During our past trip to Costa Rica we made a few pleasant discoveries that were very easy on the palate. You can find some of the most delicious food in the most remote, unexpected places! Our first find happened very close to our home site which will come in handy over the years to come.
Fred and his wife Amy introduced us to the lovely restaurant Las Orquideas where the adorable Columbian chef Alphonso will cook you anything you heart desires. This enthusiastic, delightful man aims to please with his creations and he will check up on how the food tastes and take suggestions on how to the the perfect dish. He is also excited about us moving down in his neighborhood and says that he'll help us with our Spanish if we help him with his English. His outdoor patio overlooking the lush climate is the perfect setting for enjoying the nice cool breeze over some ceviche and a cerveza.
Our next great food find in Costa Rica happened while we were down in Playa Copal after our kiteboarding lesson. This area of the country made me think I was in a small Tuscan village. Not only was our kiteboarding instructor Nicola Italian, but the owner and chef of the Copal Restauarant was from the same village in Verona and were old family friends. It seems that all the architecture in the area has an Italian feel to it and there are lovely stone walls and archways everywhere.
I nicknamed the owner of Copal Restaurant Papi, because he was just like an adorable grandfather who was crazy about food and crazy about his guests. I had a lovely salad and Joe had the most delicious caprese to start out with. I don't think any other place in Costa Rica has Italian wine, and Papi made sure that my glass stayed full. For our entrees, I had fish and Joe had lobster. I'm not sure if you can get lobster anywhere else for $15, and Joe was ecstatic. It was my first taste of the stuff before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially when Papi was teaching me how to use the lobster cracker. He was adorable when we ordered them, and told us that they were caught fresh that day, and they even had names. I was to dine on Julio that night and Joe was going to eat Carla. They were both delicious.
We ended the evening in the true authentic Italian way with a lemon liqueur cocktail. With my three glasses of wine, I was getting a bit clumsy and spilled half of mine. Papi was such a dear he refilled my glass with a smile and a laugh. He gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek as we were leaving and I told him we'd be back to see him again in May.
Little Italy on a lonely Costa Rican beach! Who knew it could be possible? If you are ever in the Playa Copal area, be sure to check out the restaurant there. You will not be disappointed!
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