SAN JOSÉ: A FEW GEMS TO EAT AT

zila@plaza27.com (Zila Barrientos) — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 14:32:15 GMT

Year-round growing, fresh ingredients

I’m sure you have heard about Costa Rica’s gorgeous beaches, lush rainforests and tropical climate, all helping to make it the ideal vacation destination. But have you heard that Costa Rica also has the ideal, year-round growing season for the freshest ingredients a chef’s heart?

The chefs of Costa Rica’s capital city, San José, are using this agricultural advantage to fuel a dynamic and fast-growing gastronomy scene. Whether you’re visiting San José for business or passing through on your way to the coasts, be sure to take advantage of the city’s world-class culinary offerings.

Furca

Located in the Rohrmoser district of San José, Furca is a farm-to-table restaurant, specializing in house-aged steaks. Furca supports local farmers and maintains a large, on-site urban garden, which supplies their kitchen with fresh herbs and vegetables.

The restaurant’s dining atmosphere is modern and stylish, with the bustling open kitchen on display. In addition to world-class steaks, Furca is also known for its inventive seafood dishes, as well as superb lamb, rabbit, duck and pork entrees. Furca has an excellent wine list.

The restaurant also serves fresh gnocchi and pasta, a variety of seasonal vegetables and carefully crafted desserts.

Restaurante Kalú

In the hip neighborhood of Barrio Escalante, you’ll find the trendy and unforgettable Restaurante Kalú. In her airy and bright mid-century modern café, Chef Camille Ratton serves up delectable dishes from a French-fusion menu, including white ceviche, warm baby octopus with smoked potato salad and drowned quesadillas.

Kalú also boasts a gourmet offering of coffees and a wide variety of desserts such as Passion Fruit Pie and seasonal flavors of creme brûlée.

Andiamo Lá

A scenic 20-minute trip into the suburbs of San José will take you to Andiamo Lá, a contemporary Italian restaurant nestled in the foothills of Santa Ana. Andiamo Lá offers an extensive menu of classic Italian dishes presented with a modern flair.

They make a large selection of their pastas in-house and even offer a bambini menu for the discerning child. Enjoy your meal in the spacious and contemporary interior dining area or outside on the airy patio surrounded by beautiful fountains and lush greenery.

Park Café

On the north end of San José’s La Sabana Metropolitan Park (a sprawling 153 acres of greenery in city’s center), you’ll find Park Café, the culinary passion project of Michelin-rated chef Richard Neat. This gem of a restaurant is located in a renovated mansion/antique shop that is run by Neat’s partner, Louise French.

Enjoy dishes from their tapas-style menus such as scallops wrapped in prosciutto with torta Español and vichyssoise sauce or octopus braised in white wine with grilled chorizo and parsley sauce while soaking in the surroundings of expertly curated art and antiquities from across the globe. Don’t forget to make a reservation.

Restaurante Grano de Oro

A visit to Restaurante Grano de Oro will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to a more luxurious era. Situated in a Victorian mansion in the heart of San José, Restaurante Grano de Oro is considered one of Costa Rica’s finest dining experiences.

In this beautiful and plushly decorated atmosphere, you will enjoy the efforts of French chef Francis Canal, who has perfectly merged classic European cuisine with a Costa Rican tropical flair. Restaurante Grano de Oro also maintains an extensive wine list for perfect pairings with all meals.

WHY VISIT THE LAND OF PURA VIDA

zila@plaza27.com (Zila Barrientos) — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 16:04:29 GMT

Costa Rica is located in Central America between Nicaragua and Panama.

The land of “Pure Life” is full of ideal vacation destinations. Every traveler will discover their own reason to travel to Costa Rica. Here are just a few of the many reasons why people come and fall in love with this unforgettable destination.

Fantastic Climate

With average weather conditions around 85° F, this tropical nation is blessed with balmy weather throughout the year. You can travel from sultry beaches to cool mountain cloud forests in just a few hours. Costa Rica has two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. Costarican peak season is from December to April, during the dry season, however Costa Rica has many different eco-climates so the dry and rainy seasons are different across the country. For example, when it’s dry season in the Pacific Coast, it’s rainy season on the Caribbean Coast. Make sure you look into the weather and season of the area you are traveling to!

Incredible Wildlife

Nearly 30% of the country is dedicated as national parks and wildlife reserves. Iconic species include howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, blue morpho butterflies, three-toed sloths and humpback whales. Leave your binoculars at home – Costa Rica’s wildlife is everywhere! With capital city, San Jose, as your home base you can visit Tortuguero National Park to see nesting sea turtles, Carara National Park for scarlet macaws and Manuel Antonio for sloths, howler monkeys, and iguanas!

Family-friendly Fun

Costa Rica is one of the safest countries for family travel. Kids of all ages can enjoy the myriad of activities and outdoor adventures that are offered. Many hotels and resorts cater to family travelers with kid menus, onsite play areas and special activities designed for children.

Sublime Beaches

Costa Rica has more than 800 miles of stunning shoreline divided between the Caribbean coast and Pacific coast. Costa Rica’s picture-perfect beaches are recognized worldwide. Do you love to surf, swim, fish, or just enjoy the cool breezes? Maybe you want to try scuba diving or horseback riding on the beach? Perhaps you’re hoping to spot sea turtles or even humpback whales? The options can be overwhelming. Choose from Puerto Viejo’s famous black-sand beaches on the southern Caribbean coast to the pearly-white sands of Manuel Antonio. Visit Tamarindo for great nightlife, Cahuita National Park for incredible scuba diving or the Nicoya Peninsula for awesome surf breaks!

These are just a few of the many, many reasons to visit Costa Rica!

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