People always looked at me incredulously when they find out that I have never been to Guavate. Well, after nearly five years of moving back to Puerto Rico, I can finally say that I have been to the island's quintessential gastronomic mecca. Mention Guavate, and lechon (roast pork) is what automatically comes to mind. Located in the town of Cayey, Guavate is only about 30 to 40 minutes south of San Juan. It attracts hordes of people, especially on weekends, and it's best to get there before midday. As you take exit #32 off of highway #52, bear left and you'll immediately find a number restaurants. Continue on this road for another 20 minutes or so until you see Los Pinos, which a friend of mine swears has the best lechon in Guavate.
Just a little further away from Los Pinos is El Rancho Original, where we had lunch. Turns out this was also where the Travel Channel's Samantha Brown had lechon when she came to the island. Guavate is a wonderful place to experience Puerto Rican culture. Not only is this mountain town a great destination known for its delectable lechoneras, but practically all of them have live salsa and merengue bands. The ambiance is lively and fun. Just remember, when visiting Guavate, go hungry and be prepared to eat your heart out! Buen provecho.
A few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised as I came across el mercado urbano ("urban market") at Plaza Las Américas (PLA), the largest mall on the island. It was strange seeing a farmer's market there but it was great to see locally-grown produce and food products. There were pineapples, papayas, bananas, tomatoes, honey, goat's milk, candy and much more. For the first time in my life, I bought a bag of mesclun salad at a mall that was grown in Ciales. Although it didn't come cheap, at $4 for a small bag, I am more than happy to support local farmers.
I had previously written about Puerto Rico's heavy reliance on food imports, which is estimated at around 80%. Sadly, the agricultural sector does not play a significant role in the local economy. The island certainly has the climate and the terrain to grow crops, but the work is arduous and the economic returns are dismal. The local government is aware of this situation and is now trying to re-activate and support agricultural activity on the island.
Puerto Rico's Department of Agriculture and the Bank of Economic Development (Banco de Desarollo Económico) are the two government agencies which organized el mercado urbano. It was first launched in December of last year, and it is usually held in Condado's Ventana al Mar. This is the first time in which el mercado urbano was held at PLA. According to most of the farmers and vendors, it was a huge success as PLA is a heavily transited shopping mall. It was a terrific idea to promote this farmer's market at such a venue. In times when the island has a serious obesity issue, greater access to fresh fruit and vegetables can perhaps encourage people to eat healthier. For those of you who are, or will be, on the island, el mercado urbano will be held until this Sunday, May 30th on the first level of PLA, as part of the Plaza Food Fest event. For future urban market events, best thing to do is check the local paper for dates and locations.
(The picture above was taken during my first visit to el mercado urbano in Condado in April).
It was a national holiday, Three Kings Day (Día de Reyes), today and we decided to go on a road trip! Although Puerto Rico is not a big island, there just always seems to be a new place to be discovered. About two months ago, when we visited Hacienda San Pedro, we had passed by a sign which said "Lago Dos Bocas" (it literally translates to "Two Mouth Lake") in Utuado. I thought to myself then, we'll have to go sometime. Lago Dos Bocas is generally a place where people go to eat fish. Today, we had no problem getting there, since the roads were clearly marked. From San Juan, we needed to head west, it took us just about an hour and fifteen mintues or so to get to the dock. There are two public ferries, and most restaurants have their own private boats to shuttle customers back and forth.
During the ferry ride, we saw several restaurants, most of which serve comida criolla (Puerto Rican cuisine). As it was a holiday, I called in advance to see which restaurants would be open. I would highly recommend visitors to do so, since many of them only open on weekends. The place we ended up eating at is called Restaurante Otoao, where the food was excellent and the service was superb! (Note: I am not affiliated with Restaurant Otoao). I ordered a mofongo relleno de pescado (mashed plantains with fish) and it was delicious. Most people who go to Lago Dos Bocas are not tourists but Puerto Ricans who come from all over the island to eat great food and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The lake is surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation. I highly recommend a visit to Lago Dos Bocas!
Rice and beans (arroz y habichuela) is a staple of Puerto Rican cuisine. Most people eat it at least once a day, some even eat it for breakfast. As much as I like eating comida criolla (local Puerto Rican food), I don't eat it everyday. I'm not a health nut, and I don't follow a specific diet, but I do try to avoid eating a lot of red meat. Unfortunately, comida criolla is meat-heavy. One of the things which I do miss about living in New York is the food! Chinatown, Koreantown, Curry Hill, the East Village, and the list goes on, were some of the neighborhoods which I often ate at. Of course, when speaking of New York's restaurant scene to that of Puerto Rico's is like comparing apples and oranges.
For those looking for something besides your traditional rice and beans in Puerto Rico, all is not lost. Here's a list of my favorite non-Puerto Rican eating establishments on the island (most are in the San Juan-metro area):
For a more detailed listing of restaurants located throughout the island, check out Sal PR. Unfortunately, the Website is only in Spanish. Some of the search functions don't work very well but it's perhaps the most comprehensive guide we have in Puerto Rico. (Please note: I am not in any way affiliated with Sal PR or any of the restaurants listed above). (Photo above is of Casa Bavaria's schnitzel)
In the most unlikely places in Puerto Rico, you'll find some of the most delicious German and comida criolla!Morovis, a town practically right in the middle of the island, is home to Casa Bavaria. I had read about this restaurant in the paper a long time ago, and was always curious to try their food. For passionate foodies, or those who simply want to try authentic, foreign cuisines, Puerto Rico can be quite disappointing. However, Casa Bavaria has proven to be the exception.
Besides the traditional German delicacies, like schnitzel and bratwurst, you'll also find mofongo, tostones, and other typical comida criolla. Affordable prices and top-notch food is hard to find in San Juan, where most of the best restaurants charge exorbitant prices. Although it's nothing fancy, it's a dining-hall type of establishment, Casa Bavaria is truly a culinary paradise on the island. Just about an hour Southwest of San Juan, Morovis is easy to get to, although the road can get quite narrow and curvy once you approach Casa Bavaria. Gorgeous mountain views can be enjoyed from most of the tables in the restaurant, and I'm so glad I brought my camera!
Puerto Rico does in fact celebrate Thankgsiving ("Día de Acción de Gracias"). This is usually done with family gatherings and making turkey and the whole nine yards but.... with a twist. You'll find the bird seasoned with adobo or stuffed with cassava or plantains and meat. In spanish, it's called pavo relleno de yuca y carne. I've never tried it before but it sounds good to me. I usually make my turkey with cornbread stuffing or with regular white bread. Shopping for pumpkin puree was quite a challenge this year though. I couldn't find it anywhere and was about to give up until I went to Walgreens. Yeah, can you believe it? Of all places, Walgreens was where I found a can of Libby's pumpkin puree! As pathethic as this may sound, it really made my day!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for many reasons. In general, I think we don't say "thank you" enough to those who make our lives possible and wonderful. I've been guilty for taking many things and people for granted in my life. However, as I've gotten older, I think I've gotten better at recognizing this fact and appreciating all the little things in life. I've been very fortunate to have the most wonderful circle of family and friends and I am truly grateful for their love and support. They're also the ones who keep me sane and grounded!
After several days of rain, the sun was back in full force today. It has been a while since our last road trip, so we decided it was time to go out for another adventure. This time, I chose Salinas
because I was in the mood for some seafood. For those of you who have never been to Salinas, it is in the southern part of Puerto Rico and it's a little less than an hour away from San Juan. It's a small, rugged little town known for its seafood restaurants.
This is my second time in Salinas. The last time I was there was on New Years' Day 2007. It was a ghost town, nothing was open but I always wanted to go back and try some of its seafood. All the restaurants and food vendors are a stone's throw away from the beach. We ate at a place that wasn't too bad. The paella we ordered wasn't the best, but the empanadillas we ordered were fantastic! Empanadillas are fried turnovers. We ordered two, one filled with lobster and the other with squid.
There are a lot of seafood restaurants throughout the island, but I would have to say that Puerto Rican cuisine is primarily focused on meat. It was a bit far traveling to Salinas just for seafood but I enjoyed every minute of it. I like discovering and exploring the little towns, with its pretty plazas and churches. It's as if you've stepped back into the past. What I liked about Salinas is how uncommercialized it is. You'll see a lot of small shacks selling empanadillas. It comes as no surprise why many boricuas come from all parts of the island to kick back and enjoy some good food.
People always looked at me incredulously when they find out that I have never been to Guavate. Well, after nearly five years of moving back to Puerto Rico, I can finally say that I have been to the island's quintessential gastronomic mecca. Mention Guavate, and lechon (roast pork) is what automatically comes to mind. Located in the town of Cayey, Guavate is only about 30 to 40 minutes south of San Juan. It attracts hordes of people, especially on weekends, and it's best to get there before midday. As you take exit #32 off of highway #52, bear left and you'll immediately find a number restaurants. Continue on this road for another 20 minutes or so until you see Los Pinos, which a friend of mine swears has the best lechon in Guavate.
Just a little further away from Los Pinos is El Rancho Original, where we had lunch. Turns out this was also where the Travel Channel's Samantha Brown had lechon when she came to the island. Guavate is a wonderful place to experience Puerto Rican culture. Not only is this mountain town a great destination known for its delectable lechoneras, but practically all of them have live salsa and merengue bands. The ambiance is lively and fun. Just remember, when visiting Guavate, go hungry and be prepared to eat your heart out! Buen provecho.
