I took Amtrak from West Palm Beach to Tampa for a 1-day/2-night visit with lifelong friends from ‘up north’. I armed myself with a good novel, my ipod and snacks and found the experience totally bearable, if not completely enjoyable. The Silver Bullet got me there in 3.5 hours.
Come along while I show you Tarpon Springs, a heavily-populated Greek sponge fishing village that made me feel like I was back visiting the Islands, but first…
The Vacation That Almost Wasn’t. In mid-May we had a family pow-wow to plan this year’s family vacation. We chose a beautiful all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay. A week later the State Department issued a ‘travel warning’ for U.S. citizens because of riots in Kingston. Then came the Spirit Airlines strike which lasted a week and added an additional conern. Finally, the warning was lifted and the strike was settled. But, right behind it was the threat of the first hurricane of the season, Alex! Gratefully, we were spared on all fronts and had a great vacation. But we sure needed that tropical punch when we arrived…yeah, mon! Continue Reading
FOODalogue will be eating and drinking in Montego Bay for a few days. Yeah mon!
This is the last in my 3-part series of I ATE Puerto Rico. Fajardo, located in the eastern region of the Island, is a mecca for recreational boating. It’s also the location of the long-established El Conquistador resort. But, for locals and foodies, it’s a great place to take a ride, walk around and stop for some seafood in one of the little outdoor cafes.
While this series focused mainly on roadside food, you should know there is another side to Puerto Rico. Touristy, glamourous, upscale and exciting. I’m going to end with a peek at nightlife at the El San Juan Hotel.
Unlike Guavate which is high in the mountains, Pinoñes is close to the metropolitan area. A short ride from the Isla Verde area of San Juan brings you along the north coast where you’ll find another conclave of roadside eateries in a rustic beachfront setting.
These places are very popular with the locals (and a few adventurous tourists). You can eat Island specialties, drink and socialize for relatively low cost. Another note of interest to we foodies is everything is fresh. You can often watch it being made as you’ll see in the following photos. Continue Reading
I promised after the Culinary Tour ended I’d give you a glimpse of some authentic “road food” I ate while I was in Puerto Rico in February. So, here we go. Fasten your seat belt – you’re in for an adventure!
First off, we go to Guavate, better known as La Ruta de Lechones (the home of roast pig). Guavate is located about an hour-and-a-half from San Juan high in the mountains and it’s a very popular Sunday afternoon destination for locals.
People spend the day eating, drinking, taking in some sun and dancing. It’s crazy, exciting, fun and delicious! I think the following photos will give you an idea.
I’ve got a real treat for you. We’re having dinner in a private home on this stop of the Culinary Tour. As you may know, I’ve spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico. It was definitely my playground when I lived in New York. Less so now that I live in FL, but I still manage an annual trip and a reunion with my friends. I was actually in Puerto Rico for a few days during the period between the Argentina and Brazil stops on the Culinary Tour. It was a very food-centric experience from the highs of the trendy El San Juan Hotel restaurants…to road stands in the mountains…to a dinner party in a private home which I present here.
In November 2003, I had the opportunity of a lifetime. I got to visit Cuba on a U.S. government-sanctioned cultural exchange trip. Up to that point, my life had intertwined with many Cubans who fled the island and settled in New York, Puerto Rico or Miami where I spent most of my time. I, therefore, knew much about Cuba, but not firsthand. In fact, I used to say it was “la lastima de mi vida” (life’s disappointment) that I had not had the opportunity to visit Cuba. A little melodramatic, perhaps, but I was that passionate about it. Sadly, when I did get to go in 2003, it was a drastically different Cuba than it was in 1959 when Castro took over. The glory days were long gone.
My trip was a half-dozen years before I started blogging but I wrote a travel essay at the time which I made part of the ‘travel retropspective’ category on FOODalogue. I have not edited it. It stands as I wrote it 7 years ago. I invite you to see Cuba as I saw it then. Continue Reading
Back at the end of 2009 when I announced the ‘south-of-the-border’ Culinary Tour itinerary, Haiti was to be stop #8. Several weeks later, the world was horrified by the devastating news of the earthquake. Since then, I’ve struggled with what to do. Would it be more respectful to cancel the stop? Or would now, more than ever, be a good time to embrace Haiti in the way we know best by celebrating its people and food? I decided to keep to the schedule but, instead of cooking, I chose to engage with the local Haitian community by patronizing Tropical Island, a Haitian restaurant in Boynton Beach. This is Lovely who works at the restaurant. Her momma named her well!
As we leave Jamaica with this very colorful and delicious round-up of dishes, I note that we are only 3 stops away from the conclusion of this tour. Haiti, Cuba and Puerto Rico remain. I’ve been having a great time. Based on entries and comments, so are you!
Please stay to end of this post to see special message re H20pe for Haiti.
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