Puerto Rico Restaurant Week Is Here!
Puerto Rico Restaurant Week 2015
Puerto Rico Restaurant Week 2015 is here! Some of the best restaurants in Puerto Rico are offering diners a chance to sample their cuisine at truly affordable prices. Participating restaurants are offering prix fixe 3 course menus set at just $20 for lunch and either $28 or $38 for dinner. It’s a bargain no matter how (or where) you slice it.
Running from May 27 until June 3, this week-long event is wholeheartedly committed to the economic revitalization of Puerto Rico by bolstering commerce. One of the goals of Restaurant Week is to encourage locals to try new establishments, but also to bring visibility to restaurants that are off the radar of individuals contributing to the visitor economy. More than twenty-five restaurants across the island will take part in Puerto Rico Restaurant Week including establishments in: San Juan, Santurce, Condado, Miramar, Ocean Park, Isla Verde, Hato Rey, Guaynabo, and Humacao. Restaurant Week improves the economic landscape of Puerto Rico while giving diners a plethora of delectable options. It truly is a win-win scenario.
Participating Restaurant include:
Bistro de Paris
Budatai
Buenos Ayres
C. Bar
Caramelo
Casa Lola
Casita Miramar
Cocina Abierta
Eighty 20 Bistro
Gallo Negro
Il Perugino
La Vista Latin Grill
Laurel
Mango’s
Morton’s The Steakhouse
Nonna
Ocean Bar & Grill
Ola Ocean Front Bistro
Papillon
Zest
Co-founders Paulina Salach and Gustavo Antonetti are championing preservation and growth of the agricultural vitality of the island, stating, “For the third consecutive year, we’ve encouraged chefs to incorporate local and fresh ingredients into their dishes, working toward food sustainability in Puerto Rico.”
Created for the New York City Democratic National Convention of 1992, Restaurant Week has evolved far beyond its origins and locale, into a juggernaut creators Joe Baum and Tim Zagat (yes, THAT Zagat) never imagined. A veritable global phenomenon, Restaurant Week heralds Puerto Rico’s status as a top gastronomic destination among the company of participating cities such as New York, Paris, and London.
If the kickoff was anything to go by, this Restaurant Week 2015 might be the best yet. It all began with a daylong promotion by sponsor JetBlue at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín Airport. Travelers on flights arriving at the JetBlue terminal were unexpectedly greeted by chefs from Eighty20 Bistro, a participating Restaurant Week restaurant, cooking up local delicacies such as longaniza sausage sliders.
As the sun set over Isla Verde, press and chefs participating in this year’s event headed to the Mist Ultra Lounge atop the San Juan Water Beach Club Hotel for the spectacular launch party. Guests took in the breathtaking views of San Juan, as bartenders served signature drinks made with Ketel One Vodka, Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey, a variety of rum from the Rums of Puerto Rico bar, and beer from Fok Premium Ale. Chef Raul Correa of the hotel’s Zest restaurant put his talents on display, catering the event with an array of innovative canapés.
The fare included seemingly endless highlights: Yakitori-style soy glazed chicken livers and asparagus, arañitas topped with sea bass hamachi and jalapeño, a salad of eggplant, tomato, and cucumber in a miso citrus dressing, chicken gizzard and escabeche skewers, lamb tzatziki pocket sliders, and tempura broccoli with Manchebo foam. Visit Chef Correa at Zest for a thoroughly impressive menu, but be sure to make a reservation. The same goes for all of the restaurants participating in Puerto Rico Restaurant Week. Tables are filling up, so head to the website to checkout the menus and make your bookings. We’ve already made ours! It’s going to be a lush and delicious week to remember.
No tickets are necessary, simply make a reservation for your restaurant of choice and #DineOutPR! For participating restaurants, their menus and reservations visit:
By: Caroline Johnson