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Magala

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  1. We went in July 06. As they say, Tico food is pretty basic, and everything comes with rice and beans, even breakfast. As far as we could tell, restaurant food most places was good at best, but mostly just OK. Eat cheap meals at your average roadside restaurant; the food was just as good and often better than the spendier places. We had a memorable meal in La Fortuna, by the Arenal volcano. It's the little outdoor steakhouse mentioned in all the guidebooks, about 2km outside of La Fortuna. It's a big blue and white open-air place with a parking lot. It's very good steak. Shockingly, they also had Chilean wine that was pretty good for $8 a bottle. We stuffed ourselves and drank one bottle (plus two glasses) of wine for a total of $45. (Note: avoid wine in Costa Rica in all but the most expensive restaurants.) What makes the steakhouse exceptional is its view of the volcano. In the pouring rain and the heavy cloud, we all stared up into the darkness in the general direction of the volcano. You'd hear someone say "look!" and the restaurant staff would hustle to turn out all the lights so people could see the lava. We'd see a few explosions, or catch a few seconds of it flowing down the mountainside. Then it was gone and everyone returned to their steaks and wine. Our second memorable meal was at a remote eco resort called Bosque del Cabo on the Osa peninsula. They had OUTSTANDING food, three meals a day that impressed and delighted all of the foodie guests. For an example of one particular meal, some of the guests caught some sort of big snapper one morning. The kitchen served it up as ceviche and sushi during happy hour, then baked it in a salt crust and served it to everyone for dinner. Very yummy and cooked to perfection.
  2. One of my favorites: strawberries & cream. From Port Madison: One plain fresh chevre and one plain goats milk yogurt From your local berry grower of choice: 2 pts berries From your local flower or vegetable grower: 1 bunch mint Cream the chevre and the yogurt together in a bowl, add sugar to taste. Toss the berries with the cream dressing. Serve in bowls, garnished with a sprinkle of sugar and a sprig of mint.
  3. If Costa Rica really isn't the place to find delicious examples of unique local specialties, surely there's some saving grace somewhere in a restaurant in San Jose. Give me hope. I've got two nights in San Jose to have dinner. If I'm "typical Tico" food is crossed off the list, are there other good restaurants? French? Italian? Can I have a great meal somewhere? The owner of the B&B where we are staying bragged that there were many terrific local restaurants that she would be happy to recommend. When I wrote back asking for her advice on great food, great chefs, and a really memorable meal, she replied, "Well, I have a guidebook you can read. There might be something in there."
  4. Kolbeh on 1st Ave S is supposedly closing in a couple of weeks, to be quickly re-opened as a salsa/merengue themed place under a new owner. The Persian food shall be no more. http://seattle.citysearch.com/profile/1080..._wa/kolbeh.html
  5. I think how the recipe goes is that you take some prosciutto strips and saute them gently with just a bit of onion & and garlic. Add the ramps and wilt them (they reduce about 4:1) Too high heat will make your prosciutto tough and dry...it's like the art of cooking bacon. Put the cooked pasta back into it's pot and toss it with some butter and some parmesan, adding a little pasta water if you need it. Blend the ramp mixture into the pasta or use it as a topping. Garnish with some sauteed prosciutto strips and a little chopped parsley. It ends up being a yummy mix of very different textures and contrasting flavors. If you use whole ramps, you end up with long green strands that look pretty and mix in well with the pasta, but they make it more difficult to twine with a fork. I'd cut them into half-lengths. I used a Trader Joe's packet of 5 lean prosciutto slices, which served about three pepole for a main course. I'd use much more next time and I'd use slices with more fat on them. Likewise, four bunches of ramps served about three people. Good luck with the ramps! Leave some for everyone else!
  6. Yes, Frank's Produce in Pike Place market has them right now, in mid-April. Frank's is in the Sanitary Market building by the cheese shop. I bought four bunches on Saturday, I think for $3 each. That's the only place I've ever seen them. Ask Frank for his special ramps pasta recipe with prosciutto and parmesan.
  7. The two ways I know of are 1) Paper method. Hand someone a piece of paper, like a business card and tuck the folded bill under the paper, with a slight edge showing. You can do this with curbside porters at the airport and ask them to check your bags first class so they come out first. That "your bags first" thing never happens any more, but that's how the handoff is done. 2) Handshake method. Here you do a little sleight of hand with palming the bill, like in a card trick. Fold the bill in thirds and then in half again so you accomplish two things: You've got one edge to hold the bill between your fingers, so you can hold your hand out in handshake postion, but still hide the bill from view. And you've also got another edge that the recipient can feel, so they know you're passing them something. Practice with friends; they'll appreciate the free $20s. But still...does it WORK here?
  8. Oops. Maitre. Not Matire. To get into a little more detail based on another thread, Tipping the Maitre d' there's a discussion on the practice of tipping/bribing restaurant employees. In New York? No doubt. Vegas? LA? Of course. But Seattle and Portland? What has been your experience in greasing palms in the Northwest? Bartenders: I think this one is straightforward. For new customers, a big tip for the first drink and generous tipping thereafter. Bartenders have direct control over the service experience. Chefs: I've never sent a drink to a chef I don't already know. Have you? Did it make a difference? Servers: Does tipping at the start of your dinner bring extra service? I've never worked any place where wondrous extras were within my control. Captains, I can see, but regular do-it-yourself servers? And lastly Maitre d's, hosts, and hostesses: I can only think that expereinced MDs would be smooth enough to accept it gracefully. Does it get you an quick table with out a reservation?
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