Puerto Rico Birthday Dinner to Remember

[paris73]

Hi - I am pretty much an eGullet virgin but am loving all the posts and geez you are all so well travelled and do enjoy your adventures! I am heading over to Puerto Rico in September to celebrate my birthday and some friends are joining me from various parts of the world. So...I would like to throw them a dinner party to remember with the following criteria:

1. Must be Puerto Rican or Carribbean cuisine (fusion of this cuisine OK) with a modern twist or something different (quality needs to be great of course).

2. Venue must have a funky atmosphere - ie along the lines of what I have read of a Dragonfly without the attitude.

3. Moderate to expensive but not obscene, including drinks.

4. Preferably close to great nightlife (bars/nightclubs)

5. Must not be too noisy.

6. Slightly dressy place (ie not casual) so that the girls can all put on their pretty dresses & the boys can dress to woo said girls...

A good enough combo of the above would be great - I know the perfect combination may be futile.

Thanks so much!

Sel from down under

[Damian]

I think you want to be in Old San Juan for the nightlife. Parrot Club sounds like it fits the bill. Amadeus, also maybe. I like Picoteo (tapas, not Caribbean) too in the atrium of the Convento Hotel. Chef Marisoll is a good serious food choice in Old San Juan (pricier, better food, not particularly funky).

Sounds like fun, enjoy.

[bilrus]

I would echo Picoteo and Parrot Club (as I just did in another thread). Parrot Club is a fairly small area, so you might want to see if they can accomidate a larger party (depending on how many people you are talking about).

Parrot Club does hav emusic some night so it can get a little loud and it is fairly casual.

[Miguel Gierbolini]

As much as I like the Parrot Club, I hate to think that people are coming here from different parts of the World and they can not do better than that. Hmmm, Ajili Mojili on Ashford Avenue just moved to a new, larger location. This is Puerto Rican food with panache. And is not too far from the Condado Plaza where you can walk for some pre or post dinner fun. El San Juan Hotel, as I mentioned elsewhere, has several restaurants, I don't think any of them is Puerto Rican or Caribbean but the scene there is quite nice with lots of nooks of ambience for everyone's taste.

Chayote, Pikayo, Augusto's are other possibilities. I think Chef Marisoll closed.

[bilrus]

If and when I make it back to San Juan, I will need to try some of those because I did like Parrot Club and would be interested in some other (even better?) Puerto Rican cooking.

Ajilli Mojilli is one that I have heard good things about we were going to try to get to but got stuck somewhere else longer than we wanted on out last night in town and couldn't get to dinner.

What part of town are the others in?

Something to look forward to - we do love the food in PR.

[Miguel Gierbolini]

Chayote and Augusto are in Miramar-across the lagoon from Condado. Pikayo is in the Puerto Rico Museum of Art in de Diego Avenue in Santurce. Also quite near the Condado area.

If you like Puerto Rican food and if you are not particular about the setting you must try La Tasca de Yiyo and La Casita Blanca. The first in Loiza Street and the other one in Villa Palmeras also in Santurce.

Edited July 14, 2003 by Miguel Gierbolini (log)

[Jason Perlow]

When we were last in San Juan a few years ago we went to Chef Marisol. The chef is a CIA grad and the restaurant has gotten critical acclaim in US newspapers and magazines.

Expensive but very much a top notch place.

[paris73]

Thanks everyone - very insightful. Now I have also heard that Jose Jose & Compostela are better than Ajili Mojili - anyone beg to differ?

Has anyone tried Agua Viva yet?

Also has anyone got more insight on travelling 30 mins out of San Juan to Guavate where they roast pigs on a spit and dance the salsa??? Sounds like it cannot be missed, but would be very interested in others' opinions.

Cheers

[Rachel Perlow]

Chef Marisoll is a good serious food choice in Old San Juan (pricier, better food, not particularly funky).

Sounds like fun, enjoy.

If Marisoll's is still around (haven't been to PR for 5 years) then definitely hit that as your nice dinner spot, then move on to a club. I see that Miguel Gierbolini thinks it may be closed, which is a possibility. But I did find it on Yellow Pages of Puerto Rico, so, JIC:

Chef Marisoll

201 Calle Carite (Old San Juan)

San Juan, PR 00926

787-725-7454

[ral]

Hey Paris73,

I'm off to PR for my birthday celebration in October, and I was wondering how yours turned out. Thanks all who posted for the great suggestions!

-ral