Category: FOOD

[Puerto Rico] Orocovis: Roka Dura & Casa Bavaria

Leave a comment

Orocovis Casa Bavaria

As you may have seen earlier this week, I was recently home in Puerto Rico and while I was there I got to do some fun zip-lining. Toro Verde Adventure Park is located in Orocovis, right in the middle of the mountains of Puerto Rico. A lot of people don’t think of mountains when they think of Puerto Rico, they just focus on the beaches but it really is a beautiful area. I mean, we do have amazing beaches, but our mountains offer a very different kind of beauty.

Orocovis Roka Dura

On our way down from Toro Verde we made two nice stops. After a morning filled with adventure and thrill, we were obviously starving. Locals to the area recommended we had lunch at Roka Dura, just a few minutes outside of the park. They said food was delicious and portions were generous.

Orocovis Roka Dura

They were not lying. This mouthwatering “mofongo” filled with chicken was even more delicious than it looks. The plate below is chicken with garlic cassava, better known as “yuca al mojo”. The chicken was nothing special, but the “yuca” was on point. I love “yuca” but have never ventured to cook it myself, I’m not even sure if I would be able to buy some around here so it’s always one of those special plates I treat myself with when I’m visiting home.

Orocovis Roka Dura

This spot had really nice views. It was early Friday afternoon and you could see the little bars around or “chinchorros” starting to get busy with people celebrating the weekend’s arrival. Although I was on vacation, I also joined the celebration admiring the killer view.

Orocovis Roka Dura Medalla

Second stop was Casa Bavaria. This one holds special memories for me. With a fusion of Caribbean and German traditions, Casa Bavaria was founded by a German couple who fell in love with the island and decided to make a life here. Its claim to fame has been their great Oktoberfest celebrations, that’s how I first got there. It is (or was?) tradition to organize “party” buses to take groups of people up the mountains and bring Oktoberfest to life in Puerto Rico. Each bus had different t-shirts and unique stories, often captured and plastered on Facebook. It was, well, a hot mess. Ahh, memories.

Stopping by this time with a fresh (and sober) pair of eyes, I was able to find so much more beauty in this place. People are so nice and the views are to die for. We only had drinks here, but a lot of people were enjoying a full meal around us. Oktoberfest or not, definitely worth the stop.

Alert: Potential New Favorite Cocktail

1 Comment

 I love rum. I’m Puerto Rican, it’s sort of in my blood, I can’t help it. When I’m out, my “go to” drink is usually rum with Diet Coke. Don Q or Bacardi, preferably. However, as much as I love Diet Coke, I am trying to cut down on sodas. Rum is not that great either, especially when you want to keep your blood sugar levels on check.

This weekend during my trip to Boston, I stumbled into what I believe has the potential to be my next favorite cocktail: Gin Blossom. The magic happened at the trendy Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar.

According to their menu it takes: citadelle gin, st. germain, lemon muddled cucumber and raw cane sugar to make this glorious drink. I will definitely try it at home and cross my fingers that it’s not a disaster.


Lolita also had some other great things to offer. Once you are seated, they welcome you with an amuse-bouche of grapefruit granita served over a bowl of dry ice which creates a fun, smokey effect (not successfully captured in the shot above). Obviously, they offer to drizzle it with tequila. Of courseeeeee.

Of all the small plates we ordered, my favorite one was the blackened shrimp queso, “bubbling hot moteray jack cheese, blackened shrimp, roasted poblanos & pico de gallo.” I don’t think I really knew what “blackened shrimp” meant but I’m so glad I went with it.

A lot of food and gin blossoms later, we thought we were done but no, they bring in cotton candy as one last hurrah. Confession: I don’t think I had ever had cotton candy in my life. It never appealed to me. Also, when I was little my blood sugar was all over the place so I learned to stay away from sweets (tragic, I know). Cotton candy is weird, especially when you are having it for the first time with a few cocktails in your system. It was really fun, but not something I would crave. It’s such a tease, you think you are getting something and then it just fades away. So unfair.

So, what did we learn today? Cotton candy is weird and gin blossoms are exquisite. Cheers!

Impromptu Cheese Crawl

Leave a comment


Last week I went  on a cheese crawl. Yup. Like a bar crawl, but with cheese, I’m sure you get it. Although, can I call it a cheese crawl if there were only two stops? I’m going to say that I can.

First stop: Murray Cheese Bar. I love this place, it’s always highly satisfying. I’ve had a full dinner there before, but for the purposes of this cheese crawl, I just had cheese. Below are the four picks of the night, all of them highly recommended!

Other great picks from past visits:

  • Petit Billy
  • Four Fat Fowl St. Stephen
  • Cavemaster Reserve Hudson Flower
  • Alemar Good Thunder

Second stop: Risotteria. Another place I love. Not only because I love risotto, but this is an awesome gluten-free spot where I can take all my great friends who can’t have gluten. Risotto is really an amazing concept and I’m a huge fan, as you may have seen here or here.

I don’t think you can go wrong with these two spots, not only do they have amazing cheese capabilities, they also have a great vibe for meeting up with friends from around or out of town.

You may have recalled I wrote an open letter to cheese a few months ago, but it was never a break up. I’m learning to balance my life so that I’m not having a full block of cheese for dinner every single night (it happens) but I can still indulge in the wonderfulness that is cheese.

On all seriousness, can we have a cheese crawl in nyc? I’m sure there is one, this city has it all…

*does quick Google search*

Guys, there is a tater tot crawl AND these guys did a grilled cheese crawl. All amazing activities, I must say. Oh my, there’s also a burger crawl. I must stop right now, this is too much to handle right now.

Ok, there’s some serious crawling that needs to happen soon. Maybe this can be a fun fall activity?

Let me just leave you with one final piece for inspiration:

“Life is great. Cheese makes it better.”
― Avery Aames 

[California] Sausalito Sunsets & More Rosé

Leave a comment

IMG_2964

During my recent trip to California I got to visit a lot of fun and interesting places, one of my favorite was the city of Sausalito. After spending the earlier part of the day at Muir Woods (more on that later), we were taken to this lovely waterfront town. I love the water and although I can appreciate the beauty of the mountains and forests, there’s nothing like being by the shore.

I immediately knew I wanted to spend more time exploring my surroundings, but knew we had a ferry to catch back to San Francisco. Relying on just online reviews and outside seating, we decided to have dinner at Salito’s.

Knowing that it was our last day in California, we were taking it all in. Everybody seemed happy and without a single care in the world. Except maybe the couple next to us, they were clearly on a first date and it was so fascinating to watch them both react to each other. No, I was not creeping.

IMG_2962

That, my friends, is Salito’s crab alfredo. Not bad at all, although I must say, their mussels and sauce was delicious!

IMG_2744

Note on those sunglasses, got them in California, love the reflection but totally lost them. They must be in some unpacked bag in my room right now, but that may not be the case. I’m not so concerned about the money (they were super cheap), I am saddened more by how well they photographed. Check us out on the shot below!

After dinner, we still had some time before the ferry departure. I saw people drinking by the water and I immediately knew where I needed to be. Turns out, this place called Bar Bocce allows you to eat and drink by the water in a very casual and comfortable setting. I only had drinks, but people around us were enjoying some very delicious pizzas. Note to self: return to this place with a blanket and a big appetite.

This is me at Bar Bocce’s backyard. That face says: “I love my wine, I love this place and yes, I know it sucks that I have to leave”. It’s like you can already see the inevitable sarcasm in my eyes, right?

Waiting for the ferry was not bad at all. Perks of waiting for the last ferry? You get to see the sunset as you leave Sausalito behind. You can also attempt, for the one hundredth time, to take the perfect picture of the Golden Gate Bridge.

[Dinner] Grano Trattoria

3 Comments

I love Italian food, as any sane person should. Cheese is everything, no questions asked. When it was time to pick where to go for my first birthday dinner (yes, there is more than one, duh) I wanted to go somewhere Italian.

I’ve been dying to try Rosemary’s in the West Village, many friends have recommended it, but there were no reservations available when I checked. Thanks to the Open Table app I discovered another option for dinner, Grano Trattoria.

IMG_9933

Obviously, I started with the daily selection of cheese. These were particularly more special since I had been on some sort of cheese deprivation period, which basically means that I was eating normal amounts of cheese and no the ridiculous amounts that my heart desires.

IMG_9941

This is what got me. This risotto was DELICIOUS. It was the perfect balance of thick and creamy. I think by some, this risotto can be considered more on the cheesy/creamy side, but in my eyes that equals perfection.

IMG_9935

My boyfriend got the veal parmegiana, which looks messy but was actually pretty good. I’m not a big fan of veal, but he said it was good. He’s usually an easy chicken parm kind of guy, so I think that says a lot.

So that’s how my birthday celebrations began! If it was up to me, I would celebrate all month (which I kinda do in some way) but I tried to be normal and kept the celebrations down to a week. I always love to go out to dinner and try new places, but there’s always a nice extra touch when you’re going out for a special occasion. You don’t need to get me any presents, just feed me, seriously.

Boston: Seafood & Sea Life

1 Comment

Who decides to visit Boston during a blizzard? Well, this lady over here! Nothing says romantic Valentine’s Day weekend like a frozen face, right? Thanks to some nonrefundable tickets, I went from bitter cold New York to over the top freezing Boston. I had a really good time, there’s something about being stuck in one room that makes you appreciate your company even more. There’s not a lot of people I would want to be stuck with during a blizzard, thankfully my boyfriend is one of them.

I’ve been to Boston like 10 times and even spent a summer there, I’ve always loved it. This time, we started things off a little bit more touristy than usual and I was ok with it. Union Oyster House is America’s Oldest Restaurant and there’s a reason it’s still up and running, it’s actually really good!

IMG_9681

I obviously went with the classics. Started out with a Oyster House Clam Chowder (which I believe is the same thing as a New England Clam Chowder) and finished it up with a delicious Lobster Salad Roll. I can’t help but get a taste of summer each time I have meals like this. It makes me think of dinner by the water, salty hair after the beach, sunglasses and happy days.

We also tried out Legal Seafoods… delicious! We had the shrimp coconut as a starter and honestly, they might have been the best ones I’ve had so far. They were also gluten free so my friend who can’t have gluten was also able to enjoy them with me.

Then the snow started and the fun ended. Just kidding, we went out anyways and had a delicious dinner at Lineage Restaurant. I must say, our cab did slightly crash into a pile of snow on our way back, it was scary.

IMG_9705 (1)

Best part about a blizzard? Room service! Worst part about a blizzard? Room service!

When you have 2/3 meals through room service you know that your final bill is going to hurt. In my defense, everything else was closed.

IMG_9774

I love nature and as much as I know that an aquarium and a zoo are not natural, I can’t help but still enjoy visiting them. It’s unfortunate that these animals are never going to experience real life, but if a visit to an aquarium or zoo is what it takes for someone to be inspired, care a little more about these creatures and somehow contribute to the greater cause, then I guess it’s worth it.

IMG_9781

I think that it’s pretty cool that even though it was freezing outside, these little creatures can have their little piece of paradise stay intact.

IMG_9763 (1)

Don’t worry little fishy, I’m counting down the days for summer…

[Brunch] Jane Restaurant

Leave a comment

I admit I’ve been slacking on brunch posts. Don’t you worry, this in no way means I have been deprived from the wonderful glory that is breakfast food at what some people call lunch time. I think winter is getting the best of me and going anywhere outside of my radius has been somewhat of a challenge. You know that you’re in the midst of winter when 40 degrees inspires you to go out.

I know I am super late in the game, but I’ve finally discovered the wonder that is Open Table. I have used it before and it’s always been great, but I had never used it for brunch and let me tell you, it’s amazing. You really feel like New York royalty when you walk into a crowded restaurant and find a lovely table open and waiting just for you.

IMG_9630

Before I even get into the wonder above, I must say the Jane Restaurant has some sort of strawberry butter and it is delicious. Anyways, let me just say I have never thought of seafood as breakfast. The thought is still a little weird for me, but I decided to give Lobster Eggs Benedict a chance (or Lobster Benny as it’s called in the menu). Excellent decision. I would have liked more lobster, but it’s ok, I wouldn’t have been able to eat more anyways because I stuffed my face with bread and strawberry butter.

FullSizeRender

Classic, but good, you can’t go wrong with this Farm House Popover – scrambled eggs, smoked ham, gruyère and caramelized onions.

What’s nice about this spot is that you get a complimentary cocktail with each entrée. What’s not so nice is that NY laws prohibit the serving of alcohol before noon on a Sunday, so remember that. I obviously forgot and sat down at 11:30 am, needless to say I took my sweet time admiring the menu. 🙂

Cheers!

Hacienda Madrigal & Restaurante Raíces

1 Comment

IMG_1076

IMG_1078

IMG_1079

IMG_1085

IMG_1116

IMG_1094

IMG_9150

IMG_1122

IMG_1124

IMG_1133

IMG_1141

IMG_1146

IMG_1148

IMG_1152

IMG_1164

Horseback riding is a different way to explore Puerto Rico. I got the chance to visit Hacienda Madrigal for the first time this December and really enjoyed the experience. People were super nice and the views were spectacular. Needless to say, I also took my new baby camera out for a stroll. I can’t get over it and want to share as much as possible.

IMG_1176

IMG_1181

IMG_1179

Afterwards, we went to the original Raíces Restaurant in Caguas. A lot of tourists visit their location in Old San Juan because it’s closer to hotels and cruises. I haven’t been to the location in Old San Juan, but their original spot is pretty cool. Everything around the restaurant reflects the time when my dad was born. It really gives you a nice sense of Puerto Rican history and for that on its own, it’s worth it. If your mouth is not salivating right now for that mofongo relleno de churrasco, then I don’t think you’re human (if you’re vegetarian you’re excused, but not really).

—

Photos taken and edited by Cristina Nogueras – Canon EOS Rebel T5

Wine, Cheese & Friends (Pasta, Shrimp & Hot Dogs too)

1 Comment

What do I love more than wine and cheese? Having wine and cheese with friends, old and new.

As you may or may not know (everyone’s busy, I get it) I have a new camera and of course, I’m eager to explore all the possibilities. It’s not as easy as it looks, I’ve yet to find that perfect light but I’m enjoying the journey.

Back to the wine and cheese.

I love the Holidays. Considering the crappy weather, it’s a season full of color and life that allows us to reconnect with people and gives us an excuse to put pretty things together. Seriously, think of all the things you do in preparation for the Holidays! I love the hustle, from getting the perfect gifts to finding the perfect outfit for your company’s Holiday party (which is tomorrow and I do not have).

holiday dinner setup red candles

I may have a passion for capturing beautiful moments, but my friend and old coworker Citlalic has a passion for creating them. Her house is full of exquisite details that come together to build a lovely home. She has the perfect amount of patience to make sure that everything is perfect, which I love to capture!

salami cheese gouda guacamole olives nuts dinner setup

I must say I am very proud of my two cheese picks, Nettle Meadow Kunik and Aged Gouda from Murray Cheese Bar. Boy, were they good. My worst nightmare has a name and that is “lactose intolerant”.

pigs in a blanket homemade

We also made pigs in a blanket! Not my best assembly, but that doesn’t affect the taste! Who knew this was so easy? Just cut little hot dogs and roll them with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.

shrimp alfredo pasta

I look at this picture and I am hungry all over again. Citlalic cooked this delicious creamy shrimp Alfredo pasta with homemade sauce, props to her because I’m usually lazy and just buy the sauce at the store. Check out the recipe here.

holiday dinner setup red

I look forward to the day that I have the capabilities to set up a table like that. I don’t even own a table cloth at the moment. I miss my mom’s kitchen where I could find napkins of every color and glasses for any occasion. One day, Cristina, one day.

Happy Holidays! 

Zadar, Croatia

Leave a comment

I must admit that the reason why I chose Zadar as one of the cities to visit in Croatia was because that’s where the Ryan Air airport was located, so it made sense. I’m so happy I got to discover this hidden gem.

Last summer I visited Croatia for the first time, you might have read me rambling on about post-vacation depression, but I was really blown away by this beautiful country. I visited Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik and each city had its special charm.

I believe Zadar is really more of a hidden treasure, not your average tourist destination and I loved it for that. We were able to meet great people from all over Europe and we even got to watch the World Cup opening game where Croatia played Brazil.

Let me take you through my days in Zadar, while I once again reminisce, this time wrapped up in a blanket dreaming of sunshine.

IMG_6667

This was our view from our room at the hostel. At this point, I still could not believe I made it to Croatia. We are facing the ruins of a Roman forum and although you can’t see in this picture we could also see a section of the St. Donatus church.

IMG_6675

First try of Croatian beer, which we never really learned how to pronounce.

IMG_6699

We had some time to walk around Zadar and get a glimpse of life in Croatia. Having a boat helps.

IMG_7122

Lovely sunset by the water.

IMG_7125

I tried this delicious pljukanci pasta at Restaurant Bruschetta, it did not disappoint. This type of hand-rolled pasta is special to Croatia.

IMG_7258

In Zadar, you can jump into the sunset. They’ve designed steps that let you walk into the water and take a swim, or you can always just jump right into it. It was a very different ocean experience for me, especially since there was no sand, but it was so refreshing. We decided to wait for the sunset but we were also hungry, so we got pizzas by the water. Super classy dinner for our last night in Croatia, with a killer view.