Picking up on the latest culinary trends among Jalisco’s top chefs, savvy horticulturist Alberto Pantoja is venturing into new terrain at his Ajijic nursery, Vivero del Lago, with the cultivation of exotic microgreens.

Agave, avocado, cacao, chile, cotton, elephant foot, dahlias, milkweed, poinsettias, vanilla and zinnias are among 120 native Mexican plants spotlighted in a display garden just opened to the public under the auspices of the Museo Trompo Magico in the northern fringes of Zapopan.

When Audrey Hoffnung came as a very young bride to Mexico, she had stars in her eyes and, fortunately, a good sense of adventure and sportsmanship.

Over the years Guadalajara’s “Battle of the Malls” has left a legacy of derelict and half-empty shopping centers, most having met their demise due to improvised planning or inadequate market research.

Avenida Chapultepec’s newest restaurant, the Pinta Negra, is representing Guadalajara in a worldwide revolution to promote healthy eating.

Whoever wins Mexico’s presidential election on July 1, there will be one major issue that dominates their immediate agenda, perhaps even defining their entire term in office: how to confront organized crime.