Sunday, August 25, 2013

A Second Puerto Rican Restaurant Opens In Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Old San Juan Restaurant, Los Angeles

Puerto Ricans and Angelinos have a new restaurant to enjoy.  Old San Juan, a new Pueto Rican restaurant has opened in Los Angeles.  Old San Juan Restaurant is the second Puerto Rican restaurant in Los Ageles.  The first one was Mofongo restaurant, in North Hollywood, which we wrote about sometime ago. 


Old San Juan Restaurant is located in the area of Los Angeles called Atwater Village.  The exterior of Old San Juan Restaurant, is painted gray and white just like La Fortaleza, the Governor's Mansion in Puerto Rico.  The restaurant is comfortable with tables and booths, and is decorated with pictures and decorations of Old San Juan and Puerto Rico.  Old San Juan Restaurant offers all the traditional Puerto Rican dishes you expect: pasteles, arroz con gandules, lechon, alcapurrias, etc.  


When we visited we tried a number of entree and appetizers from their extensive menu.  We had: Bacalaitos, alcapurrias, sorullitos, pasteles, camarones al ajillo (garlic shrimp) with arroz con gandules, carne guisada (beef stew) with white rice and amarillos, pastelon (plantains and ground beef) and arroz con gandures and arugula salad.  For desert it was flan de queso (caramel cream cheese custard).


We enjoyed the ambiance, the music and everyone was very friendly and attentive.  When you are in the restaurant you forget that you are actually in Los Angeles and not in Puerto Rico.  The owner and executive chef of the restaurant is Chef Luis Castro who used to be the chef at Madres, the former Jenefer Lopez restaurant in Pasadena.  Old San Juan Restaurant has live music, lechon a la varita (pork on a stick) on Friday's, a daily buffet of Puerto Rican food on weekdays and an area for private parties.  Call the restaurant for more information.


If you have plans to visit Puerto Rico, go to Old San Juan or Mofongo restaurant and try some of the Puerto Rican cuisine before your trip.


                                                               




 


Sunday, August 18, 2013

Puerto Rico


                                                                

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Exploring Royal Isabela Resort In Puerto Rico



Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

We decided to take a trip to Isabela, Puerto Rico, on the north coast, and decided to visit and explore the very much talked about, Royal Isabela Resort.  While driving there, we had to ask other drivers for directions to Royal Isabela Resort three times, since there are no signs leading to it.

The third driver was nice enough to lead us to a private road and showed us the entrance to the resort. They have a guard at the entrance gate and the guard does not let you in unless you have a reservation or have an appointment to see the property.  We said we wanted to look around and maybe have lunch at the restaurant.  After the guard called for permission, he let us in and explained how to get to the restaurant.  On our way, a golf cart approached us and the driver (a hotel employee) led us to La Casa, a beautiful one-story building designed around a sugar mill replica, where Rafael was waiting for us in the concierge office (which actually is the reception area).  Rafael took us in his “taxi - limousine” (a golf cart) and showed us the resort’s facilities:


The Royal Isabela has over 3,000 acres of land on the cliffs of the coastline overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  The golf course is not a resort course but a more challenging one, reminiscent to those of Scotland.  Only members and Casita guests can play golf here.  There is a library, a restaurant-bar with a wood burning oven (great for pizza), La Casa golf course bar, a tennis court, two swimming pools and 20 one-bedroom Casitas with private plunge pool and a fabulous view of the ocean or gardens.


The Royal Isabela has an organic farm which provides fresh produce for the restaurant and guests.  Guests can pick their organic produce for their meal and take it to the restaurant for preparation.  The chef changes the dinner menu daily depending on what is available from the farm and the fisherman's catch.  Room service is available so that you can enjoy dinner in your Casita.



This is the perfect place for golfing, long walks, biking and enjoying the beautiful surroundings and ocean breezes.  A stay at Royal Isabela in Puerto Rico will renew your spirit.  We enjoyed the ambiance of the Royal Isabela and are sure you will, too.


                                                            





Sunday, August 4, 2013

Second IKEA Store Coming To Ponce, Puerto Rico

Furniture company IKEA is opening a second store in Ponce, Puerto Rico.  The store is expected to open in the fall and currently IKEA is interviewing and hiring personnel to staff the store in Ponce, in the southern region of the island.


The Sweden-based home furnishings retailer opened its first store in Puerto Rico in June. The showroom is at the site of the former Ferreterías Massó store on Highway 2 in the Hato Tejas sector of Bayamón.  Earlier this summer IKEA also opened a 62,000 square foot warehouse in Carolina and started its online shopping portal for Puerto Rico.


IKEA plans to open a total of seven stores in the island of Puerto Rico.


                                                               
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