January 31st, 2014
Playa Los Machos, Ceiba
My last post showed a cold winter day in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware…..Leaving the Delaware Beaches to a warmer climate in the Island of Puerto Rico,where the temperatures are in the 80”s with low humidity, found me tasting the Comida Criolla; the best!
The Ruta del Comelon….that’s us, following the path of those that love food. If you like Puertorican food, then, this post is for you.
Meeting with family and friends….first stop is always a must at the Metropol Restaurant right after getting off the plane.
This restaurant is one of those iconic Puerto Rican eateries where you can get a good taste of the local flavor at the best price.
A little spread was placed on the table.
Loved the octopus salad or ensalada de pulpo the best. It melted in your mouth. Yum!
Breakfast on Friday morning was not the usual bacon and eggs. I am once again staying at Hacienda Pellerano…a private enclave.
Frying some granitos indigenous from the town of La Ciudad Gris or Humacao hit the spot, along with bite size morsels of papaya.
Accompanying the above was one of my favorites….morcillas or blood sausages….I know, I know, they don’t look so appetizing but believe me when I tell you that they are amazingly good.
La Ruta del Comelon took us to the town of Naguabo on the eastern side of the island.
The restaurant of choice was El Makito. We started with the pastelillos de chapin. Chapin is a fish and these turnovers are sought after by anyone visiting the east side of Puerto Rico.
The beer was so cold and was the perfect side dish for our next dishes.
The Mofongo is made out of plantains. Stuffing it is the new craze. So, 3 of them were ordered, stuffed with Salmorejo de Jueves (local crab criollo), Chapin (the little fish), and Conch….shrimp were ordered, as well.
The Caribbean lobster or langosta was served to our fellow diners…I don’t want to be thought of as a food stalker but I guess I was….they let me take the photo. You can see that the side dish of mofongo traditionally prepared is on the right, but then the stuffed one was also served.
And how big were the lobsters at El Makito? You be the judge.
Dessert!! We were looking for casquitos de guayaba, which is a fruit that you do not find it as easily in the island as before, served with cheese. And the other is a dulce de lechoza, which is papaya. Homemade and awesome!!
Hours later, at Hacienda Pellerano, a little “picadera” or “tasting” of pasteles, also made with plantains just like the mofongo. Filled with chickpeas, raisins…it reminded me that we need to really walk on Saturday if we are to continue on La Ruta del Comelon when we will take off for Guavate or La Ruta del Lechon (Pig).
Buen Provecho!!
September 30th, 2010
So many more posts for my blog could have come out from last week-end’s trip to Puerto Rico.
It is so funny because my friends, here in Rehoboth, are used to me not letting them touch their food at a restaurant until I have taken pictures. I had to work a little harder in the Island of Enchantment since they were not used to it. Slowly they got the hang of it. Some of the pictures were taken so fast that I am not really going to publish them. You are probably saying “thanks”. Enough is enough, right? Oh, well.
I stayed in Isla Verde, which is a district of Carolina, bordered to the north by the Atlantic Ocean and to the West by the San Juan area of Condado. It is a tourist area of Puerto Rico, where restaurants, bars, and casinos are found. Some of the hotels found are The Ritz Carlton, El San Juan Hotel, and The Intercontinental, among others.
The beach is a beautiful cove. Walkers, joggers and sunbathers are all over the place. Also, you will find the man selling fresh coconut ice cream. I did not have any, which is probably good since now I am paying for my indulgences.
I walked the beach in the early evening and also sat down to join all the beachgoers on Saturday for a little bit of sunbathing. The water was so warm; but cold to some of the natives.
I reminded myself how relaxing this visit was. But, all good things come to an end and so was my trip.
On Tuesday, the “primas”, or cousins got together for lunch at the Metropol Restaurant. It is a Cuban and Puertorican restaurant, located at Avenida Isla Verde, tel. 787-791-5585. It is right next to the Club Gallistico of Puerto Rico. This is the club where cockfights take place. Cockfighting in Puerto Rico is recognized as a cultural right of Puertoricans and I am leaving it at that.
The Metropol serves latin food and I wanted something typical since I was taking a plane that evening. We had croquettes, turnovers, corn sticks, alcapurrias, which are plantain fritters, accompanied with a red sangria.
One appetizer that brought memories was the fried plantain chips. These were long, just like my grandmother used to make them.
The service was good and the restaurant was comfortably crowded. The decoration was definitely Spanish.
I had been on a chicharrones de pollo kick. These are pieces of chicken, fried; but not just like any old fried chicken. I can’t explain it but they are delicious; crispy and so well seasoned. Puertorican rice and beans were a must, of course. Our waiter told us they were the best. My lunch also included fried ripe plantains.
For dessert we had the diplomatic pudding that was like a flan, but a thicker consistency and included coconut. To tell you the truth it was o.k. but not that great.
The vanilla flan also was good but I have had better, including my own.
Oh my gosh, we were so full. How can anyone eat this way at lunch? Do they still have siestas in Borinquen?
We decided to visit the El San Juan Hotel, which was down the street. Walking was going to be the way we were going to get there. A little exercise, por favor.
There are 2 hotels that I truly love in Puerto Rico. One in Old San Juan, El Convento, and this one, the El San Juan Hotel. I was longing to see if it had stayed the same.
Entrance to El San Juan Hotel
The El San Juan Hotel is located at 6063 Isla Verde Ave., Carolina, P.R. 00979. Website is www.elsanjuanhotel.com. It is part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection. There are only 24 hotels under this designation and 2 of them are in Puerto Rico. The Conquistador in Fajardo, on the eastern side of the island is also one of them.
Silver Bar
I cannot say enough about this hotel. It should be the pride of San Juan. It will take you back to a time of craftmanship, a time of ease and elegance; a time of sophistication and style.
I was mesmerized with the woods and floors used throughout, the shops, the restaurants and how the hotel still can be a tropical paradise exuding old-world classic elegance at the same time.
And yes, we went to the Casino and deposited $20 in no time.
This hotel is priceless; still one of my favorite hotels just like the one in Wilmington, Delaware, The Hotel DuPont, and The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia.
Guess what? The moment I laid my eyes on that beautiful chandelier, I knew it had not changed.
Enjoy…talk to you later….
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