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Ticos (Costaricans) in the US
Gallo Pinto made in the US
'Witch's Rock' Restaurant takes costarican cooking to the Hamptons, New York
Hazel Feigenblatt
hfeigenblatt@hotmail.com
Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Thai...It doesn't matter where you are. There's always one of these restaurants. But what about Costarrican food? Is there any Costarrican restaurant out of the country at all? The answer is yes.
The Gallo Pinto (rice and beans), sweet plantains, ceviche and many other typical dishes enjoyed with coffee and tamarindo drinks are made in the United States too. There are a few places where to find typical tico food and an example is the in the Hamptons, New York: the Witch's Rock.
Named after a beach in Guanacaste (Roca Bruja), the restaurant was opened July last year by Costarricans Franklin Cubero, Arturo Quiros and Maricruz Solis, of San Ramon, Alajuela, and the kitchen is commanded by Costarrican chef Raul Castro.
Why that name? Solis explained that many American people who live in that area have been surfing in Roca Bruja and are attracted to a restaurant especially decorated to make them feel back in the beach.
Many of them bring their pictures taken in Roca Bruja, write their names on them and leave them in a special wall in the establishment.
Surrounded by surf boards, pictures and wall paintings that reflect the sea, visitors can enjoy Gallo Pinto (rice and beans) with sirloin steak and salad, rice and seafood, picadillo de chayote (minced vegetables), ceviche, chicharrones (pork) and other dishes, in some cases seasoned with Salsa Lizano directly brought from Costa Rica.
For desserts, the menu offers from fried bananas to Crepas Pura Vida (crepes with fruits). The coffee and the liquors are imported from Costa Rica while other things, for example Tamarindo beverages, are only offered when it's possible to buy them in New York.
Who is the main customer of the Witch's Rock and what is the favorite dish? Approximately 90 per cent of the visitors are Americans and Gallo Pinto is nearly half of all the food ordered everyday.
Solis said the good reaction of the people surprised them in the beginning and attributed part of the success of the business to how well-known Costa Rica is nowadays.
"Everybody knows Costa Rica. People have been there or have heard of it and that makes a Costarrican restaurant a popular place to go. That's why it's possible to open Costarrican restaurants here or in any other country", Solis said.
But the origin is not the only important element. She explained that is also important to keep the real taste of the food as it is cooked in Costa Rica and to present an elegant establishment.
The cultural exchange is other attraction the restaurant offer in its menu. The Witch's Rock has in its staff some American employees, it celebrates national days like September 15 (Independence Day) and Mother's Day (August 15), and shows Costarrican paintings.
The music is also varied, not only Costarrican or Latin but also North American or from other parts of the world.
And like this one there are some more Costarrican restaurants in other parts of the United States that can well be worth a visit in the next trip.
Ticos in brief
Costarrican killed
Rosa Viquez, 48, a house cleaner in New York was killed after a drunken driver struck her just moments after he had hit another woman, reported Newsday.
Viquez was just going out of Jehova's Witness church services when the accident occurred and the driver sped away, but was later arrested.
Invitation to golf
The newspaper Los Angeles Times published an inviting story about golf in Costa Rica that covers from golf clubs by the beach, such as Playa Conchal Beach & Golf Resort and Los Suenos Marriott Ocean and Golf Resort, to how the sport began in the country. It also gives golf players useful information to get there.
Mission to Costa Rica
The World Trade Center of New Orleans announced is preparing a trade mission to Costa Rica from July 1 to 5 to promote Lousiana's busines in the areas of transportation, sports management, tourism and health care. In 2002 U.S. trade with Costa Rica through the New Orleans Customs District was valued at $341.1 million and keeps growing up.
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