Vol. 6, No. 41 | Just The Beginning
Hi Ya’ll!
I thought about not doing another newsletter this month because 40 seemed like a good number to end on for the year. But I’m really pushing myself to get back to consistency (yes I realize it’s Thursday instead of Wednesday).
Also, I have a million thoughts from the 9 days I spent in Costa Rica. After viewing the volcano, I ended up on the Caribbean side of the country. This was a big must do for me because I was completely fascinated with the Jamaican culture that I’d heard of. In the four days that I was on the coast, I feel like I just started to scratch the surface of this history. I had a chance to interview a restaurant owner there and I’m very excited to share this piece with you guys next year.
Here’s what else I’ve been thinking about:
Smoked water is not good. My boyfriend ordered a smoked Manhattan. They unveiled it at the table which made for a great presentation, but it was horrible for my water. I took a sip and realized that the smoke had completely infiltrated by liquid. Blech. Smoked water is bad.
I love slow eating. We walked into a restaurant in La Fortuna and it was completely packed with two waiters for the entire place. The waiter asked us to be patient. This was totally fine because we had absolutely nothing to do. I really enjoy meals that aren’t on a time table. Give me a drink and I’m fine.
I had a cappuccino with lemon zest and a touch of condensed milk at a restaurant in La Fortuna named El Jardin de Frida and I don’t think that I can go back to anything else. (Sidebar: They have a 5 star review on Google. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this. But it was well deserved.)
The caipirinha is extremely popular on the Caribbean coast. Given all of the Jamaican influences and that Costa Rica makes rum, one might think rum punch would make an appearance. However, I don’t even recall seeing it once. Instead, caipirinhas (and mojitos) dominated menus. I was thrilled. I haven’t had so much access to caipirinhas since my time in Brazil. It was actually very fitting because as much as the culture reminded me of Jamaica, the feeling and vibe of the Caribbean coast was very Brazilian.
The Jamaican holy trinity is scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, and pimento (whole allspice). You just can’t have Jamaican food without it. I need to write a larger piece on this.
To me, great service is doing the little things. We were at a restaurant in San Jose, Furca, and the candle went out at the table. A waiter noticed it immediately and came over and lit it even though it wasn’t his table. It’s such a small thing. But it makes all the difference in the world.
The bread service at Furca is one of the best things that I’ve eaten this year. I realize that makes it seem like the bar was low, but I guarantee you that it wasn’t. I wanted to write a list of all the great things I’ve eaten this year, maybe I’ll wait until the first week of January.
I got to Mexico City this morning. Yes that’s correct. I got back to Atlanta from Costa Rica last night and then flew to CDMX this morning. I’m doing the most and loving it. I very much missed living this way. I feel like I’m in my 20s again.
I hope you’re all well. Have a Happy New Year!
Shannon