First the sad news, La Galleria in Mall Florencia, Escazú, closed its doors. Nice people, great food, will be missed. I guess they might have done better staying in Grecia. Also, La Tache in Plaza Tempo also closed. Quel dommage.
Good news. Cilantro Café in Grecia continues to attract devotees after their first three exciting months. To accede to the wishes of their fans, Kevin and Bronwyn have extended their hours to 8pm Monday thru Friday so folks can now have dinner there as well as breakfast and lunch. They will still close at 3pm on Saturday and stay closed on Sunday. The only concession they have made to the kids is to open at 11 rather than 8 on Mondays. Other days they open at 8am. They have already added desserts to the menu.
Another success story is El Mediterraneo. The fabulous little charming Romanian restaurant owned by an ethnic Turk with a Greek chef has outgrown its digs across from Scotia Bank and has moved into a larger venue a bit farther west (0.8 km) on the road that heads from Escazú towards Santa Ana just across the street from Plaza Del Rio. They can now seat forty comfortably, more than double their previous capacity, and they have a parking lot. The décor is Mediterranean (same designer as Dad’s gigantic restaurant in Istanbul) and comfortable. The expanded wait staff have been well-trained and are most attentive. The menu has grown but has not forsaken any of the old favorites. I loved the original and hoped that the basics had not been lost in the move.
Recently I was in the mood for pasta and lamb, usually an impossible combination, but I scored. Linguini with lamb turned out to be homemade pasta in a spectacular sauce of yogurt, white wine, goat cheese and dill. The flavor was very rich, but with neither cream nor butter in mix, it was less fatty and lighter than the bold flavor would suggest. The ground lamb also exuded the flavors of the Mediterranean. I was one happy diner. The owner asked me try a new Greek dessert that he had just made. I did, and smiled all the way home. Arlakis had ground pistachios and sliced almonds atop the foamiest meringue ever which sat above a velvety lemon pudding on a biscuit. The flavors abounded and included a light touch of anise. Wow!
More good news. At last my hometown of La Guácima de Alajuela has an upscale restaurant of sufficient quality that I feel comfortable bringing guests with demanding culinary expectations. Tayta Restaurante Peruano is in the small mall, Plaza Via Guácima, 600 meters south of AutoMercado on the road to Los Reyes on the east side of the road. It is number 5/6.
Jorge Valencia Palacios, the charming owner, mans the attached gelateria and dining room and prominent chef imported from Peru, Ipolito, creates attractive dishes carefully prepared and authentically seasoned. I can vouch for very nice renditions of corvina in seafood sauce, causas, fried calamari, parihuela, tacu tacu with fresh seafood, risotto, shrimp with yellow rice and suspiros for dessert. Several classics grace the opulent menu including Peruvian style ceviche, anticuchos, papas rellenos, chaufa, mar y tierra, an assortment of rice and pasta dishes, steaks, tataki de atun, cau cau de mariscos, chicken in three regional sauces, salads and desserts. The setting offers comfortable seating inside and out, minimalistic but attractive décor and the spacing and quiet that allows for leisurely conversations and dining. The attentive service is never intrusive. Average main course prices for generous portions average about ₡7500. Not a place for an inexpensive casado or executive bargain lunch, but a most pleasant place for a good meal. Phone: 6057-4945. Noon to 11, Sunday noon to 7. Closed Mondays
On the opposite end of La Guácima, right before the river that borders with San Rafael de Alajuela, an older restaurant has been resurrected from a long sleep. New name, new management, new menu and a new chef call out to locals to try Boqueria Palmeras. It clearly is a place for a bargain lunch or an affordable cocktail with a light dinner from a well-stocked bar.Eight of us answered the call on a recent Friday night. The spacious, nicely appointed, comfortable restaurant had more people in it enjoying their food that night than visited the restaurant’s predecessor in any given week previously. The menu consists of a 67 bocas. Prices range from ₡1000 to ₡3500 with most plates priced at ₡2500. Servings are generous and, although a few of my friends order two each, I am usually sated with one. Preparations appear similar to or a little better than other boca locales. The offerings are well seasoned and the ingredients reflect decent quality. Star offerings seem to be the very large platter of patacones mixtos with a bevy of toppings, filet mignon with mushrooms, liver and onions, pulpo al ajilo, fajitas mixtas and aros de calamari. The expansive cocktail menu prices drinks at ₡2000. Service is friendly, but not yet very sophisticated. Not a problem. Opens at noon on weekdays and an hour earlier on Saturday and Sunday and closes every day at 11 PM. 4031-6583.
Istanbul is a great very new addition for Turkish cuisine. Owner Güven Özel is a dynamo, working tirelessly to achieve perfection. He is from beautiful Cappadocia in central Turkey. He and his Venezuelan wife were hotel owners before they landed in Costa Rica just six months ago. Their managerial expertise glows. The restaurant on the Santa Ana Radial adjacent to Don Fernando, Subway, BAC and Mitsuri is nicely appointed with colorful cut glass oil lamp shaped chandeliers. The décor is comfortable. The friendly staff are learning ingredients, flavors and the fine points of customer service rapidly. I don’t remember all the mezzes I sampled, but the seasoning was spot on with enough sumac, garlic, cumin and citrus to tingle my taste buds. They make their own sauces, breads and yogurt. Good babaganoush, hummus, borek, cacik, dolma and tashi. The puffed up small loaves of nigella and white sesame seed topped warm bread out of the oven is a heavenly adjunct to the dips and sauces. An added bonus is their variety of lamb dishes which are hard to find in Costa Rica. The chef is from Turkey where he labored in a restaurant kitchen for fifteen years. I haven’t tasted the entire menu yet, but so far he is batting a thousand. Prices are midrange. Currently they are open from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM for lunch and again at 5:30 PM for dinner every day but Sunday. 2203-3872.
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