Charming Vegetarian Oasis at Verde Mesa

During my stay in Puerto Rico, I got the sense that Puerto Rican cuisine is very meat-and-starch heavy. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found Verde Mesa, which is essentially a vegetarian restaurant. They do serve fish but all of their food is healthy, like Whole-Foods-Market healthy. Plus the restaurant was beautiful. Verde Mesa…

Discovering a local favorite at José Enrique

In La Placita de Santurce, among the ring of restaurants surrounding the public market, was a restaurant that was hailed as a local favorite. José Enrique is quite unique and celebrated, because the chef, Jose Enrique, grew up locally, studied and practiced in the US, including in New York, before returning home and opening this restaurant….

Tostones, Mofongo and Amarillo: the Plantain Trifecta

Let’s call this a public service announcement or an educational post. Having tried all three plantain dishes in Puerto Rico, not saying that these are the only ways to eat plantains, I figured I will talk about them together. A major part of Puerto Rican food is starch, especially plantains. I have seen potatoes and fries…

Mallorcas and French Toast at Viejo San Juan

Back in January of this year, I had the opportunity to escape the negative thirty degree Ottawa winter for a few weeks, so I pounced on it. That opportunity brought me to San Juan, Puerto Rico. I will start doing a couple of posts about Puerto Rico, of course, mostly focusing on the food there….