The GastroNomad team is presently taking in sights and local culture in the quaint fishing village of Buzios, located 2.5 hours by car north of Rio de Janeiro. This town of 20,000 people occupies a peninsula featuring a variety of beaches ranging from longer stretches of sand to small hidden coves. Conditions are ideal for all water sports from world-class kite- and windsurfing to snorkeling and scuba diving.

Due to its proximity to Rio, Buzios hosts up to 80,000 visitors during the weeklong national holiday of Carnival, and is also a popular weekend destination during Brazil's summer months. The town offers numerous small hotels, bed and breakfast’s called “pousadas”, and an array of private vacation homes and condominiums for rent. Thankfully, there are no high-rise developments due to stringent local building codes, and outside of the high season Buzios remains a place of authentic Brazilian small-town life.

A piece of advice: We arrived in time for Carnival, expecting colorful parades led by samba schools to take over the downtown streets, and live samba and bossa nova music to fill the bars and clubs. Instead, we encountered scarce availability and vastly inflated prices for any kind of accommodation, as well as a week of jammed roads, beaches, restaurants, and shopping venues. There were no organized costumed parades and the music of choice in clubs, and at private beach gatherings or house parties, was definitely electronic house and pop – played 24/7 in highly amplified fashion. It’s best to sit this one out.

Buzios has a lively restaurant scene which profits from the plentiful fresh seafood available every day as well as the quality of most produce and meat produced in the area. Cattle here are pasture-raised and the taste of the beef is outstanding, yet it is inexpensive compared to prices in the US. We purchased about two pounds of top sirloin for the equivalent of two dollars! Brazilian food is characterized by a variety of tropical, exotic, hearty and spicy flavors, reflecting its African, Amerindian, and European racial mix. Restaurants serving local fare, often buffet style and priced on a per kilo basis, are complemented by a variety of more upscale places offering Italian, French, Mediterranean and Portuguese cuisine. Also popular are “churrascarias” which specialize in barbecued meats prepared South American style on large open charcoal grills There is even a Thai restaurant downtown but only one McDonald's and few burger-and-fries type of outlets. Pizza seems to be Brazil’s favorite fast food. There are small pizzerias everywhere and some version of the dish appears on most menus throughout town.

Beer is plentiful and inexpensive with the best brands being foreign ones such as Heineken and Bohemia. The country’s wine production is in its infancy, so better picks are the sauvignon blancs, cabernets, and malbecs from nearby Argentina and Chile sold in most restaurants and stores. The national drink is the “caiprihina”, a mixture of “cachaca”- a liquor distilled from sugarcane – crushed limes and sugar, served over ice. It tastes similar to a margarita and has quite a kick—as we found out.

Buzios boasts numerous places to sip your beverages of choice during a night out on the town, and on the weekend there’s often live music to be found. Thanks to the year-round warm temperatures, most restaurants and bars offer outdoor seating, some near the water or with an ocean view, others bistro-style for people watching. Spirits amongst patrons are usually high, with everybody enjoying themselves, each other, and the beauty of a starry night in the tropics. A word of caution – dinner in Brazil is a late affair and can easily last into the wee hours, so early birds will miss most of the fun. And most clubs do not open until 1 a.m., which may require a ‘pre-club’ rest.

Countless bakeries and ice cream parlors dispersed throughout downtown and the neighborhood areas testify to the sweet tooth enjoyed by many Brazilians. Some of the ice cream and sorbet we’ve tasted is fashioned after Italian gelato and it’s quite good, especially the tropical fruit flavors such as mango and passion fruit. Bread lovers will be disappointed though since whole grain and sourdough varieties are practically unknown here, and even a somewhat crispy baguette is hard to come by.

As we eat and drink our way around town, we’ll keep you posted on our most delicious and otherwise memorable adventures here in colorful Buzios.

Restaurante do Solar

Restaurante do Solar is a very small, eclectically furnished open-air restaurant situated along the Praia Armacao stretch of downtown Buzios. Its candle-lit tables and cozy couches create a romantic ambiance and the made-to-order food is reminiscent of being a guest at a friend’s home.

The restaurant is run by a French lady named Catherine de Jenlis, her Argentinean partner and fellow chef Ramon Barberis, and their amiable and attentive waiter Fabio who is also in charge of mixing drinks such as a delicious passionfruit caipirinha. Premium beer and a short but thoughtful wine list are available as well.

During our first evening, we chose a Viognier (60.00 Reais) with dinner, which was quite pleasing and came recommended by Catherine who happily translates into English the brief, chalk-board written menu. The selection changes daily and always includes a choice of two salads (25.00 Reais), two entrées (45.00 Reais), and two desserts (15.00 Reais). Depending on how many diners drop in, an offering might be replaced by another dish as the evening progresses.

The restaurant stays open late - it is not unusual for the chefs to prepare a meal to order at 1 a.m. in the morning – and patrons, which include many faithful regulars and friends, like to linger watching Catherine and Ramon do their magic in the small open kitchen while listening to bossa nova and soft jazz tunes from a portable stereo and enjoying cool beverages.

Dinner starts with a complimentary serving of Catherine’s own divinely smoky and garlicky aubergine dip accompanied by toasted pita bread chips. On two visits, we tried a salad composed of mixed lettuces and warm figs available with both goat and gorgonzola cheeses. For entrées we selected a delicious pork curry – made spicy on request – as well as a shrimp curry, both presented with fluffy couscous, mango chutney and house-made cooling satziki.

We finished with a nectarine and boysenberry tart, its sweetness nicely balanced by a dollop of crème fraiche.

Other entrée choices included a seared bacon-wrapped filet mignon with cauliflower gratin and roast lamb with a side of potatoes and grilled vegetables. We would have loved to try the duck in orange sauce roasting in the oven one night but it had several hours still to go.

A mixed salad topped with slices of duck and chicken liver pâté is offered frequently as an enthusiastic nod to Catherine’s culinary roots. A generous amount of fresh fish ceviche arranged on a plate of greens looked wonderful when served to a neighboring table, and tasted equally so—as our fellow diner assured us.

All dishes are made to order from ingredients purchased most likely that day in the markets, butcheries, and “peixarias” in and around Buzios by Catherine herself - and everything we've tasted was truly delicious.

Voilà, Restaurante do Solar has you enjoy food prepared with love and served with personality. We’ll surely return for many more meals and good times before leaving Buzios.            

restaurantedosolar@hotmail.com

Reservations: (22)2623-1850 or (22)9217-2539

As we quickly are leaving the year 2006 behind, a number of choices from Gourmet Magazine’s Top 50 list of America’s best restaurants are worth mentioning here for those of you who may have missed Gourmet’s October issue.

Alinea in Chicago, where Chef Grant Achatz is redefining cooking as well as the eating-out experience, newly took the Number One honors.

The remainders of the Top Ten include mostly household names of American elite dining:

Number 02: Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Chef Alice Waters

Number 03: The French Laundry & Per Se in Yountville & NYC, Chef Thomas Keller

Number 04: Spago in Beverly Hills, Chef Wolfgang Puck

Number 05: Joel Robuchon at the Mansion in Las Vegas, Chef Joel Robuchon

Number 06: Le Rêve in San Antonio, Chef Andrew Weissman

Number 07: Masa in New York City, Chef Masayoshi Takayama

Number 08: Alan Wong’s Restaurant in Honolulu, Chef Alan Wong

Number 09: Daniel in New York City, Chef Daniel Boulud

Number 10: Le Bernadine in New York City, Chef Eric Ripert

Following are GastroNomad’s fifteen picks "off the beaten path. Rankings reflect Gourmet Magazine’s:

Number 11: Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina, Chef Ben Barker

Number 14: Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine, Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier

Number 15: Cyrus in Healdsburg, California, Chef Douglas Keane

Number 20: L’Auberge Carmel in Carmel, California, Chef Walter Manzke

Number 25: Vetri in Philadelphia, Chef Marc Vetri

Number 26: Fore Street in Portland, Maine, Chef Sam Hayward

Number 28: Higgins in Portland, Oregon, Chef Greg Higgins

Number 31: Parker’s New American Bistro in Cleveland, no chef listed

Number 33: Frasca in Boulder, Colorado, Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson

Number 39: Bacchanalia in Atlanta, Chef Anne Quatrano

Number 41: York Street in Dallas, Chef Sharon Hage

Number 42: Manresa in Los Gatos, California, Chef David Kinch

Number 43: No. 9 Park in Boston, Chef Barbara Lynch

Number 45: Café Juanita in Kirkland, Washington, Chef Holly Smith

Number 47: Lantern Restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Chef Andrea Rensing

Hopefully we’ll see you at one of these choice tables soon, supporting the fine work our chefs are doing all across the country!

The “less-is-more” sophistication of luxury “tented” resorts operated in Africa and Asia emerged as the newest travel trend in 2006. These camps offer guests a unique experience in that they retain a true sense of place and culture, rather than being a transplant of the American resort model to an exotic locale. The resorts listed here – with the exception of the Four Seasons – are located in close proximity to national parks and wildlife reserves, and they emphasize ecological harmony and sustainability in their design, operation, and choice of activities. Maybe a visit to one of them should be on your globetrotting list.

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle

On a tributary of the Mekong River, located where the countries of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos border in the so-called “Golden Triangle”, the Four Seasons chain has built a camp in which just fifteen “tree houses” serve as the only accommodations. Each house is an open, tented structure suspended by steel frames in a suitable tree. No room service is offered but the restaurant serves local organic foods, and one can relax around a pool or in the open-air spa. Part of the experience is the interaction with elephants rescued from the now banned logging trade. Guests are welcome to ride, feed, and bathe them, and share their sentiments with those left at home by logging on to the resort’s WiFi service.
www.fourseasons.com/goldentriangle

Vanyavilas

Vanyavilas is situated on the edge of Ranthambhore National Park in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The park is one of the world's most important tiger reserves and the resort offers 4-wheel drive tours for guests to encounter these majestic animals in their natural habitat. Accommodations consist of twenty-five spacious tents, and an outdoor restaurant serves Indian and European cuisine. The property also includes a pool, a spa, and a fitness tent.
www.oberoihotels.com

Aman-i-Khas

Also located alongside the Ranthambhore reserve is the Aman-i-Khas compound where upscale Aman Resorts offers ten chic tents designed in the minimalist “Mughal” tradition. Additional tent structures house a restaurant serving Indian and Western meals, as well as a library and a spa. Camel safaris are organized on request.
www.amanresorts.com

Marataba

The Marataba camp is found three hours north of Johannesburg at South Africa’s expansive Marakele National Park. There's a main lodge built of glass and stone in addition to twelve sleek tents decorated with contemporary furniture and African artifacts. Guests can choose between spending time at the 40-foot pool or joining one of the daily organized walks and drives into the park for game viewing. Afterwards, dinner is served in the glass-walled restaurant and on its romantic terrace.
www.hunterhotels.com

Onguma Tented Camp

Onguma is made up of just seven white canvas suites with rustic-chic interiors and private patios which overlook an active watering hole attracting the area’s abundant wildlife. The camp borders onto the Etosha National Park in northern Namibia.
www.ongumanamibia.com

Cottars 1920’s Camp

Set in Kenya’s famous Masai Mara Park, Cottars has been offering game drives, hikes, fishing, and visits to a nearby Masai village since 1919. The compound includes eight tents furnished with antique campaign chests, desks, and poster beds, and a candle-lit dining tent for glamorous dinners after the day’s activities.
www.cottars.com

With Easter fast approaching, here are some "sweet" gift ideas for that special sweetheart in your life. How about leaving those ganache eggs in a Sunday morning Easter basket? Or ordering some out-of-this-world artisanal chocolate from one of these chocolatiers extraordinaire?

And what would be more “Easter heavenly” than cleaning the palate with a cool, bubbly sip of champagne in between bites of hazelnut praline and espresso caramel? Here are some top picks which not only deliver world-class taste, but also delight the eye with beautifully designed bottles and wrappers…

CHOCOLATES

In New York City:

Richart Design et Chocolat on 7 East 55^th Street
Uses only criollo chocolate. Offers seasonal items and house-made chocolate spread.
($15.00 for 12.3 ounces)

Kee’s Chocolates on 80 Thompson Street
All wares are handmade and fresh every day.
($11.00 for a box of six)

Debauve & Gallais on 20 East 69^th Street
This chocolatier can count Marie Antoinette and Proust amongst former devotees.
($40.00 for a quarter pound)

MarieBelle on 484 Broome Street
Sells hand-painted chocolates and spicy hot chocolate mix which can be enjoyed in the store’s own tea room.
($17.00 for a one-ounce tin)

La Maison du Chocolat on 1018 Madison Avenue
Makes delicious bonbons with names such as Traviata, Bresilien, Cannelle, and Romeo.
($70.00 for 50 pieces)

Online:

Chocolate Deities at www.chocolatedeities.com
Choose between the Buddha and Celtic bad girl Sheela Na Gig, amongst others, and order them in milk, dark, or gold-painted chocolate.
($28.00 minimum order)

Garrison Confections at www.garrisonconfections.com
Offers seasonal collections, such as the Autumn Equinox box featuring chocolates made with cranberries, oranges, figs, and anise.
($20.00 for a 12-piece box)

Recchiuti Confections at www.recchiuticonfections.com
Big, bold, and truly decadent chocolates made by a self-taught master.
($75.00 for the 32-piece Burgundy box)

Christopher Elbow at www.christopherelbowchocolates.com
Creates artisanal chocolate which combines harmoniously such ingredients as espresso with lemon and caramel with fleur de sel.
($38.00 for 21 pieces)

L.A. Burdick at www.burdickchocolate.com
Handmade treasures like chocolate mice with long tails, mousse-stuffed penguins, and pate de fruit: chocolate-dipped orange peel.
($29.00–$32.00 for a 9-piece animal box, $8.50 for a quarter pound of fruit)

CHAMPAGNE

Dom Perignon 1998: “A Bottle Named Desire”
A great vintage presented in a limited edition gold-studded bottle and a semi-opaque jewel case designed and signed by Karl Lagerfeld - truly desirable.
($2,500.00)

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose 2000
Taittinger’s prestige offering, the newly released Comtes Rose 2000, is surely an aristocrat among champagnes.
($205.00)

Nicolas Feuillatte 1997 Cuvee Palmes d’Or Brut
A delicious bubbly enhanced by its unique rotund-shaped and textured glass bottle, and its stylish gold-hued case complete with a black velvet bag.
($125.00)

Bollinger 1997 La Grande Année
The impressive vintage tête de cuvée is made in Bollinger’s typical style of ripe, developed fruit flavors and toasty notes from oak barrel fermentation.
($120.00)

Krug Rosé
For the first time, this classic multi-vintage blend is made available in half bottles, the only prestige rosé to be released in this format.
($120.00 for 375ml)

Veuve Clicquot Rare Vintage 1988 Brut
The Rare Vintage 1988 is from a year noted for its supreme delicacy. It is packaged in a stackable high-tech box designed by Pablo Reinoso, consulting creative director at Kenzo, Loewe, and Givenchy. And it ages remarkably well!
($85.00)

Salon Le Mesnil 1996 Blanc de Blancs
An exquisite champagne and the only one currently released by the high-reputation but low-profile House of Salon. Its superbly rich, complex yet balanced flavors are best enjoyed from a tulip-shaped glass which gives the bouquet room to blossom.
($300.00)

Charles Heidsieck “Champagne Charlie” Brut Vintage 1985
This creamy, intense library reserve is named after the founder of the House of Heidsieck whose successful marketing tours through the United States earned him the nick-name “Champagne Charlie”. It acquires its extra fine bubbles while aging in 2000-year-old chalk caves once used by the Romans.
($125.00)

Perrier Jouet 2002 Fleur de Champagne Rose
When a hand-crafted anemone bottle created in the early 20^th century by art-nouveau glass artist Emile Galle was rediscovered in 1964 in the cellars of the Perrier Jouet estate, it inspired the conception of a new champagne, Cuvee Belle Époque. Released in the United States as Fleur de Champagne, the bottle and its lovely content epitomize the elegance of days gone by.
($170.00)

Deutz 1999 Amour de Deutz

A wonderful blanc de blancs indulging the connoisseur with intense fruit flavors and stunning complexity. The 1999 Amour de Deutz is offered in a special gift box, along with two champagne flutes and sealed with a gold embossed angel.
($206)

Based on past experiences, we chose to stay at the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa and Casino. Unfortunately, the hotel is located on the beach in an uncomfortable proximity to the airport with regards to aircraft noise and exhaust fumes drifting across the property.

After a mediocre breakfast at the all-day dining Caribbean Grill and a look at the pricey menu of the hotel’s dinner-only Prime 787 steakhouse, we decided against exploring the Ritz’s various dining venues.

We did have a few lunches at the poolside The Ocean Bar & Grill which offers casual fare such as pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salads, as well as a delectable seafood ceviche. There is also a sushi bar adjacent to the Prime 787 space, and a Chinese restaurant located inside the casino.

The Lobby Lounge as well as The Casino Lounge offer live evening entertainment along with cocktails and a light hors d'oeuvre selection throughout the day.

We researched a number of local clubs for live music and DJ dancing, especially trying to find a venue for Puerto Rico's own “Reggaeton” style of music.

Here's a list of clubs recommended to us by Puerto Ricans in the know who wouldn't miss an opportunity to move their feet to the beat:

• Candela, Rumba, Lazer T, and Coup De Ta — all located in Old San Juan.
• Club Luxor — in the Santurce district. Here Reggaeton is played on Friday and Saturday nights.

After eating our way through town, we recommend the following restaurants:

Chayote

Chayote is an upscale restaurant in the Miramar district featuring a contemporary basement dining room and an excellent creative Caribbean cuisine favored by a well-dressed clientele of San Juan urbanites and those visitors fortunate enough to have been tipped off to this gem by their concierges. Prices are moderate given the quality of the food, and the service is efficient yet pleasantly unobtrusive. Nothing disappoints on the deceptively straightforward menu — five seafood and five meat and poultry entrée selections are offered — and dishes such as Langoustines in Soy, Ginger and Lime Vinaigrette over Leek Puree and fresh Papaya or Ahi Yellowfin Tuna crusted with Sea Salt and Coriander, served with Carrot & Sesame Seed Purée, Ponzu Sauce, Wasabi and Nori Nest easily take island cooking to new heights. Desserts are scrumptious and the wine list is solid. Since the restaurant has a local following, the menu changes regularly and, given the opportunity, we certainly would have opted for a return visit.

Marmalade

Marmalade Restaurant and Wine Bar, located on Fortaleza Street in Old San Juan, is a moderately priced venue drawing a younger clientele with its take on contemporary California cuisine and its lounge-like, intimately lit interior. The Wine Bar offers an acceptable choice of champagnes and wines by the glass and by the bottle. A note on the menu informs diners that only naturally raised meats and hormone-free products are being used, and that the kitchen doesn't prepare Chilean sea bass, an endangered species. The à la carte menu offers a demi-pour wine pairing ($4.50 for white and $5.50 for red wines), but only with its appetizers, soups, salads and pasta dishes. A nine-course “Degustación” menu ($75.00) is available from Sunday through Wednesday, and it includes wine pairings with all courses except the dessert choice. The short list of entrées — four “Of the Sea” and four “Of the Land”, with one vegetarian option — includes salmon, tuna, swordfish and black cod, as well as pork loin, poussin chicken, rack of lamb and beef tenderloin. There are seven appetizers featuring such standards as tuna sashimi, smoked salmon sushi, raw oysters, seared scallops and fois gras terrine. Two soups, two salads, a risotto, a pasta, and one gnocchi dish round out the menu. After we sampled various courses, we concluded that the kitchen's execution doesn't quite live up to the flavor symphony promised by the items’ menu descriptions. One of the more unique appetizers, Paella Bytes a la Marmalade, seemed to be no more than small mounds of deep-fried chorizo sausage and rice, rather than the advertised “rolls of sushi-esque flavored spiced-chorizo rice scented with smoked chicken, peppers and a saffron-garlic emulsion”. Given the moderate prices and pleasant atmosphere, dinner was still an amiable experience.

Pikayo

Housed inside the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in the Santurce district, Pikayo enjoys a reputation as San Juan's most innovative restaurant. Chef Wilo Benet, whose resume includes a tenure at New York City's Le Bernadin, offers fusion cuisine blending traditional “Puertorriqueno” basics with European classics in an upscale modern dining room. The clientele includes dressed-up locals and visitors alike, and the well-spaced booths and tables, fine art decorated walls, intimate lighting, and very professional service make for a classy dining experience. We found the enticing menu to be competently executed and enjoyed a fine meal here. Pikayo offers a “Mar” and a “Tierra” themed five-course tasting menu ($85 each), and Puerto Rican as well as custom tasting menus are available upon prior request. The à la carte menu features “Fritters & Hors d’oeuvres” and “Chilled & Marinated” sections next to appetizers, main courses and side dishes. Vegetarians may inquire about the chef's daily suggestions. A two-dollar per person bottled water service is available and the wine list includes interesting, fairly priced choices. “Fritters & Hors d'oeuvres” lists Tuna and Crab ”Pegaos”, Beef “Alcapurrias”, Truffle Cheese “Empanadillas”, and Salted Cod “Bunuelos” ($12.00 - $14.00). Spicy Tuna Tartar, Beef Carpaccio with Parmesan, Minced Hamachi with innovative “Wasabi Flying Fish Roe”, Black Truffle Smoked Salmon, and White Asparagus paired with Squid and Proscuitto make up the “Chilled & Marinated” selection ($16.00 – $18.00). Appetizers include Beet & Goat Cheese Salad, a Fennel, Arugula & Manchengo Cheese Salad, Spinach & Truffle Cheese Ravioli, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Escargot with Wild Mushrooms, Bacon Wrapped Grilled Scallop, and Crab Cake with Apple Ginger Remolade ($12.00 - $21.00). Main courses offer choices such as Veal Scallopini, Lamb Chops, Double-Cut Pork Chop, and Beef Tenderloin, or seafood dishes like Marinated Swordfish, Grilled Salmon, Rare Yellowfin Tuna, Oven-Roasted Halibut, and Grilled Shrimp with Chorizo ($28.00 - $54.00).

The Parrot Club

The Parrot Club is located in Old San Juan on Calle Fortaleza, a street home to numerous restaurants, bars, and shops. It is run by Roberto Trevino, the chef at the forefront of the “Nuevo-Latino” culinary trend who originally described his menu as “Euribian” — a mix of Latin and European cuisine prepared with local ingredients. The place has a casual bistro atmosphere and is a good choice for a lunch of blackened tuna or tamarind-glazed babyback ribs, and an evening cocktail at its long bar while strolling on Fortaleza Street.

Pamela’s Caribbean Cuisine

This restaurant is part of a small hotel situated right on the beach in the upscale residential district called Ocean Park. Diners can choose from indoor tables or those set up out on the sandy beach which makes for an intimate, romantic evening and great sunset viewing. Prizes are moderate given the quality of the items on the small but satisfying menu and wine list. Dishes prepared in the Nuevo-Latino style of Caribbean cooking include Romaine and Filet Mignon Teriyaki Rolls, Crab Cakes with Lemon-Lime Aioli, Grilled Prawns served with Coconut Curry Sauce, and Spicy Pork Loin with Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce. The creative and delectable desserts are not to be missed.

AguaViva

AguaViva is located across from The Parrot Club on Calle Fortaleza. The space is decorated in cool blue hues emphasizing its seafood menu, and the hip bistro-like atmosphere, as well as moderate prices, seems to attract young locals and tourists alike. Most dishes display an innovative touch and Latin influence. Appetizers include raw oysters and a variety of ceviches. For entrées we chose the Barbecued Jumbo Shrimp with Crab and Pancetta Confit over Basmati Rice, and Seared Jumbo Scallops with Paella and Chorizo. Cocktails are well mixed and the wine list is adequate. The seafood tasted fresh and one can have a satisfying, rather inexpensive meal here before moving on to some of the bars and clubs of Old San Juan.

Compostela

This restaurant was recommended to us by the concierge at the Ritz-Carlton who called it one of the finer dining establishments in San Juan. Compostela, tucked away in the Condado district, offers Spanish cuisine to an older clientele of well-to-do locals. The owners take pride in the restaurant's extensive wine list and its "Old World"-style cooking, but we found the wines a bit overpriced and the food lacking excitement and bolder flavors as it sticks to tried-and-true combinations, sauces and side dishes. The menu lists a wide range of appetizers, entrées, and desserts, as well as a made-to-order paella (two-person minimum), either with seafood ($54.00) or lobster ($70.00). Ossetra Caviar ($64.00) is offered as an appetizer and one can even opt for Maine Lobster ($41.00) from the seafood section. However, most of the temptations are found in the menu’s meat, game and fowl section. Here diners can choose between lamb (rack or medallions), veal (either loin, chop or shank), beef (filet mignon or sirloin), a pork filet, a venison filet, rabbit, duck, squab, and pheasant breast. Many of these entrées are prepared either in a red wine reduction, au jus with thyme, or with a green peppercorn sauce. A variety of sautéed mushrooms accompany the veal, the venison, as well as the squab and pheasant dishes. Desserts offer such classics as crème brulée, tres leches cake, coconut cake, warm chocolate cake, berry tart, and vanilla flan. Service is polished here, if at times matching the starched white tablecloths in stiffness.

Lemongrass

Next to the upscale Chayote, this more casual and moderately-priced restaurant in the Caribe Hilton Hotel, located in the Puerta de Tierra district of San Juan, was our favorite place for dinner. The pavilion-style dining room with indoor and outdoor seating is located in the property’s lush gardens, and soft lighting and background music create a soothing ambiance and romantic mood. The waitstaff here is fresh-faced and friendly, matching the younger clientele, which seems to include locals — we recognized our waitress at AguaViva amongst the diners. The cuisine could be best described as Pan-Asian Latino Fusion and the three-part menu offers something for every taste and appetite. It starts with a “Sharing Menu” — comprised of appetizer-sized plates such as Shrimp Spring Rolls, Tuna Tacos, Pork Dumplings, Spare Ribs, Bluefin Tuna Sashimi, and Lobster Ceviche. Another section — entitled “Rolls” — lists a creative assortment of rolled and nigiri-style sushi. Under “Mains” you’ll find seafood and meat dishes featuring scallops, Chilean sea bass, salmon, lamb chops, and duck breast. There’s a good wine list and a variety of tropical and standard cocktails to choose from. We grazed our way through the menu and couldn’t have had a more pleasant evening.