The places shaking up San Juan’s culinary scene
San Juan has earned a reputation as the culinary capital of the Caribbean so it is constantly evolving with eating-out options ready to satisfy the wildly different tastes of local and international diners, from fans of Puerto Rican cooking and fast-food brands to gourmands seeking memorable eating experiences.
San Juan has earned a reputation as the culinary capital of the Caribbean so it is constantly evolving with eating-out options ready to satisfy the wildly different tastes of local and international diners, from fans of Puerto Rican cooking and fast-food brands to gourmands seeking memorable eating experiences.
What feeds this perennially shifting gastronomic scene? New concepts introduced by the culinary impresarios opening restaurants in San Juan and let’s not forget that creative culinary trends, like the savory aromas wafting in the air during cooking, sooner or later reach Puerto Rico from the kitchens of the world to be taken up by adventurous local chefs.
The latest concept to hit San Juan is “vibe dining,” an enhanced eating experience that turns a restaurant into a mix of hip club and entertainment, courtesy of dancing waiters and a live DJ amping the music volume up as the night burns.
STK San Juan, which The One Group Hospitality, Inc., opened at the luxe Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in the heart of San Juan’s tourist sector, kicked off this new trend on the island after having been successfully tested in the U.S. and abroad.
Think of STK as modern steakhouse meets chic lounge, a fusion splendidly pulled off in an exciting space that is at once hip and glamorous. The restaurant, which accommodates 188 people, is divided into a hip bistro area decked out with high chair tables and a stylish dining area with creamy, semi-circular banquettes and dramatic crystal vases, filled with glass gems, from which long-stemmed fabric flowers shoot out. The color scheme is black with hot flashes of red. Everything having to do with sight, service, sound and light is controlled.
The menu focuses on top quality meat (Linz Heritage Black Angus in portions of 6 to 34 ounces), combining classic STK staples and Smith creations such as a stewed rabbit served over a bed of arepas. He likes using the flavors, colors and textures of Caribbean cuisine, favoring such locally-sourced vegetables as malanga and yuca. So far, Filet Mignon and Tomahawk steak, which is dry-aged between 33 and 44 days, are big favorites among diners. Another winner is the Cloud dessert, deconstructed strawberry shortcake topped with ice cream, wrapped in cotton candy, splashed with Grand Marnier and dramatically torched to the delight of everyone.
For pre- or after-dinner drinks, lounge at the bar sipping STK classics like Cucumber Stiletto and Not Your Daddy’s Old Fashioned or cocktails created with Puerto Rico in mind like Ventana del Mar, Curious Jorge, Not a Paloma, and Condado 75.
The company already has 20 STKs in major metropolitan cities in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. And now San Juan is its stepping stone into the Caribbean.
Another trend that continues to gain ground in Puerto Rico is farm-to-table with many chefs now using a significant percentage of homegrown ingredients in creating their dishes.
Vianda takes up the challenges and delights of this trend out of a cozy locale with a mellow ambiance and understated decor tucked on the ground floor of a commercial building in the heart of Santurce. The restaurant’s large bay windows look onto busy by day, quiet by night Ponce de Leon Avenue.
The menu at Vianda mixes the familiar with the unexpected, resulting in most intriguing combinations. Like the recently featured pig head “carpaccio” with pickled vegetables and grilled sourdough or the mature plantain torte with crispy pork belly and bacon topped by a balsamic glaze. Entrees might include a USDA-Prime Strip Loin but, for the more adventurous diner, there is a Tom Kha Cod served in a coconut broth with mushrooms, chili oil and crispy rice or a pork trio — belly, cheek, and sausage — with yuca and a confit of peppers.
Vianda is a great place to stop over for happy hour. The restaurant has a fine wine list at sensible prices and you might want to try an appetizer or two for a taste of what Vianda offers.
Most local diners that come to Vianda are excited that the concept is a little different but it can be confusing for some people to wrap their heads around the fact that it is not criollo cuisine.
Overall, there is a demand and desire for fresh, delicious food and people are eager for more diversity of cuisine.
Fresh, local ingredients and an eclectic menu also distinguish San Juan’s Wicked Lily that is situated at The Tryst Beachfront Hotel in Condado.
Wicked Lily is a beachfront space where you feel good. The recipe: ingredients are simple and fresh.
On the menu you will find a spin of classic cuisines made into sophisticated dishes that bring together interesting combinations of flavors. Like bacalitos, quarter sized fried marinated cod fish served with squash blossoms, artichokes, chili pepper and lemon aioli; lobster guacamole made with chilled Maine lobster and smashed avocados served with local chips; Truffle Wings prepared with crispy boneless wings, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, gorgonzola crumbs and truffle buffalo sauce; and Chicharron of Calamari served with sweet and sour peanut sauce, mezclum, sesame seeds and roasted peanut with togarashi.
For the restaurant’s sipping menu, there is an array of concocted unusual combinations of spirits, liqueurs, spices and herbs to create drinks like Melao Melao Melao (Bombay Sapphire, St. Germain, sage, yuzu and egg white) and Lily’s Colada (Myers rum, roasted pineapple, coconut water, nutmeg cream).
Cutting-edge restaurants are but one segment of Puerto Rico’s diversified food scene which includes casual restaurants and the popular fast-food brands that many people, pressed for time or short on cash, depend on regularly. This sector too is seeing more choices and locations opening up.
Metropol, a well-known local chain specializing in Puerto Rico’s criollo cuisine, opened its 10th casual dining restaurant at exclusive The Mall of San Juan. The restaurant prides in its selection of traditional dishes and its own classics like stuffed chicken, stuffed mofongo (mashed plantains served with different meats and fish), and Can Can Porkchop.
A new stateside brand that set up a local presence is Red Lobster. The well-known chain chose Plaza Las Americas, the biggest mall in the island and the Caribbean, as the location for its first local restaurant. This addition has proved good news to everyone familiar with this chain known for its generous portions of seafood.
San Juan’s food scene would not be complete without the presence of food trucks, a popular alternative that continues to offer new eating options to the public. At Miramar Food Truck Park, “Que Toston” delivers “comida criolla” of such perfection that it already has a fan club, including former San Juan resident David Vos, host of his own Internet show, cookingwithonehand.com.
Meanwhile, an upscale take on the food truck has gotten attention for its concept and the fresh design of its ocean front locale in Condado. “La Marqueta” is a large, breezy metal frame hangar in which shipping containers kiosks are lined up along an open, central patio with no barriers which opens to the Atlantic Ocean, each specializing in a particular cuisine. People can go from one kiosk to another trying out different dishes and sit at patio tables. The furnishing is tropical, there are potted palms, and the whole ambience is one of delicious al fresco living tying the sensory experience of flavors, sounds, smells and tactile sensations with a maritime theme.
Culinary experiences feature Asian, Puerto Rican, Italian, Mexican, and Mediterranean dishes. The Asian menu features dishes from various regional cuisines, such as Japanese, Chinese, and Thai, with offerings including poke and sushi. Likewise, the Mediterranean menu brings together the culinary traditions of Turkey, Greece and Spain, with classics ranging from babaganush and falafel, kebabs, and paella. The Italian menu offers classics such as risotto, a selection of Panini, and artisanal pizzas, and the choices from the Mexican menu include an array of tacos, among others.
Seafood, vegetarian dishes and emblematic specialties curated from local ingredients are also on the menu. Beverages include fresh fruit cocktails as well as a variety of freshly squeezed juices from local fruits.
The Oyster Shack in Condado is a family business that started out of the love for eating fresh oysters, seafood and connecting with people in a fine dining ambiance. Freshly opened oysters, clams, crudo, and a variety of refreshing ceviche are the main attractions – dishes straight from the tide to your table.
Fresh seafood is seasonal, which means its daily selection can change. You may find on the menu wild mussels, steamed oysters and clams, garlic shrimp, octopus, mahi mahi and scallops all prepared with their special blend of freshly chopped parsley, white wine, garlic, Spanish olive oil, peppers and red onions.
At 1208 Ashford International Cuisine and Steakhouse, the finest steaks and high-quality seafood are served in a vibrant setting. The restaurant’s fine dining and rooftop areas will soon reopen with a special menu. Its diverse menu will satisfy any personal craving, as they serve the best prime steaks, succulent seafood and shellfish along with inventive and classically inspired side dishes and appetizers.
Chef specialties include, but not limited to, pan seared scallops with roasted sweet Brentwood corn, bouillabaisse, salmon caviar and sweet potato ginger mash; 8-ounce wagyu steak, exotic mushrooms, truffle au jus and saffron risotto; smoked dry aged duck breast, endive and citrus glaze as well as Yukon mashed potato; and the catch of the day in white wine, garlic butter sauce with grilled asparagus and roasted rosemary potatoes.
Also enjoy from the grill, tomahawk steak for two with foie gras and brandy sauce; New York steak, prime angus filet mignon, and ribeye with tasty sides of grilled asparagus, Brussel sprouts, sautéed vegetables, mashed potatoes, roasted rosemary potatoes and pigeon pea risotto.
Morton’s The Steakhouse, an internationally acclaimed steakhouse, at the iconic Caribe Hilton Hotel. This premier establishment has unmatched personalized service and signature steakhouse selections of primed-aged beef, succulent seafood, shareable sides, decadent desserts and an extensive award-winning wine collection. From the bar to the main dining area, guests can enjoy breathtaking panoramic ocean views.
Morton’s interior incorporates the area’s waterfront offering with floor-to-ceiling windows and stunning waterfront views in an elegant dining room ambiance with black patent crocodile leather booths and decorative glass within tiered light fixtures that reflect off smoked mirror columns.
In Old San Juan is Electric Wok, a new concept that takes fast food to another level. This restaurant provides fast and fresh cuisine in a casual setting. Guests are able to see the food preparation with its open kitchen concept. At Electric Wok you can create your own vision of stir fry using either fresh zucchini noodles or opting to add from its vast selection of succulent fried rice.
Also, Electric Wok prepares fresh flavorful cocktails such as the traditional mojitos and piña coladas however, the house specialty is called ‘Mi San Juan,’ which is made with a combination of fruits, Puerto Rican rum and a touch of agave in combination with edible seasonal flowers. The bar offers tapas, also referred to as bar snacks, that includes tempura wings with savory BBQ guava sauce or mouthwatering tuna tacos made of wonton croutons.
With so many new and exciting establishments with an eccentric mix of tastes, budgets, and influences opening in San Juan’s culinary scene, it no wonder why that diversity is what makes Puerto Rico, the culinary capital of the Caribbean.
Ponce is the culinary pearl of the south
Ponce, the “pearl” of a city on Puerto Rico’s south coast, entices visitors with a dazzling array of charms: its picturesque Caribbean coast, cultural treasures, hilltop castle and its unique Creole architecture with its turn of the century blending of Spanish, French and Caribbean traditions.
Ponce, the “pearl” of a city on Puerto Rico’s south coast, entices visitors with a dazzling array of charms: its picturesque Caribbean coast, cultural treasures, hilltop castle and its unique Creole architecture with its turn of the century blending of Spanish, French and Caribbean traditions.
So, it’s a bit disarming when you discover that on top of everything else it offers, Ponce is an amazing place to enjoy a meal, with culinary options as delightful and diverse as its cultural attributes.
Whether it’s fresh fish at a modest seaside restaurant, a traditional Spanish feast in a formal dining room, or a snack at La Guancha, Ponce flavors will satiate your craving with taste. From typical criollo fare to international fusion, Ponce restaurants will satisfy the most refined palate with culinary creations that hold their own against the best restaurants in the world. However, you’ll also discover unique tasty delights at city food stands, small eateries and food truck parks.
El Negocio de Panchi, housed in a modest wooden house on the outskirts of town, could be the best place to eat on the entire south coast. Scrumptious fresh gourmet food is served in a relaxed, affable ambiance, and the service staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Owner and Chef Francisco “Panchi” Zayas reinvents international dishes by infusing them with local creole flavor from an evolving weekly menu.
The exquisite results include appetizers like escargot in puffed pastry and mushrooms stuffed with prosciutto and manchego cheese, and main attractions like plantain crusted halibut in pepper sauce, duck breast in strawberry marmalade and chicken stuffed with Canadian bacon and cheddar cheese. The small spot, which opens Tuesday to Saturday at 4 p.m., is always crowded so reservations are recommended. Chef Panchi often ventures out to the dining room to schmooze with guests, and the kitchen is delighted to tailor make items to guest tastes or dietary restrictions, whether it’s the need to be gluten free or to avoid seafood.
Ponce’s two largest hotel resorts –Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort and the Holiday Inn Ponce and Tropical Casino – also house top shelf restaurants. Sancho’s Chinese Restaurant & Sushi Bar, located at the resort’s golf clubhouse, has been treating guests like family and serving high-quality Chinese and Japanese cuisine, as well as super fresh sushi and sashimi dishes, for years. This is a restaurant that is deservedly a favored choice of Ponce’s dining scene. Diners at the Holiday Inn’s Tanama Restaurant will find continental specialties and local delights like mofongo stuffed with seafood. Enjoy a grilled steak or mahi mahi while enjoying a breathtaking view of the Caribbean Sea.
Lola Eclectic Cuisine, which flows across the lobby of the Ponce Plaza Hotel and Casino, has been one of Ponce’s best restaurants since opening a decade ago. The place lives up to its name and everything from its striking interior to its fusion cuisine is eclectic. The interior space counts with tiled floors from 1882, arched doorways and wooden beams across high ceilings. The menu, like the restaurant’s style, is a fusion of Puerto Rico, Caribbean and Old-World traditions, reworked to appeal to contemporary palettes. There is an ample wine list and delectable entrees that include the freshest seafood and finest steaks.
Ponce is famous for its strip of restaurants fronting the Caribbean coastline at Las Cucharas (just down the hill from the Holiday Inn Ponce), which range from family-run charmers serving classic Puerto Rican and island seafood to sleeker, more modern establishments serving more contemporary propositions.
Everybody has delicious fresh catch from the surrounding Caribbean waters and seafront dining.
Santorini Ocean Lounge Restaurant blends Greek cuisine and Mediterranean style into the experience, making it as refreshing and energizing a respite as jumping from a sun-bleached beach into an emerald blue sea. Nearby is the rustic La Montserrate Sea Port Restaurant, with a to-die-for view of the sea and a menu of fresh fish and Puerto Rican food. Nice spot for a drink and a quick seafood turnover or to enjoy a complete meal.
Several fine restaurants are located near Plaza Las Delicias, the heart of Ponce’s renovated historic downtown, with its striking Victorian firehouse and Lions Fountain that serves as the city’s calling card to the world.
Chef’s Creations, also in the historic zone, requires reservations for lunch service Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is open for small or large groups and its menu blends hypnotic Mediterranean, southwest and criolla fusion cuisine with a spectacular ambience in the patio of a gorgeous building. The creative menu changes weekly and it also offers classes on how to make mofongo, live paella cooking as well as culinary festivals on certain dates hosted by Chef Jorge Rivera. Campioni Pizza Birra & Tapas, housed in a restored historic downtown spot, is also worth a stop. The things to do here is gorge on tapas, brick oven pizza and Italian classics and wash it back with a craft beer or homemade sangria.
La Casa del Chef, centrally located outside the historic district, is one of Ponce’s best places to eat. Housed in a small shopping plaza, the semi-formal dining room is resplendent with local art, while flamenco and bolero music caress diners, creating an appropriate atmosphere to enjoy the masterful renditions of Puerto Rican, Spanish and continental classics served here. The restaurant shines in its delivery of old favorites like Steak Diane and will thrill your taste buds with dishes like beef tenderloin stuffed with lobster and shrimp. There is a wide variety of seafood entrees and super fine renditions of classic island platters like asopao, mofongo and fried red snapper. You can’t leave without trying the flan.
Puerto Rico may be known for rice, plantains and pork but its cuisine is far more diverse and much of it is vegan-friendly. At the Plaza del Mercado Isabel Segunda in Ponce kiosk #152 is a favorite spot for vegan lovers called Carmen’s Special Hummus. This restaurant serves a variety of delicious hummus, bean salads, lentil and plantain soups as well as an array of daily vegetarian and criollo cuisine.
Situated in the town of Ponce inside one of its centennial homes is Nispero, Asador, Vinos y Cocteleria, whose name originates from a medlar (Nispero) tree set in the terrace. The restaurant specializes in the best cuts of meat, seafood as well as its exquisite and extensive wine list. El Nispero also has banquet space and a terrace to host private activities. It’s open Tuesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner, Friday and Saturday until midnight and Sundays from noon to 9 p.m. There is live music on weekends.
Not far away is the Ponce Food Truck Spot, with a variety of flavorful affordable dining options in an al informal al fresco atmosphere that is both pet and children friendly. The offerings include Etcetera Vagon Gastronomico, which delivers gourmet food from a frequently changing menu that has recently included a beautiful rib-eye in rosemary, garlic butter sauce, risotto with chorizo and plantain and grilled salmon. Another standout gastro mobile, La Mexicana, is the real deal with delectable and authentic mole enchiladas and red pozole soup. The Ponce Food Truck Spot also features the Mojito Bar, with a rainbow of varieties, friendly mixologists and live music; Maki Sushi Bar that serves up all types of tasty sushi delights such as tempura, sashimi, and vegan as well as dumplings, eggrolls and mouthwatering orange chicken; and the Meatball Route 787 specializing in Italian with a spectacular twist of criollo cuisine. Its assorted menu offers pasta, lasagna, piñon (cheesy layered casserole made with sweet ripe plantains comparable to lasagna), pastelon (made with layers of thinly-sliced ripe plantains, ground beef and cheese), vegan selections and of course different varieties of meatballs and delicious meatball sliders.
If really hungry visit Ensaltao to enjoy an assortment of delectable traditional Puerto Rican dishes such as slow roasted pig or slow roasted whole chicken accompanied by heaping portions of rice with pigeon peas, among other local delicacies. Ensaltao’s well-seasoned lechon with crispy skin, moist, tender and juicy meat is the main attraction. Besides its regular menu, the restaurant also provides daily specials.
So, when visiting Ponce, make sure to take time to enjoy some amazing restaurants during your stay.
The chefs manning the hottest restaurants in Puerto Rico
Discovering all the natural and cultural diversity of this surprising island fills every trip to Puerto Rico with assorted pleasures, and none may be deeper and more satisfying than the obligatory culinary tour in pursuit of local flavor.
Discovering all the natural and cultural diversity of this surprising island fills every trip to Puerto Rico with assorted pleasures, and none may be deeper and more satisfying than the obligatory culinary tour in pursuit of local flavor.
We don’t just mean trying cocina criolla, Puerto Rico’s own contribution to world gastronomy that includes such iconic dishes as mofongo (mashed fried plantains), lechon (roast suckling pig), pasteles (a local tamales), arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans), and bacalaitos fritos (fried cod fritters). These beloved traditional foods go straight to the soul of island cuisine, which is still very much a part of the local food scene. But thanks to the island’s burgeoning and ever evolving gastronomy and the skills of talented young chefs, San Juan is the exciting food capital of the Caribbean; the crossroads of flavors blowing in from the multiple cuisines of the region and into kitchens, big and small that create divine fusions of tastes and new and memorable dining experiences.
“Puerto Rico’s gastronomic scene is super cool right now,” said star Chef Rene Marichal. “There are lots of young people with food proposals that are fun and very well conceptualized. I have had the opportunity of traveling a little, both for pleasure and to cook in different countries and truthfully, we have nothing to envy anyone. Our gastronomy is very rich, full of flavors, aromas and textures.”
San Juan’s food scene is highly diverse, encompassing a wide variety of choices from hot spots and high-end hotel restaurants to food trucks and concepts like Il Nuovo Mercato, a high quality-food court and market rolled into one incredible social-dining space, and Lote 23, an open air food hall in the heart of the city with 16 different chef driven food concepts serving the public out of stalls and Airstream trailers. The talented men and women helming the kitchens of these various enterprises are hard-working professionals who think, breathe, and talk food with gusto and passion. Bienvenidos reached out to some of the most outstanding chefs currently wowing gourmands and diners of all ages and tastes to find out what they are like and their approach to cooking. As different as they all are, one common theme emerged from the interviews and that is the amazing level of commitment these men and women have towards their craft and their unflagging dedication to what they do.
Take Gonzalo Rivera, the executive chef of El San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde, one of San Juan’s most famous and iconic hotels. He easily puts in 14 hour-days and thrives on the satisfaction of pleasing diners. “What attracts me (to this profession) is to see my guests happy when they are savoring my dishes and my cooks learning from me and being successful,” said Rivera, previously the executive chef of Boca Beach Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Florida.
An executive chef wears more than one toque, head of the kitchen but also a manager tasked with overseeing staff, ordering inventory and controlling costs. As El San Juan’s executive chef, Rivera is in charge of four restaurants (Caña, Aquarelle, which is about to be renovated and get a new name, El Cafecito and the Chandelier Bar in the lobby) and all banquet activities held at the hotel. “In high season we can be serving up to 3,500 meals per day,” said the 41-year-old chef who supervises a staff of 70 people.
Rivera, whose parents were migrant workers, grew up in Gridley, a California town of 4,000 residents. His first industry job was in nearby Chico, washing dishes at a friend’s newly opened restaurant. Two months after being hired the cook quit and his friend set him up in the kitchen. “It “fascinated me,” Rivera said. He went on to study at the California Culinary Academy, earning an Associate of Arts degree in Culinary Arts and Chef Training. The academy is now Le Cordon Bleu. He later went to work with Chef Michael Mina, celebrity chef with a stateside chain of eponymous restaurants who was a mentor to Rivera, teaching him the value of integrity and the importance of details, using the best ingredients and presentation.
Having worked in both hotels and independent restaurants, Rivera sees little difference between the two settings but did insist on the importance of excellence. “At a hotel like El San Juan, we must always distinguish ourselves as the best in the Caribbean and that is how we run the entire operation. From the restaurants to the banquets and catering,” said Rivera.
Menus, featuring 15 to 25 dishes, are changed every three months depending on seasonal ingredients. The hotel buys a lot of food products locally based on quality and availability. Rivera said that “we eat with our eyes,” so creating dishes is all about making an initial impression and then wowing the diner with the properties of the food such as its crunchiness, creaminess, or acidity. “A diner comes to delight his palate. A dish should always be like a Russian roller coaster: the view, the aromas, the texture,” he said. “The techniques we use are slow and low.”
When he was a little boy, Rivera dreamed of a baseball career. Still, some of his dearest moments are the hours spent in the family kitchen with his paternal grandmother who “was very important in my life.” He would watch her cook though he was not allowed to taste anything. As a high school student he took a home economics class. “I started making pies and cakes to compete and always won a blue ribbon,” said the chef. By the time he had his first experience working in that friend’s restaurant, he was fully hooked.
Xiomara Bermudez is the Pastry Chef at Il Nuovo Mercato’s Starbene Caffe. Her work day starts at 5 a.m. and it is anyone’s guess when it will be over. Her shift can easily run 12 hours yet she thrives on the challenge.
“The most challenging (part about the job) is being able to complete all the duties of the day and deliver the quality and consistency the client looks for. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, this career is for a person who is passionate and loves what they do every day, that’s the difference, the love with which you do things,” she said, adding that her work also required “a lot of perseverance.”
A graduate of the culinary program at the former MBTI Business Training Institute, Bermudez said her industry experiences include working for a company that made traditional Puerto Rican sweets and assisting chefs, including the esteemed Augusto Schreiner, at gastronomic events held by Saborea Puerto Rico. “Any event that came up I would go and help, I wanted to learn and develop,” she said. In 2016 Bermudez was a part-time chef at the AFDA Fraternity in Condado when she found out that an Italy-based company was recruiting for its new Puerto Rico business, Il Nuovo Mercato. Hired in December as a lead pastry cook, she rose to pastry chef within three months. Besides overseeing the dessert department, she handles purchases and is in charge of Starbene’s cleanup and organization. It helps, she said, that she works with a marvelous team of 30 people, out of 150 working at Il Mercato.
“We produce quite a lot, around 300 bite size pastries daily and week-ends, 280 liters of gelato weekly, among other varieties of sweets we probably produce more or less 2,500 items weekly, sometimes more, including baguettes, brioche, milk bread, croissants, cheese turnovers. All these are artisanal products made with flour with no preservatives or potassium bromate. Everything is home made,” said the 35-year-old mother of two teen boys.
Il Nuovo Mercato supports local agriculture. Some of the products purchased locally include fresh milk, eggs, vegetables, pineapples, papayas, and limes. Meanwhile, finding ways to avoid throwing out food has led to at least one sustainable practice that also saves the company money. Bermudez explained that all unsold French bread is used to make a popular bread pudding. First the crust is removed and then the entire inside dough is culled for the confection of the bread pudding which is made with milk instead of with water for extra tastiness, Bermudez said.
Other popular desserts at Starbene Caffe are artisanal cookies made with different ingredients such as anisette or almond dough, lemon cream cake, and, of course, gelato. Bermudez said the gelato is made the Italian way using ingredients flown expressly to the island from Italy. She would not give away the secret formula but did reveal one clue: Italian ice cream is a lot creamier than its stateside counterpart.
Talk about having a lot on your plate. At 39, Chef Rene Marichal is co-owner of three restaurants: Avocado, Argento, and Wok It. And there is more to come. “In December we are opening Flip BRGR Bar at Lote 23, in January we are opening another Wok It at Plaza Escorial, and in February, together with Chef Raul Correa and Chef Xavier Pacheco, we are opening Bacoa, Finca y Fogon in Juncos,” said the chef.
Marichal is a natural at what he does. In fact he did not even study culinary arts but instead earned a Bachelor Degree in psychology from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and put in two more years of post-graduate studies in industrial and organizational psychology at Carlos Albizu University. “I never worked for anyone, in 2007 I very daringly opened my first business in Hato Rey, The Fresh Grill,” he said, noting that psychology has come in handy in terms of structuring, organizing, and understanding a business.
Though he has no formal training, Marichal always loved cooking and as a kid relished being in the kitchen with his mom and grandmother. He also has an appreciation for fresh fish thanks to his 25 years as a sport fisherman, another reason he credits for his passion for the kitchen. Simplicity is his defining trait as a chef. “My cooking is simple and fun, without pretensions. It is an homage to my mother and grandmother,” Marichal said. As for the success of a dish, “it boils down to this phrase: Think global, act local. In other words, with a local product I can create dishes with the influences of any country. I love to work with fresh fish, especially Cartucho (queen red snapper).”
The food at Avocado is creative Puerto Rican cuisine while Argento features traditional dishes from Argentina and Italy. Wok It is Asiatic cuisine with Puerto Rican influences. “We have our lo mein noodles, made in Caguas by a Chinese man, and clients are free to choose between seven sauces, all designed by me, different proteins (char siu pork, fried meat, chicken chicharron or chicken cracklings, longaniza or pork sausage, tofu and more), vegetables and toppings. The creative combinations clients can make are endless. It is lots of fun,” Marichal said.
In speaking with San Juan’s talented chefs another common theme arises: the imaginative concepts behind their restaurants. Take Musa. Enclosed on the ground floor of a nondescript building on colorful Cerra Street in Miramar, this popular hot magnet for foodies is the creation of Chef Hector Escobar and his business partner, Yamil Rojas. The locale is small but comfortable with black lucite tables and chairs, small framed mirrors looking down from the ceiling, chandeliers over the bar area, Andean tablecloths and travel-inspired wallpaper decorated with passport stamps and airplane windows. Musa changes its menu and decor every three months and the current travel motif is the selected theme for its fifth season, the restaurant as a journey to other cultures and cuisines, in this case the cooking of Peru where Escobar and Rojas recently traveled bringing back rich personal experiences that were transmuted into 10 different dishes on top of the regular menu of an additional 17 choices. The next leg of the trip will be Spain.
“Musa is a space that allows me to be free… where I can express what I feel,” said the soft spoken Escobar, a graduate of the culinary arts program at Universidad del Este in Carolina. Cooking interested him since he was a small boy playing with his cousin’s toy kitchen. At 15, he got his first industry job washing dishes at Picoteo restaurant in El Convento Hotel in Old San Juan. Later, he worked for Vin Santo at the Holiday Inn in Isla Verde (now the Verdanza Hotel), went on to Dragon Fly and Parrot Club and then settled down at Il Molino restaurant in the Ritz Carlton in Isla Verde for a nine-year residency as sous chef. By 2016 he felt ready to launch his own restaurant, a project that took one year before it could be turned into a reality.
For Escobar, who is 33, food is not only personal expression but a way to communicate and show “how rich we are as a culture.” Despite an initial false start that required refining the menu and a temporary closing due to hurricanes Irma and Maria, Musa has been pretty much a success from the beginning thanks to its formula of re-imagined Puerto Rican classics. Escobar likes to tweak tradition and surprise the diner without necessarily shaking the person from their comfort zone. As he sees it, people want tasty food, good portions and a touch of creativity “but not to the point of confusion.”
In tweaking the classics, Escobar will take a popular food like say alcapurrias, a doughy pocket made from root vegetables, and use a duck filling instead of the traditional meat. Or he will take bacalaitos, another beloved delicacy in Puerto Rico, and use snapper as his main ingredient rather than the customary cod. The chef also likes bringing together unlikely food combos like a Mac Cheese served with ropa vieja (shredded meat and vegetables), one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, steak dumplings with bits of sweet plantains and peppers or, a brunch favorite, French Toast stuffed with cream cheese and bacon with fresh berries and a Walnuts Caramel Sauce.
However idealized his view of cooking as a means to self expression, Escobar is also practical about the restaurant business and thinks that food can’t be the sole attraction. “People don’t just go to a restaurant for the food, they look for, they demand good cocktails and entertainment,” he said, pointing out that a singer performs at the restaurant on Friday nights and that Sunday brunch occasionally features a magician. At Musa, “there is always something going on.”
And because the island’s economy is still on shaky grounds, Escobar is doing his share to give diners a break. On Tuesday, for example, the restaurant runs a special $30 lunch offer for two people.
Natalia Rivera Vazquez’ El Jangiri, one of the 16 chef driven concepts at Lote 23, offers a refreshing take on fast food. “My focus is to offer food that is fresh, healthy, and accessible and fast,” said the spirited 34-year-old chef who was recently hired as executive sous chef at The Vanderbilt Hotel in Condado where she had worked a few years ago, first as Banquet Chef and later as Chef de Cuisine at Ola Restaurant.
Rivera said her love of cooking goes back to her youth. “I always wanted to be a chef; I was born with that in my blood.” Still, she flirted with the idea of being a chemical engineer and for two years studied at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico until she faced up to reality. “I told myself: This is the moment of truth. You have to go for it.” “For it” was a cooking career so she enrolled in the culinary arts program at the Universidad del Este. Additionally, Rivera trained in some of New York’s top kitchens at Le Cirque, Le Bernardin, Cafe Boulud, Battersby, and Franny’s, a popular Brooklyn restaurant that closed last year. Rivera backed this training with “lots of eating” and plenty of reading about cooking, restaurants but also other topics. “You can learn from everything,” she said. Her work experience in Puerto Rico includes stints at El Convento Hotel in old San Juan and La Concha Hotel in Condado.
El Jangiri serves up “build-your-own” bowls of fish and vegetables and the most popular dish on the menu is fresh tuna paired with avocado. The name of the business is a play on Hangiri, the wooden bowl Japanese use to cool and season sushi rice. “It sounded like Jangueo (Spanglish for hanging out) and to me it seemed perfect,” Rivera said. She loves classic cuisine and thinks that “nothing is better than a well roasted chicken or a good cut of meat carefully cooked.” Her approach to food is based on simplicity. “I think that less is always more and that each product should shine for what it is,” said the chef who gratefully acknowledged the mentoring she received from one of Puerto Rico’s top kitchen stars, Juan Jose Cuevas. Cuevas is the executive chef of 1919, the flagship restaurant at The Vanderbilt, and is now her boss. “His food is incredible,” she said.
Vegetables play a big role at El Jangiri and Rivera buys as much locally as she can. “The quality of something that is grown in our land is far superior plus you have the satisfaction of supporting our working people,” she said. “Things that will always be local in my kitchen are eggplant, cucumbers, pineapple, and ginger. The list is long.”
The mother of a little girl she calls her inspiration, Rivera looks on her profession as a vocation. “I think we all are born with a vocation. There is nothing in the world I could do better or with more passion, or that makes me happier than to be in a kitchen,” she said.
Carlos Portela’s Orujo Taller de Gastronomia has no set menu. The restaurant, named after a type of aguardiente made in Spain from grapes, is built around the concept of the degustation menu, a formula that has earned the chef rave reviews and allows him the opportunity to let his creativity soar.
“Each dish is its own little masterpiece… It isn’t a meal. It’s an event, and it’s worth it,” a resident from Seattle, Washington, raved on Yelp.com after eating at the restaurant.
Located in Caguas, about half an hour away from San Juan, Orujo is a showcase of fine dining and a restaurant that personalizes the experience of eating out: diners are invited to visit the kitchen or, ahead of ordering, are grilled by the chef as to food allergies, their likes and dislikes. Orujo always had as its aim to create a space where the lover of good food and wine would have a place in which to enjoy the local cuisine in the manner of a modern degustation,” said Portela, who runs the restaurant with the help of his wife Armalie Perez.
The tasting menu showcases anywhere from three (the short version) to 15 exquisitely plated courses that one can order with selective wine pairings. The food is heavily influenced by the availability of seasonal products. Portela favors local products and ingredients among which favorites are recao (culantro), calabaza (Puerto Rico’s own pumpkin), name (yam). What he can’t buy locally, he imports. Foie grass he orders from New York or Canada. Meats such as Iberian ham, pork, rabbit, and lamb are imported or purchased from local farms; the same for fish and shellfish, with local fishermen delivering their catch straight to the restaurant. Portela described himself as a spontaneous chef who likes to cook dishes that exalt the flavors of Puerto Rico. His cuisine is infused with the influences of North America, Europe and the Caribbean. He’s comfortable with modern and traditional cooking techniques. “Our cuisine is very simple, but it vies for perfection in its method of preparation, taste and beautiful presentation,” he said.
When he was a kid, Portela dreamed of being a musician in a rock band, or perhaps an astronaut, but at 16 he got his first job working in a school cafeteria and he developed an interest in cooking. He said that what particularly drew him to a cooking career was that it interfaced with so many different areas like management, nutrition, science, art, agriculture, and human relations. After studying in Puerto Rico, Portela headed to the U.S. where he graduated from the prestigious Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2007 he joined the team of Ramiro’s Taller de Cocina in Valladolid, Spain, where he was exposed to the craft of master chefs like Ferran Adria and Andoni Luis. Subsequently, he worked in the U.S. and then returned to Puerto Rico to start his own restaurant. It opened May 1, 2014.
“At Orujo, creativity is limited only by the ingredients and available equipment. We always look for new ways to present, combine elements and plate in accordance with the season,” said the 43 years old chef.
With so many talented chefs around and so many choices for eating out one might conclude that this is Puerto Rico’s culinary golden age. “Puerto Rican gastronomy is going through a great moment. There is a movement of talented men and women cooks who aim to take the island’s cuisine to the highest levels and to world class status,” said Portela. “It’s a movement that is very united and in which there is mutual support for the development of a better industry, one that is responsible to the environment, the earth and society.”
“I love what is going on in the island,” said Rivera. “There is a lot that is good and all kinds of it. From food trucks, kiosks, elegant restaurants and family run ones. There are so many tremendous places to visit. You have to go out and try everything.”
Rincon: Puerto Rico’s new culinary sanctuary
Rincon has long been known for its legendary surf breaks and astonishing sunsets, but this magical west coast town has quietly transformed into the gastronomic darling.
Rincon has long been known for its legendary surf breaks and astonishing sunsets, but this magical west coast town has quietly transformed into the gastronomic darling.
Located on a knot of land jutting out from the island’s west coast, the town springs from the surrounding sea in an inspired mash of lush hills, tropical forest, and verdant valley, ringed by a palm fringed, white sand shoreline.
Mother Ocean, which gives life to this town of eternal summer, provides a different look behind each beach; it can be elegant in its tranquility, its gentle current shimmering in the sunlight like thousands of gems, or it can turn tempestuous, unleashing its beauty in towering waves that thunder ashore with furious wild whitewash.
Its geography, or more specifically breathtaking beauty, has brought a confluence of culinary influences beyond the local comida croilla cuisine, that head mix of Caribbean, African, and U.S. flavors. Restaurant trends you’ll find in town are similar to what’s going on in top culinary cities. This is happening as more and more vacationers fall in love with Rincon and decide to call it their home, and a growing number of chefs come in their wake to join a growing number of island chefs who call this west coast hamlet their residence. So regardless of what flavor you are looking for, Rincon has you covered with a spot that will deliver.
Rincon has some of the finest hotel restaurants and steakhouses in all of Puerto Rico, and fabulous authentic French, Italian, sushi, and other ethnic restaurants, as well as inventive local and American fare. You’ll also find gourmet cafe and health food, world-class pizza, amazing food truck fare and fabulous food and artisan markets in the downtown plaza. Rincon is the envy of no other coastal town, with top notch seafood and comida criolla restaurants, and it has among the most sophisticated wine and local craft beer offerings, and one of Puerto Rico’s best local craft brewery.
Rincon’s culinary offerings have kept pace with its broader tourism growth in recent years, which entices visitors with an eclectic mix of boutique hotels and guest houses that wow with comfort and friendly, attentive service. But its dominance as a purveyor of fine food and spirit still seems sudden and surprising, and it comes with the realization that everywhere you turn; there is something delicious to be had. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than the winding narrow road of the downtown plaza to the lighthouse and the famed Tres Palmas and Marias beaches, with food stands offering everything from crafted fruit and vegetable juices to gourmet fruit bowls and coffee stands to homemade power bars and healthy burritos.
The charming west coast is one of the prettiest coastal towns you can find, and it seduces its visitors in so many ways – miles of palm-lined beach, pristine tropical forest, and dramatic outlooks of breaching whales and crashing surf. This just makes getting dazzled by its culinary offerings all the more delightful and satisfying.
With such a varied dining scene, there is no typical Rincon restaurant, but Cowboys Cantina and Outside Grill may best capture the bold spirit and adventurousness of its culinary culture. Just minutes from Rincon’s main thoroughfare, Cowboys nonetheless seems far away –that “remote beautiful place approaching perfection.” A ribbon of road threads a knot of steep hilltops cutting between ocean and green pasture vistas and then a steep side road descends to the restaurant’s dramatic setting on a 20-acre cattle ranch, surrounded by tropical flowers and trees and lush hillsides.
The wood and tin-roof establishment is the epitome of cowboy chic, with the friendliness and enthusiasm of the staff matching the crispness of their typical western attire. The charming owners are often on hand to greet diners, which only underlines the heritage of hospitality and family tradition that permeates this restaurant.
A large bar running along its back wall has a huge television that broadcasts the sporting event of the moment or music or sporting events involving horses. Right off the airy main dining room and surrounding terraces is an adjacent field that holds seasonal rodeo events and Sunday horse rides but is always a great place for kids to play during meals. This might be one of the best places in Puerto Rico to dine on a weekend afternoon, equally appealing to sports fans and families, but the illuminated grill house has a distinct beauty at night, as does the journey “up the road and down the hill” to get here.
The food is all about the open pit barbecue, and how that smoky flavor infuses the delicious grilled steaks, chicken, ribs and tuna that are the mainstays here. The 20 oz. Cowboy steak (bone-in rib-eye) is tender as butter and grilled to perfection, and the churrasco, filet mignon and other steaks served here are of equal quality. There are typical Puerto Rican and American appetizers, from burger sliders to fried island cheese cubes, and delicious sides including mixed rice and beans with cilantro and sweet plantains, grilled sweet potato topped with cinnamon, and grilled corn on the cob and a different daily grilled vegetable. The desserts are also well-executed takes on classics like key lime pie and amaretto cheese cake, and a hot chocolate chip cookie that – like the rest of the Cowboy’s dining adventure – will bring out the kid in you.
If you can’t get up to the highlands, Rincon has lots of other options for steak lovers, including Parrilleria Vacas Gauchas, an Argentinean-style steakhouse right down the hill that fans insist is the best of the bunch because of the consistency and quality of the food and the service.
It has a cozy, minimalist interior, with super cool paintings of friendly faced cows. Outstanding rib-eye, skirt steak and other cuts, and delicious pork tenderloin and tuna options prevail. Here too the offering is about excellent renditions of genre classics but there are also unique menu surprises. Everything from the grilled potatoes to the codfish buñuelas in cherry tomato escabeche to the house sangria is fabulous, and the service matches the excellence pouring out of the kitchen. The wine list is short but provocative, and there are satisfying options for a broad variety of tastes.
Among the best steaks in town can be found at La Ana de Cofresi restaurant, a family run restaurant at the Hotel Cofresi that has been delivering wonderful steaks, seafood and Puerto Rico’s traditional cocina criolla since 1965. This place is all about the classics and consistency, which is why it has been able to retain loyal clients over decades and win new fans all the time. La Ana has been serving the finest quality steaks in town for decades, and the veteran kitchen hands doing the preparation add to the flavor. It also offers a wide variety of fresh fish and other seafood, and local classics like stuffed mofongo and asopao, and house specialties include fresh fish served in plantain crust with cilantro cream sauce.
La Ana is as well known for its fresh fish as it is for the quality of its steaks. The restaurant is named after the mother ship of famed Puerto Rican pirate, Roberto Cofresi, known for his generosity toward the poor, distributing his loot among them. Check out the 1979 mural of Cofresi’s history by a local Puerto Rican artist inside the restaurant. Both the restaurant and hotel are family run and have among the friendliest staff not just in town but in all Puerto Rico. The location is also blessed with a serene west coast location overlooking a fabulous beach with the best sunset in town. La Ana is an air conditioned room right off the property’s glorious back deck. Have a cocktail on the back beach bar during the glorious sunset before dinner.
Like La Ana, several of Rincon’s finest restaurants are waterfront. The Chateau Rose, ensconced at the stunningly beautiful Horned Dorset Primavera, is one of the prettiest dining rooms in the entire Caribbean, and the French-tropical inspired menu is always up to snuff. It’s the perfect spot for a serene lunch or heavenly dinner in enchanting surroundings. The property is erected on century-old breakwaters and seawalls and features seafront terraces, Spanish-Moroccan inspired villas, and a grand hacienda that houses the restaurant, which offers diners views of the sublime sea and shimmering pool.
The restaurant has a variety of changing fixed price menu options, which offer diners such delights as escargots vol au vent with pancetta and Pernod cream, pan seared tuna with basil-potato puree and an eggplant Portobello ragout or duck breast with foie gras and raspberry. The deserts — from sorbets to soufflés — are also divine.
The Tamboo Seaside Grill is famous for being one of the best beach bars in the Caribbean and all of America, but it is also one of the best places anywhere that you can dine with your feet in the sand. The restaurant spills out of the back deck of the charming Beside the Pointe Guesthouse overlooking the fat, white Sandy Beach, which is replete with swaying palm trees, surfers, and other beach lovers at play. There’s always something going on at the deck bar, with island rhythms pouring out over the sound system or provided by the talented musicians who perform live on weekend nights. Grab an outside terrace table, where the ocean breeze and rhythm of the pulsating surf rule for a more romantic meal.
The Tamboo made a name for its self with its succulent guava ribs, grilled fresh Caribbean lobster and catch of the day and pub fare. But the menu is always evolving, delivery heath food like sautéed vegetable towers, crafted veggie burgers, and quinoa salad bowls, as well as more sophisticated fare like corn crusted avocado grouper fillet, mustard and chive pork loin, and peach mint curry salmon fillet. This is a fun spot, but the flavors are as infectious as the tropical rhythm and laughter of happy patrons, which flow as consistently as the pulsating waves outside.
Que Viva Trattoria! is a delightful new “tropical trattoria” at one of Rincon’s best known lodging spots, The Lazy Parrot Inn. Enjoy delicious wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, pastas, and salads at the amazingly laid back poolside location, with a vista of the green hills of this west coast town. The place is run by couple Eloy and Melissa, whose passion for their project shines through in the superlative flavors and first rate service.
Ingredients are fresh, locally sourced, and prepared to perfection, whether it’s the roasted pepper pizza topping or a craft cocktail. Eloy’s carefully nurtured mother dough gives the pizza crust a distinct pop and deep mellow flavor, and they are perfectly grilled in an Italian pizza oven that is also a piece of art. Que Viva Tratorria! waitresses and bartenders also delivered first rate and enthusiastic service. The restaurant team also makes their own local hot sauce and has created a unique spice of salt and dried local pepper flakes that compliment a salad or a pizza. Both the restaurant and Lazy Parrot Inn are commitment to an eco-friendly experience, evident in sustainable practices like solar energy, salted water pool, a farm to table experience to guests.
If you had to pick a Cheer’s of Rincon, you know that place where everybody knows your name; it would likely be the Shipwreck Tavern, located at the Black Rock Marina. “Rincon’s favorite eatery” invites patrons to “dine with the mermaids and drink with the hearty seafaring captains.” This fun spot with a quality pub menu is super friendly and a great place to find out what’s going on. There are excellent guava chicken wings, mussels, calamari, and octopus appetizers. The Shipwreck also offers fat delicious burgers, heroes, pasta and salads, as well as complete steak and seafood entrees. It has some awesome local choices and daily changing specials. It’s a favorite spot on the return from a diving trip or a day catching waves.
La Cambija is a simple, open air restaurant by the public beach that serves up delicious seafood and cold drinks during lunch and dinner. Experience the glories of local coastal cooking, with fresh mahi mahi or tuna tacos, shark kebobs, grilled grouper, Caribbean ceviche or seafood paella. The unpretentious, friendly place is also known for its margaritas, mojitos and ice-cold beers. The house hot sauce packs flavor and has a nice kick, and it’s THE SPOT in town for fried fish turnovers called empanadillas. The spot is only open weekends, Friday through Sunday.
Sushi fans, don’t worry, Rincon will not disappoint you! In fact, Pool Bar Sushi has become an iconic Rincon experience. The splashy tropical spot has full bar and outdoor tables on a deck surrounding the pool. Surfer chic stylings include showing surfer flicks on a giant screen and an ability to make flavorful tropical drinks. Pool Bar Sushi has glorious handcrafted, unique sushi and tempura roll creations that are artfully arrange on spiffy platters. There’s the simplistic mango tuna roll, the sublime cinco (snapper cucumber and avocado) the amazing boca (salmon, scallion cream cheese and coconut wasabi) and a crispy delicious vegetable tempura roll. Pool Bar Sushi also has a short but tasty dim sum menu. The sesame seared catch of the day in a wasabi buerre blanc is almost always right on and you can’t go wrong with the ginger pork potstickers. This weekend (Friday night through Sunday night) only restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy a rum punch or other Caribbean cocktail classic.
Perhaps, nothing says a place has arrived as a culinary destination than hosting a permanent food event, and Rincon’s weekly Farmer Market in its downtown plaza every Sunday morning through afternoon is one of the best in the land of Puerto Rico. There are stands dedicated organic honey and yogurt, Puerto Rican coffee, fresh juices and fruit smoothies, organ vegan cakes and other scrumptious baked goods and array of farm to table glories. You can find guava plum tars, banana cheesecake, fresh tomato bruschetta and avocado salad with foccacia bread, miso noodle, and basamati rice bowls and gluten free crepes with fresh vegetables and herbs in a dazzling pumpkin sauce. Artists and artisans also participate, hawking wood cut prints, handmade jewelry and other crafts. Another festival, Rincon’s Art Walk, is Thursday night street festival for artists and artisans that also offers plenty of food and culinary attractions.
The thriving Sunday and Thursday festivities on the plaza underline the transformation of Rincon from an area of dated retail shops to a thriving culinary center, with charming cafes, upscale pubs and cutting edge eateries.
One of the most popular downtown foodie stops is Cafe 413, which is always crowded, and with good reason. Equal parts coffee shop, health food restaurant and sports bar, the spot has something for everyone and is worth a stop any time of the day. There’s amazing coffee, artisan beer, fresh fruit smoothies, salad and vegan specials and spectacular international tapas and entrees, and delicious American classics burgers. Surfing competitions and shown on big screen televisions, and live musical performances take place on weekends. There are also art shows and other performances.
If you get thirsty downtown, make sure to stop into the Rincon Beer Company, which has the biggest selection of craft, tap beer in Western Puerto Rico. It has a broad selection of island craft beer, including productions from Old Harbor, Del Oeste and Cerveceria India breweries, as well as the tasty Boqueron Farm House and Oscar Blue Beerito brews. It also carries Bell’s and other craft beer produced in the U.S. and Europe, and will soon re-launch its own in-house craft brews that were knocked off-tap by last year’s Hurricane Maria. The company also features house infused liquors and craft cocktails, as well as a board of scrumptious munchies to help the ease the liquid down. Teetotalers should not despair because the company has wonderful home-made ginger beer, rosemary lemonade, fresh squeezed juices and other non-alcoholic beverages. There’s live music on Thursday nights, to coincide with Art Walk, and other live events including open mic performances.
Downtown Rincon also features Tinto Wine Shop, the area’s best wine boutique, with a strong collection of wine, gift baskets and other items for the wine lover. There are competitive prices on a wide variety of wines, and the staff is as friendly as they are knowledgeable. Be on the lookout for the periodic wine tastings and pop-up dinners that take place here and includes some of the best of the town’s culinary talents.
Mangia Mi is a fun fabulous place on Rincon’s central plaza that serves fresh, expertly prepared Italian food in a modern, welcoming bistro environment. The staff is super-friendly and knowledgeable about the food and wine offerings, and you can watch the group of chefs employ in the throes of their passion as they make pasta from scratch and carefully cut and dice your salad ingredients from within the kitchen adjacent to the bar. With a name that translates to “Eat Me” and employing the moniker “a place to get sauced,” Mangia Mi does not take itself too seriously, but don’t let that fool you about the quality of the cuisine; it’s outstanding. Operating under its trilogy of “pasta-wine-love,” the restaurant has an ever changing “chalk board” changing menu loaded with antipasto, pasta, pizza and baked Italian entrees. The herbs and vegetables are fresh and locally sourced and it prides itself on fresh prime fish, seafood and cuts of beef. We loved everything from the home-made sausage and roasted the stuffed dates, eggplant parmigiana and fresh fish. In the early evening, there are amazing happy hour wine and bar food specializes that make a great tasty deal, and perhaps is the only reason in the world not to be watching the sunset. Chef Rebecca White, one of the two co-owners, was a winner on the Food Network’s Cooks vs. Cons and her food still cries victory every night.
Weekends were made for brunching
Weekends are for brunching — chatting with friends, digging into a delicious stack of syrup-drizzled pancakes, lingering over a café con leche, zesty Bloody Mary or a fruity mimosa. Fortunately, Puerto Rico knows how to brunch, and there are a plethora of chic and cozy restaurants where the food is both delicious and highly Instagrammable.
Weekends are for brunching — chatting with friends, digging into a delicious stack of syrup-drizzled pancakes, lingering over a café con leche, zesty Bloody Mary or a fruity mimosa. Fortunately, Puerto Rico knows how to brunch, and there are a plethora of chic and cozy restaurants where the food is both delicious and highly Instagrammable.
Soda Estudio de Cocina is a charismatic and unique restaurant tucked away in Cuevillas St. in Miramar, just a few blocks from the Fine Arts Cinema Café. Its eclectic decor, laid-back atmosphere, unique charm, and great food touted as urban creole make it a perfect place to enjoy brunch and connect with friends.
Some of the best menu items include steak and eggs with a side of truffle fries; pastrami, Serrano ham, and mozzarella cheese; the egg breakfast pizza; asparagus-wrapped bacon with eggs and hollandaise sauce; the mac & bacon cheese omelet; or whatever your little heart hungry heart desires.
Combine these delicacies with Soda’s delicious mimosa mojito or watermelon Moscow mule to spice up your dining experience. Brunch hours are every weekend from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Looking for a seriously good brunch spot? Look no further and visit Choices Restaurant at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino in the Convention Center district. It’s sophisticated yet casual with live music and traditional brunch choices with a creative twist.
Try the crab cake Benedict, or the Brunch Burger prepared with sweet Mallorca bread rolls, bacon, cheese, topped with crispy onions and eggs, or the fantastic Guava pancakes, or the Boricua Omelet with pork, local white cheese, and tomato avocado salad topping. All are absolutely yummy! And all dishes come with a complimentary Mimosa. The brunch menu is available every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Over in the Condado, widely known as a chic tourist area with fabulous beaches, shops, and hotels in the heart of San Juan, there is a slice of brunch heaven called Blonda for those with pure food indulgence in mind.
This cozy and modern restaurant serves lobster frittata; doughnut sliders; chicken and waffles; pancakes with bananas, strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream or Nutella; ranchero eggs; salmon Eggs Benedict; and an incredible French toast prepared with thick-sliced bread topped with caramel sauce, strawberries, and vanilla or Nutella. Brunch hour is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
With the Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop, Ola Oceanfront Bistro at the sophisticated Condado Vanderbilt Hotel provides the exquisite and unique flavors of Puerto Rican fare.
Its Sunday buffet brunch with live entertainment is out of this world with dishes prepared with the freshest products.
Enjoy fluffy pancakes, frittatas, chicken escabeche or Paella del Campo made with chorizo, pork, ham, chickpeas and plantains accompanied by artisanal bread, fresh fruit, assorted fresh pastries, or bacon.
Combine these classic brunch favorites with bottomless mimosas or signature cocktails like the spicy Bloody Mary, Mai Tai, Old Fashioned, Perfect Martini or Dark and Stormy – made with dark rum, ginger beer, and lime. Sunday brunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
And you can never go wrong with the Boozy Brunch Party at Serafina San Juan every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy breakfast and lunch dishes like delicious orange-cinnamon brioche French toast, lemon ricotta pancakes, smoked salmon benedict and steak and fabulous eggs accompanied by a lively stream of Bloody Mary’s, mimosa’s and more.
Bring your friends and make an afternoon at Serafina as your new weekend kick-off tradition.
Looking for something different for brunch that is available all day, than Pannes in Condado may be a perfect option. When visiting ask for the “French Mess,” made with three fried eggs, bacon, melted cheese served between two French toasts with cream cheese. Mmmm what a delicious mess! Or try the Brunch Burger where a beef patty is topped off with bacon, onions and an egg or the famous Ashford Special Royal, which consists of French toast with Nutella and fresh fruit.
Fresh squeezed fruit nectar and Prosecco make for one refreshing brunch Bellini. But why not pair your morning feast with a glass of Sicily. It’s made with lime juice, simple syrup, Luxardo Maraschino Liquor, angostura bitters, and vodka. Or try the Julius Caesar cocktail with Cynar, Fernet Branca, red grapefruit, and vodka – all perfect concoctions to sip on while eating at Nonna Cucina Rustica.
This inviting restaurant located on San Jorge St. in Santurce has a similar vibe to Italian bistros found in NYC mostly due to its exquisite five-star cuisine.
Whether you’re looking for delicious steak and fried eggs; frittata with mushrooms; Eggs Benedict with red potatoes as a side; or flavorsome French toast made with homemade brioche bread overflowing with almonds and fruit than Cucina Rustica is the place to go. Sunday brunch hour is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Isla Verde boasts the best beaches and water sports in the metro area, but Bistro Café rules the brunch scene. Its menu is exceptional, and its options satisfy those with a sweet tooth or a salty side.
The Mendoza consists of scrambled eggs with longaniza and mixed veggies and the irresistible Romeo and Juliet, a French toast dish full of cream cheese, bacon, fruit, and Nutella. And you can’t forget to point out the 2 for 1 mimosas. Brunch hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There’s no doubt that San Juan’s plate is full of fresh brunch options and its restless chefs are turning the city into the nation’s breakfast capital.
There are way too many excellent places to have brunch especially in the artsy and hipster town of Santurce like Gallo Negro. The restaurant is famous for its mac and cheese prawns and French toast made with Mallorca bread and Barrilito rum.
Abracadabra Counter Café with the perennial brunch favorite of scrambled eggs with veggies and goat cheese, French toast made with brioche bread topped with fruits and whipped cream.
And there’s Tostado with its breakfast bowel cooked in a mini cauldron with spinach, mixed veggies, and goat cheese topped with two fried eggs.
Best in the West
Over on the west coast, famous for its beautiful beaches, stunning sunsets, tranquil turquoise waters and colorful reefs with active marine life, is the famous bakery Levain Artisan Breads in Aguadilla. This shop serves a no-frills brunch menu on Sundays full of traditional comfort foods at its next door Debut Cocina Rustica venue.
Here you will find the best lattes, breakfast sandwiches as well as the classic Eggs Benedict served with a side of home fries and greens, pan fried brioche with eggs and bacon and of course the all-time favorite Croque Madame sandwich made with three kinds of bread with ham, gruyere cheese, and béchamel sauce topped with a fried egg.
Uva Playa Restaurant in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico’s third largest city, is a casual and stylish eatery perfectly positioned at the water’s edge where you can enjoy an expansive view of the Atlantic Ocean through its large windows or outdoor terrace.
You can’t go wrong with ordering its simple brunch options perfect for the hungry or hung-over and make sure you order the passion fruit sangria or coconut mojitos which are dangerously delightful.
For those who love to eat, the English Rose in Rincon is one of the best places to get your brunch on. This lovely quaint restaurant located inside a country inn has a Caribbean feel with old English charm. Even though the venue is small, it makes up for its size with breathtaking panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea and its artistic menu.
A must-try is the Full Monty; a classic British breakfast combo made with bacon, homemade pork sausage, two eggs any style, oven-crisped potatoes with butter, caramelized onions, and cabbage with a slice of toast. Or opt for the Encore Eggs Benedict (poached eggs on an English muffin, Canadian bacon, and hollandaise) or the Benny Hill that substitutes the bacon for smoked salmon.
English Rose has an impressive menu and only opens for breakfast and brunch from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is often packed with people. If anything, take that as a marker of great food.
Southern Comfort
Ponce es Ponce (Ponce is Ponce), a simple yet telling Puerto Rican saying about the second oldest city of Puerto Rico. And Lola Eclectic Cuisine is simple and all about brunch.
If you’re hungry for more than just bites, La Plaza three-egg fluffy omelet is the way to go. It’s served with ham, bacon, Italian sausage, tomato, green peppers and American cheese. The French toast is made with Puerto Rican criollo bread. What can be more savory? After stuffing your tummy, a walk around the city of Ponce, known as the Pearl of the South, will make you feel the magic of this city with its elegant neoclassical and European style architecture.
At Melao Coffee Shop at the Ponce Plaza Hotel and Casino, their all-day breakfast and brunch menu (from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) appeals to both the novice and foodie through classic comfort fare, all-encompassing a key ingredient, eggs.
Signature dishes include Mallorca bread filled with eggs, ham, and American cheese; the Melao Omelet with ham, bacon, Italian sausage, tomato, green peppers and American cheese with a side of sautéed potatoes; the classic scrambled eggs wrap; and the Spanish Florentine Omelet made with spinach, tomato, mushrooms, peppers, and muenster cheese.
Or try the sweet treats like a home-style French toast with loads of powdery white sugar, maple syrup, and fresh strawberries. The fluffy flapjacks or light waffles are perfect with Nutella, whipped cream and fresh fruit with a side of crispy bacon. But the headliner of this star-studded cast of multi-faceted delectables is the coffee.
The menu features a variety of hot beverage options like espresso, café Bombon (espresso with sweetened condensed milk), macchiato with a dash of milk, latte, American, American cappuccino, Italian cappuccino, chai latte, mocha latte, Mexican spiced cocoa, and hot chocolate. Also, house-crafted natural juices, smoothies, Acai bowls and more.
Over in Guanica, you can enjoy the shimmering coastline and swimming pool area of Copamarina Beach Resort and Spa while you tuck into a delicious pork sandwich on sweet Mallorca bread basted with garlic and pepper sauce, and Swiss cheese accompanied by corn fritters at Alexandra restaurant.
The delicious brunch menu (every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) offers bottomless mimosas and live music. Looking for an egg dish with a twist than try the steak and eggs with a side of fries or the smoked salmon and boiled eggs with purple onions, olives, and toast with a side of tomato and asparagus salad with lemon dressing. Buen Provecho.
Puerto Rico foodies flock to food truck heaven
Food trucks are popping up like mushrooms and are quickly gaining prominence on the island of enchantment. They draw everyone from hungry college students and office workers searching for quick meals to discerning foodies who know that sometimes the best food doesn’t always come from a fancy restaurant. San Juan has two popular food truck spots – Lote 23 and Miramar Food Truck Park.
The trend of dining at food trucks, seen across the U.S., is now increasingly popular in Puerto Rico especially in the hip and fashionable city of San Juan.
Food trucks are popping up like mushrooms and are quickly gaining prominence on the island of enchantment. They draw everyone from hungry college students and office workers searching for quick meals to discerning foodies who know that sometimes the best food doesn’t always come from a fancy restaurant. San Juan has two popular food truck spots – Lote 23 and Miramar Food Truck Park.
Lote 23 has turned a once abandoned lot, wedged between two building, into a culinary oasis located in the art and music district known as Santurce. With four terraces, a stage, and plenty of parking spaces, Lote 23 showcases a variety of kiosks and Airstream trailers serving tacos, pizza, donuts, burgers, popsicles, noodles, cocktails, coffee and more.
Large table umbrellas and overhead canopies, as well as outsized industrial fans, provide diners with plenty of shade and cool breezes. Culinary offerings provided by veteran as well as up and coming Puerto Rican chefs include:
Panka which serves Peruvian street food with a creative twist; noodles or rice bowl with meat and veggies made by Wok It!; Dorotea’s Pizza and it’s wood fired thin crust delights and homemade cocktails; Sr. Bigotes Mexican tacos; Pernileria Los Proceres serving roasted pork inspired options and craft beer; savory buttermilk dipped fried chicken at Hen House; Caneca a mobile cocktail house serving fresh juices and top shelf liquor; donuts by Do de Donas; El Joint Burger serving beef, lamb and salmon sliders with innovative toppings; espresso, specialty coffee, and experimental coffee drinks by Café Regina; Belgium-inspired fries at Bayard; La Alcapurria Quema’s Puerto Rican soul food; Poke bowls at El Jangiri; tasty desserts at La Postreria; lobster and salmon mac & cheese as well as variety of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches at Lolo’s Mac & Cheese; Croqueteria serves all types of gourmet croquettes; and Señor Paleta with its fresh fruit popsicles.
Lote 23 is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday it closes at midnight. Average price, depending on the kiosk, ranges from $9 to $12.
This facility hosts two weekly events. Cine 23 is held every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. where international, documentary and short films are shown on an outdoor screen. Santurce Yoga held every Sunday at 9 a.m. in collaboration with El Estudio. Also on weekends guests can expect to enjoy live music.
El Miramar Food Truck Park at Stop 15 is like its counterpart, transforming the palate of the Puerto Rican diner and adding much-needed entertainment thanks to the island’s Millennials.
The Meatball Company offers its customers a variety of delicious handcrafted meatballs made out of chicken, beef, pork, and lamb served up in sliders, subs, and gyros.
Yummy Dumplings makes an assortment of tasty dumplings filled with chicken, skirt steak, pork, sweet plantains, and malanga, among other combinations. Its sauces include peanut, ginger soy, and spicy mustard as well as Korean tacos.
Peru Rico has a variety of Peruvian treats, and its ceviche is to die for. The empanadas fried plantains, yucca fries, and fried mahi mahi are packed with savory depth.
Pa’l Pita’s specialty is yummy gyros filled with skirt steak, lamb, or chicken.
Que Toston serves a delicious twist on Puerto Rican classics like arroz con pollo (yellow rice with chicken), fried cheese and arepas (corn cakes), not to mention its canoas (sweet plantain canoes) and patacon (fried green plantains used as bread substitute) with plenty of delicious toppings.
Miramar Food Truck Park opens every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Average plate varies from $5 to $15. This venue holds activities such as Movie Nights, BBQs and BYOB.
Food trucks in Puerto Rico were only known to serve inexpensive food like hamburgers, hot dogs, and tripletas (a skirt steak, ham, and pork sandwich) and local staple foods like comida criolla consisting of rice, beans, stews, pork, and plantains.
This pattern changed in 2012 when a different breed of food trucks —pioneers Yummy Dumplings and El Ñaqui — began offering casual gourmet food like ribs, Korean style chicken, pulled pork, Asian style skirt steak, wings, salads, sides, and soup.
These food trucks threw the old and familiar menus out the window and started introducing innovative flavors to their customers. Both trucks quickly gathered a cult-like following and their success inspired others to take a chance and start up their own food trucks.
Today, there are around 80 food trucks all over the island, most are in the San Juan metro area but there are fantastic food trucks everywhere from Caguas to the popular beach towns of Aguadilla and Rincon — and the number grows monthly.
Diners now have everything in Caguas from Mexican food at La Chilanguita in Gurabo to El Churry (also located in the towns of Carolina, San Juan, Luquillo and Levittown) with its special tripletas on sobao sweet bread to Persian food at the Mill Urban Bistro to mofongo, plantain soup, nacho criollos and pasta at La Mancha de Platano. And FOK Brewery serves up craft beers and microbrews with unique flavors. Another food truck inspired by traditional Puerto Rican cuisine is Cosechas, which elevates its cooking with modern and innovative touches. Try the turnovers, skirt steak, fried pork, steak sandwich, fried plantains, soup of the day, sweet potato gnocchi and rice and beans. Absolutely delicious!
In Rincon, Fire Island Surf & Turf Co. in Rincon provides casual street grub from tacos and tosadas to kebabs and sandwiches and Jack’s Shack shines with its grilled tuna tacos, homemade veggie burgers, acai bowls and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
On the northwestern coast, there is yet another much-visited food truck park called the Aguadilla Food Truck Park. This casual gastronomic retreat features mouthwatering delights from Tako-G which features Japanese street food fare with everything from ramen noodles to pho; succulent gourmet burg ers at Bluefin; Tuk Tuk and its amazing Thai food; Ribs Smoke Shack with plenty of BBQ options; and Demitasse with its gourmet coffee and artisan ice cream.
The Aguadilla Food Truck Park opens from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every Sunday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Slowly but surely, these food trucks have done the unimaginable: reshape the Puerto Rican palate. Whether you are looking for a slice of pizza or a new gourmet creation, you will definitely find a food truck for your inner foodie in Puerto Rico.
Hotel kitchen artists at specialty restaurants serve up passion on a platter
Staying at one of Puerto Rico’s beachfront hotels doesn’t just mean that frolicking and taking refreshing ocean dips is your day job while in la Isla del Encanto. The dazzling premises are also full of sabor, with delectable meals served in sumptuous surroundings steps from the comfort of your hotel room or favorite beach chair.
Hotel kitchen artists at specialty restaurants serve up passion on a platter
Staying at one of Puerto Rico’s beachfront hotels doesn’t just mean that frolicking and taking refreshing ocean dips is your day job while in la Isla del Encanto. The dazzling premises are also full of sabor, with delectable meals served in sumptuous surroundings steps from the comfort of your hotel room or favorite beach chair.
Whether it is an opulent, haute cuisine French dinner inspired by Michelin Star Chef Jean-Georges, an exotic teppanyaki feast redolent of Japan, or an imaginative culinary spin on the island’s own cocina criolla, Puerto Rico’s hotels and resorts offer world-class fine dining regardless of what you are looking for.
Signature restaurants serving distinctive world cuisine or a fusion of culinary traditions can be found at major hostelries around the island, offering a wealth of options that will tempt even the most demanding palate. And if you crave seasonal food you are in luck because the farm-to-table movement is the biggest trend in Puerto Rico’s restaurants. You can’t get any fresher than eating a fish plucked from the sea a couple of hours before ending on a dish next to some crunchy greens and savory vegetables picked the day before from a beautiful tropical farm. Island agriculture is exploding with fresh organic produce and niche crops, energized by a new generation of farmers that have made for fresher, more pungent flavors wafting from restaurant kitchens.
Whether famous or about to be, the chef in your kitchen is an artist and might very well be a star. They are responsible for the exciting menus that day in and day out tantalize diners’ taste buds through gastronomic flights of fancy. These maestros of the kitchen are among Puerto Rico’s most creative people, bringing enthusiasm, passion, and versatility to the challenging task of preparing meals that will appeal to diners who hail from all over the world and have wildly different personal preferences when it comes to food.
A luminary is Angel Santiago, the executive chef of Lola Eclectic Cuisine at the Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino, famous for his personal motto: “Keep cooking.” Dubbed “the chef with the hands of gold,” he was a finalist in Master Chef Latino 2011, has competed with the Puerto Rico Culinary Team (taking gold, bronze, and Best Culinary Team award in 2012) and has appeared on TV shows like the 2015 Christmas special of “Ellas y Tus Noches” with Chef Marilyn Lopez.
Puerto Rico’s astonishing kitchen talent has made the island a vibrant culinary destination, with hotel restaurants some of the finest on the island, drawing both visitors from around the world and locals with discerning palates. Regardless of style, or the tradition they are working in, Puerto Rico’s culinary creators share a passion to ensure the highest quality of ingredients and a cutting-edge standard of excellence in their execution.
Based in a beautifully restored colonial building in Ponce’s historic downtown, Lola’s Eclectic Cuisine at the Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino has a decor that mixes modernity with Spain’s classic colonial elegance. Likewise, its menu is a fusion of classic dishes with Caribbean and Puerto Rican cuisine. Offerings include lamb, various cuts of meat, risotto and traditional mofongo,
Santiago initially planned a civil engineering career but quit to study at the Puerto Rico Hotel School in Isla Verde, going on to work at the Ritz Carlton San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde, the Radisson Ambassador Plaza in Condado, and Jajome Terrace restaurant in his mountain hometown of Cayey. A “careful but adventurous chef,” Santiago said the challenge of cooking is developing your own personal style and taste, maintaining it, and having people recognize it. “To be successful in this industry you need passion and the desire to learn every day,” he said. “You can learn something from every person you work with.”
Asiatic food is another popular trend in Puerto Rico these days so it is fitting that one of San Juan’s newest additions to the dining scene, SAK-I, is an Asian fusion restaurant. It boasts Puerto Rico’s only saki bar, serving 42 different brands of this famous Japanese liquor distilled from rice. Located in the InterContinental San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde, the restaurant features dishes based on Thai, Japanese, and Chinese cuisine with current menu favorites including Mongolian beef filet mignon, Kuntau chicken sautéed with peanuts, and lobster sushi. All vegetables, fruits, and some fish are purchased locally. “I always try for all menu proposals to be well balanced and I like to use what our land produces,” says executive chef Gabriel Rivera, who oversees two other restaurants in addition to SAK-I. A creative chef who likes simplicity, he stressed the value of consistency. “The gastronomic experience I seek to highlight is the fusion of local products with Asiatic ingredients adding preferences from Puerto Rico’s cuisine to create a new taste,” said Rivera, who studied cooking but credits his success on his 16 years of experience and support from influential mentors.
“If you want a menu to be liked you have to like cooking, you have to be inspired by cooking,” he said.