Sincerely yours A

stone’s throw away from the future La Plancha park to the north is Luciérnagas y Cosmonautas (Fireflies and Cosmonauts), a small restaurant created by Abril Batún and Natalia Sánchez.

This gem — located in an area that may at first glance seem a little chaotic and caught up in the city’s rapid development—is the perfect opportunity to duck in and out of the hustle and bustle of the street to catch your breath and have a delicious bite to eat. The decor is unassuming and minimalist yet warm and welcoming. Soft music flows into the dining area from the kitchen. The furniture is simple, and the colors are sober and sharp.

Modestly small, there is a tiny kitchen, a small waiting area in the entryway, and only three tables in the dining room. The opening hours are limited and vary depending on the day.

The menu is perhaps a little atypical, offering a range of dishes from quail tacos, pastas, and castacán quesadillas, to meat-free options. Reading through the menu, it is clear that Abril and Natalia apply their creative flair to every dish.

The vegetarian plantain enmoladas caught our eye as the mole for this dish is prepared with eggplant. The flavorful sauce and tart cream garnish proved to be good counterparts to the sweet plantains.

We also ordered the Chicken Sando with xcatic mayo slaw and pickled local cucumber. The sandwich bread and burger buns are made in-house. The sandwich was delicious (crunchy, juicy, soft, and tasty), and we would definitely go back for another.

While we were still eating, we saw a handsome dessert pass by on its way to another table, and we immediately ordered the same: pecan tartlet with ice cream and café especiado inspired by the traditional café de olla. The pastry was crisp, and the filling was rich and just sweet enough, not at all cloying, when eaten with a bit of the ice cream.

It is immediately clear that the couple’s strong convictions guide the project. Fiercely independent, they set up the restaurant with the intention of using the proceeds to fund their other artistic projects (photography, writing, and a larger restaurant, to name but a few). Each aspect and detail has been thoughtfully and carefully created as an authentic, sincere expression of themselves.

The food itself is made to be enjoyed by others, but above all is what they want to serve, without pretensions, a cocina sincera. Natalia explains: “This isn’t gold, it’s barro [clay].”

Abril’s cuisine is not about creating fancy, elaborate dishes, or showing off techniques learned by rote at culinary school. Instead, each dish shows how beauty can be found even in the ordinary and in life’s simplicity and brevity. A cliché, but in this case, very true: this is honest food made with much love.

Luciérnagas y Cosmonautas, Calle 48 between 55 and 57, La Mejorada, Mérida. Open Monday and Tuesday 7 a.m. to noon; Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. @_luciernagasycosmonautas

Yucatán’s Top 5 microbrews

Fifteen years ago, craft beers in Yucatán were a disappointing proposition. Today, artisanal brewers here are preparing some delicious and unique microbrews. In no particular order, here are our favorite lesser-known brands.

» Phelddagrif Blonde Ale (Thodes Ale) is much more amber in color than one would expect. It is smooth and easy to drink but a little lacking in body. It leaves no aftertaste, pairing particularly well with some tacos de picaña. The names of their beers make reference to Nordic mythology and feature labels with bizarre mythological creatures. Facebook: @Thodes.Ale.Brewery

» Session IPA by Casa Pinillos is a really solid India Pale Ale by any measure, and probably the best domestic take on IPA I’ve had. Hints of citrus were extremely refreshing, but its aroma is more like pineapple. West Coast IPAs are known for being low in malt content, very clear, and dry with a focus on the hops. Facebook: @casapinillosbrewing

» American Stout by Fervor has a color that suggests a stronger body, but this is not the case. American Stout’s hints of coffee and chocolate are not exactly my cup of tea, though my companion seemed to enjoy it. After drinking half the bottle, a subtle aftertaste began to develop that was compensated by a wonderful aroma. @cervezafervor

» Cerveza de Miel by Acasillados achieves a great balance between hops and honey. In all honesty, I expected a novelty beer. I was mistaken. If you did not know right off the bat that this beer is infused with honey, you might have a hard time putting your finger on the source of the sweet taste. This beer went down extremely easily and was extremely light. @acasillados

» Laguer Habanero by Laak also sounds like a novelty beer, but it’s not. At the first sip, the taste of habanero is barely discernible. Maybe about one-third of the way through, the pepper’s unmistakable tingle asserts itself. Not that at any point it became overly spicy. Facebook: @Cerveza_Laak

—Carlos Rosado van der Gracht