I don’t think the sight of a leaping sailfish will ever get old, and the constantly-changing menu keeps things fresh, but nevertheless there are always slight changes that enhance the extremely special experience at Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala. Here are five that we noticed in February of 2023.

We’ve gone twice to Casa Vieja Lodge to target sailfish (and perhaps marlin), but one nice aspect of the fishery is that there are various other species to catch, whether intentionally or unintentionally. If you’re fortunate to catch a mahi or tuna in the morning, you can eat it minutes later.

I love soup. It can be gumbo or split pea or chowder or gazpacho, and no matter the season I’ve got to have it. The first time Hanna met my parents I promised her that my dad would mess up his shirt at some point during the dinner, but I was the one who dropped a big spoonful of soup on my shirt almost immediately. It didn’t matter – I got the girl, I got my soup, and the stain came out in the wash.

I’m not the kind of guy who craves steak, especially if it’s just average or subpar (Rodney: “still has marks from where the jockey was hitting it), but a few times a year I need a really prime cut and I splurge on an upscale steakhouse. The best I’ve ever had was the bone-in ribeye at Mastro’s in Scottsdale, Arizona, but I’ve also enjoyed the porterhouse at Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn, I’ve dined at Chicago’s Gene & Georgetti, and a few times a year we hit the gluttony-based-destination known as Fogo de Chao where I go overboard on their prime top sirloin known as picanha.