Archipiélago (Ponce, Puerto Rico)

 

Tired of the banking industry, native Ponceño Alejandro Vélez Blasini set off for the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. After a successful run with a tapas bar, in mid-2009 he opened Archipeilago, a restaurant on the sixth and seventh floors of a building overlooking Ponce’s Parque de Bombas and Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe on Ponce’s Spanish style plaza. The rooftop view is stunning, one of the best of any restaurants I’ve ever seen. The town square below glows at night.

Inside, there’s a high fashion crowd that rivals any scene in San Juan – even the hostesses and waiters could be on Top Model. It’s as chic and modern as anything I have seen in San Juan, or Miami for that matter. Everyone is beautifully dressed and the scene of everyone dining on plates like Fried Cheese stuffed with guava and wrapped in prosciutto and Sancochado de Viandas gives the feel of some sort of Nuevo Latino photo shoot or telenovela.

Brasil a Gosto (São Paulo)

Brasil a Gosto, on a quiet tree lined street in São Paulo’s Jardins neighborhood, is one of those restaurants that teaches you as much as it feeds you. The restaurant was in fact founded after the chef Ana Luiza Trajano searched 47 different Brazilian cities across the country to complete an inventory of regional ingredients and recipes and then wrote a book, the same name as the restaurant, about it. Trajano takes many of those recipes, many of them usually found in dirt rooms shacks and market stalls, and presents modern interpretations in a contemporary dining room with high quality ingredients.
When I first sat down I was surprised that the chef came out to greet me even the restaurant was rather busy. Each day Trajano offers a different three-course executive lunch specials, as well as a local hot dish that originates in a particular region such as Minas Gerias or Espíritu Santo. I went with the executive menu of the day.
First came out a basket of mixed tuber chips (various bananas, yams, yucca) and fresh breads out of the oven that I’ll just assume are all traditional Brazilian recipes. Little dishes of Baru nut spread and a creamy cheese sauce flavored with parsley were sent out too. Next came skewers of grilled cheese curd (queijo coalho na chapa) drizzled in sugarcane syrup and a small dish of parsley pesto for dipping. So simple but it comes out looking so elegant. The main course consisted of slices of pork tenderloin with a deep red, smoky jaboticaba cherry sauce sided with a grilled banana and yam puree. Dessert was called a cocada, though it was unlike any cocada I have ever had. The baked, shredded coconut was served in a small bowl and a creamy custard like texture and and crunchy top like a crème brûlée. A more traditional crunchy cocada topped with lemon sorbet was served on the side. Every aspect of the meal was brilliant and tasted great.
I’m sad I didn’t have to dine here again on my latest trip to São Paulo. Trajano does amazing things with Brazilian ingredients. She makes a crust out of Baru nuts for Tilapia, the river fish Pirarucu is accented with lemongrass and ginger, and even goat appears with a creamy manioc sauce. The dégustation menu will have to wait. For now.
Brasil a Gosto feels like the rainforest with lots of natural light finding its way through the many plants that sit within (there’s several inner gardens including a vertical one) and surrounding the restaurant. Blown up images from the book of farmers, fishermen, and plants and woodcarvings add to this effect. It’s very much the tropical bistro I’ve always wanted to know.

Cebiche Causa de Divorico

Their patio tables sit in the parking lot right up against the cars, but that doesn’t mean Juez y Parte (Judge & Jury) cannot put out a mean cebiche. Here the specials are called the chef’s sentence. My verdict: Cebiche Causa de Divorcio (Ceviche that is the cause of Divorce). Octopus and Seabass are the defendents. Delicious.
*Side note: their Arroz con Mariscos is also one of the best in town.