Mary, who still delivers the product personally when not stationed at her table at the Slow Foods Market each Saturday. Mary also sells at Slow Food Mérida Norte, Tribu Ketzal, Natural Thangs Farmers Market in Chelem, and Crocodiles Restaurant in Progreso. Some restaurants carry it on their dessert menus, often with exclusive flavors, such as Butterscotch Whiskey at Hennessy’s Irish Pub. The business is growing, but Mary states, “I want to continue to deliver my product. I find many people living alone who really appreciate good conversation.” Find Mary on Facebook at Scoop Goddess VIP. BY MAGGIE CALE
YUCATÁN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 8
PHOTO LAURA SÁNCHEZ 29
