As a result of the confusion that I caused, very little consensus could be garnered from this list of restaurants that received a vote or more on the poll from two months ago. As I mentioned last month, Pecora Nera, Sunspot and Ginger received the most votes for best restaurant outside the Central Valley. Time Out Tavern was the most popular American restaurant in a runaway. Chez Cristoph was the most popular bakery and received a few breakfast votes. The Marriott Sunday Brunch in Belen was a winner. Machu Picchu came in first among Peruvian places. Casa China prevailed for dim sum and Taj Mahal for Indian food.
more than one category = x, more than one vote in a category = z
Agua Azul x Bacchus x, z Bistro at Hotel La Finisterra Caballo Blanco Cantarranas Tacos Casa China z Casa Luisa Cha Cha Cha Chancay CitrusClub Aleman Coconutz Bar & Eatery Comida Para Sentir Cristoph x, z D’Costa Flor de Loto Giardino Tropicale Gil’s Place Ginger z Gino’s Grano de Oro x, z Il Panino Inka Grill Intercontinental Hotel Jurgens La Caueja La Luz La Fabricca L’Angullo Allegre x Las Cebollinas Lluna de Valencia L’Oliva Long Board BBQ Machu Picchu z,x Mata Limon Marlin Marriott in Belen z Miss Edith’s Mono Azul x Nibbana Beach Bar & Restaurant Ocotal Beach Resort & Hotel Panaderia Alemana Paradissus Conchal x Paraiso Tropical Paso Real Pato Loco Inn Pecora Nera z Pescado Loco Pizza Hut Plinio z Robin’s Kitchen Saga x Sunspot x, z Tacontento Taj Mahal z Time Out Tavern z, x
A friend left a tour book at our house that I had never seen before. It was loaded with information about dining along the south Pacific coast. My wife and I made a road trip to check out the facts. First stop – Restaurant at the Samoa Hotel in Golfito. Tasty congrio. -- not bad, but not a bargain. Next stop – straight up 3000 feet to San Vito – this “Italian town where Italian is still spoken” no longer seems to be Italian. We only heard Spanish spoken over two days. The pastas, pizzas and scaloppinis were pedestrian at best. Wilson Botanical Gardens had gorgeous vistas in and out of town in both directions (via Paseo Real and via Ciudad Neily) made the trip worthwhile. Heading back up the coast past Palmar Sur we overnighted at Lookout, a lovely reasonably priced hotel in Playa Tortuga with an excellent buffet style breakfast, 11 km south of Uvita, high on a hill with ocean vistas; toucans, parrots and trogons in the trees; spotless air-conditioned rooms and charming hosts from Germany, Brigid and Uwe. (2786-5074). They still have space for Easter Week as a result of a cancellation by a large group. The road up to hotel is directly across the highway from Ferreteria Ventanas de Osa.
Just a few minutes south, Ojochal is a small town on an unpaved road on the inland side of the highway. Remarkably, this little dusty valley is home to two fine restaurants and a French bakery. At the far end of the valley, Exotica is an unpretentious fusion restaurant with German owners and chefs. Vicki, their daughter, is the charismatic hostess. We shared our lunch of seared rare tuna and a sauce of coconut milk, ginger and a hint of sweet and piquant, which we guessed to be sriracha sauce, and a fabulous coquille St. Jacques called concha de la mar on the menu. They are open for lunch and dinner and are a favorite of an international potpourri of ex-pats. Vicki’s mom makes great desserts, but she has never made the profiteroles described in the misguided guide book. (2786-5050)
The other restaurant, Citrus, not mentioned in the book, is a romantic, elegant, well-established dinner house perfect for a candlelight feast under vaulted ceilings or in the garden. It is also open for lunch. Service is impeccable. The Parisian owners have lived in the area for many years and were the original owners of Exotica. We shared a chicken breast stuffed with Spanish chiles marron, napped in gorgonzola and a seafood platter of lobster, shrimp and calamari. Both were exquisitely sauced. For dessert, we shared as tasty a mousse as I have ever had, of Belgian chocolate and brandy. It would have been perfect had the chef completely melted the sugar to eliminate the bit of grainy texture. Dinner at Citrus was twice the price of lunch at Exotica. Both were outstanding.
Last stop before heading home was dusty beachside Dominical. The book also touted the restaurant at Hotel Domilocos as an elegant Italian restaurant. That information is correct insofar as the very nice restaurant does have pasta, risotto and pizza on the menu, but it is also the most popular tápas restaurant within hours in any direction. Choices range from garlic mushrooms to escargot to small towers of veggies and cheese. Steaks, fish and a panoply of desserts also grace the menu. Nothing costs more than C4800 and tápas begin at C1300. (2787-02440).
Gan Bei has been one of my favorites, but some diners said the head chef left and his replacement tends to season everything with Costa Rican (sweet) catsup. A second pair of sophisticated diners, one of whom used to live in Asia, said it wasn’t too bad, but down a peg from previous visits.
Nichon closed.
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