Passionate about pork
Ensaltao – Ponce
Ensaltao – Ponce
Passionate about food is how Chef Benmar Santos Correa, owner of Ensaltao restaurant in Ponce, describes herself and she is definitely is in love with pork.
And in the hierarchy of proteins pork is king in Puerto Rico. The name of this innovative establishment, that features the tastiest, most succulent lechon (slow-roasted whole pig); refers to the process of when a pig is inserted on a spit.
Hungry customers come to 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 and pigeon peas, yuca al mojo (cassava with garlic sauce), mofongo (mashed green plantain with pork and garlic), root vegetables, cuajito (stewed pig stomach), morcilla (blood sausage), pasteles (boiled green plantains or cassava filled with pork or chicken), 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.
Tradition is alive and well in Ensaltao. Families come not only to enjoy fun and flavor but to appreciate a cozy ambiance with a refreshing freshwater stream view, colorful hand painted murals designed by local artists, arts and crafts, carnival masks as well as cold beer, wines, and tropical drinks. The last weekend of every month local artisans offer a small arts and crafts fair to exhibit their masterpieces and sell souvenirs.
Ensaltao is the place to visit when in Ponce where you’ll be served a beautiful plate of happiness. Clients that come for the first time is one that definitely returns.
The setting sun marks the start of the evening SOCIAL scene. The nighttime ambiance is decidedly island-chic as guests arrive for intimate dinners, drinks with friends or just to see where the night will take them. The curated menu and drink list are the perfect pairing to the after sunset social scene. With attentive service and thoughtful recommendations from the SOCIAL staff, there is no doubt your first visit won’t be your last.
ADVERTORIAL
Connect over fresh, authentic food and drink
SOCIAL – Condado Ocean Club’s main restaurant
SOCIAL – Condado Ocean Club’s main restaurant
Condado Ocean Club’s main restaurant, SOCIAL, is where guests come to meet and connect over fresh, authentic food and drink. Our space and menu are inspired by people’s desire to connect and to be social.
Into its second successful year, SOCIAL is one of San Juan’s best waterfront restaurants. The vibe of the venue and the relaxed oceanfront provide guests with the vibrant colors of the sea, while they watch the sunset over the sparkling Atlantic. This aesthetic complements the varied menu, which features locally inspired, globally influenced, dishes that put a modern twist on classic Puerto Rican cuisine. The master mixologists at SOCIAL create handcrafted cocktails infused with tropical fruits from our island.
Amongst the offerings, diners may find dishes like the grilled octopus in olive oil and lemon, tuna tartare tacos, and the flavorful chistorra empanadas.For main dish entreés, the house specialties preferred by SOCIAL visitors include Chilean sea bass with porcini risotto, veal chop with fingerling potatoes, grilled ribeye with truffle mac & cheese, and grass-fed filet mignon served with Yukon gold mashed potatoes.
The restaurant is open 7 days a week. Breakfast is served from 7:00 am to 11:00 am, lunch from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm, and dinner from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm; and their fabulous Sunday Brunch from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The brunch menu is a Prixe-Fixe Menu complete with both an Omelet and Dessert Station.Reservations available through Open-Table or 787.625.6000.
The setting sun marks the start of the evening SOCIAL scene. The nighttime ambiance is decidedly island-chic as guests arrive for intimate dinners, drinks with friends or just to see where the night will take them. The curated menu and drink list are the perfect pairing to the after sunset social scene. With attentive service and thoughtful recommendations from the SOCIAL staff, there is no doubt your first visit won’t be your last.
ADVERTORIAL
Ultimate Food and scenery combination
Alelolai Bar & Grill – Barranquitas
Alelolai Bar & Grill – Barranquitas
Nothing is better than the taste of the country. When that flavor not only reaches your palate, but all of the senses, that experience is memorable.
Alelolai Bar & Grill is just 60 minutes from San Juan and nestled in the mountains of Barranquitas in the heart of the Cordillera Central Mountain range. This restaurant is “the place” to enjoy the best of genuine Puerto Rican cuisine while taking in the captivating panoramic views of the island’s greenery while breathing in the mountain breeze that caresses your face and refreshes your soul.
The menu offers traditional local appetizers and a variety of main courses where La Montañera and El Montadito are predominantly featured. La Montañera is chicken breast that can be filled with sweet plantains and Spanish sausage or succulent yellow rice with stewed red beans and skirt steak. El Montadito is an exquisite tower with a mofongo (garlic flavored mashed green plantain) base topped with yellow rice and stewed red beans and strips of skirt steak. We assure that the combination of flavors is so unique that each mouthful will taste even better than the first.
Even though Alelolai Bar & Grill is situated in the center of Puerto Rico, there are always customers that request seafood. For them we offer shrimp dishes, octopus salad, and fish tacos.
On cold days, we offer chicken broth, beef stew, or the soup of the day. We also provide a tasty kid’s menu with smaller portions yet filled with great flavor.
As far as drinks, there are 25 brands of beer at Alelolai Bar & Grill that includes an assortment of local, artisanal and international. The cocktails are made with natural juices such as passion fruit, lemon, coconut, and grapefruit and the mojitos are prepared by an expert bartender.
Alelolai Bar & Grill definitely stands out for being spacious, its large windows allow guests to enjoy 180-degree views of the mountain range as well as the town and the service is hospitable and amicable.
Alelolai Bar & Grill opens Thursday to Sunday and regularly presents live music. A popular musical act is a distinguished Puerto Rican cuatro player. Private events can also be reserved.
The setting sun marks the start of the evening SOCIAL scene. The nighttime ambiance is decidedly island-chic as guests arrive for intimate dinners, drinks with friends or just to see where the night will take them. The curated menu and drink list are the perfect pairing to the after sunset social scene. With attentive service and thoughtful recommendations from the SOCIAL staff, there is no doubt your first visit won’t be your last.
ADVERTORIAL
Great food, drinks and fun for the whole family
Karmas – The Outlet 66 Mall
Karmas – The Outlet 66 Mall
It all starts with location, location, location. As the signature restaurant within The Outlet 66 Mall, Karma’s is within easy driving range from the San Juan metropolitan area’s tourism zones and the international airport as well as the island’s resort-studded towns of Rio Grande, Luquillo and Fajardo. And while Karma’s may sit nearly in the shadow of the sprawling rainforest mountains of El Yunque it shines brightly as the cornerstone of the outlet’s indoor family-fun complex.
Having set the stage – and worked up an appetite – it is time to turn to that food and those drinks. Italian-born owner Alessandro Brandi brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table, boasting nearly four decades in the hospitality industry working as a chef in trendy travel spots including London, Switzerland, Mexico, Barbuda, Bermuda and right here in Puerto Rico.
Karma’s is open seven days a week starting at noon. Private rooms are available for parties and meetings.
The setting sun marks the start of the evening SOCIAL scene. The nighttime ambiance is decidedly island-chic as guests arrive for intimate dinners, drinks with friends or just to see where the night will take them. The curated menu and drink list are the perfect pairing to the after sunset social scene. With attentive service and thoughtful recommendations from the SOCIAL staff, there is no doubt your first visit won’t be your last.
ADVERTORIAL
A tradition with criollo flavor
Los Gorditos Restaurant – Caguas, Bayamon and Isla Verde
Los Gorditos Restaurant – Caguas, Bayamon and Isla Verde
Alonso Rios, an Aguas Buenas farmer with 12 kids, prayed fifty years ago for a way to be able to sustain his family. From here the idea to establish a business to provide market services arose where his entire family could work.
The business was then called El Pocito Dulce, and it became the place to meet in the area. They served fried pork appetizers, now known as the house specialty, as well as the best fried pork with onions in Puerto Rico.
Vamos pa’ Los Gorditos (Let’s go to the chubbys) became the colloquial phrase among the people of the area based on the personality and physic of the restaurant owners and with time, the owners adopted the name “Los Gorditos”.
That is how this humble family from Aguas Buenas began their criollo food business that has transcended three generations and is currently managed by the original owner’s grandsons who have kept the tradition alive.
This mom and pop shop served as the base for an evolving business that today has three restaurants located in Caguas, Bayamon, and its newest place in Isla Verde.
Lots of loyal customers keep coming back to savor the restaurant’s traditional fried pork with onions with a side dish of mofongo and the variety of its criollo menu that includes turkey with onions, boneless fried pork, grilled churrasco, and stuffed mofongo among other items all served in a family ambiance.