Full Belly Files | A Shotgun Blast of Foodie News

This edition of Full Belly Files was originally emailed to subscribers on November 11, 2022. To receive Matt Kettmann’s food newsletter in your inbox each Friday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

For this week’s edition of Full Belly Files, I’m downloading a ton of short but informational nuggets of food, wine, and travel news from Santa Barbara all the way down to Sayulita on the Riviera Nayarit of Mexico. We might as well start there.

All-Inclusive in Playa Mita

Last Wednesday to Sunday, my wife and I joined a dozen other friends — sans children! — at the all-inclusive Iberostar resort at Playa Mita, about a half-hour north of Puerto Vallarta and 10 minutes south of Sayulita. I’ve never really done the all-inclusive thing, thinking it was some cheapo way to vacation, but I was pretty impressed with the seaside resort and its various restaurants and bars. And they all feel free, since you’ve paid by the time you arrive.