Tuesday, April 19, 2011

costa rican eats: pita bonita & selvin's

Can you tell I find extreme joy in eating good food? I surely do. Thankfully for the foodie in me, the restos in the Playa Chiquita area did not disappoint. There was good food galore.

Here are two more eateries that made their way into our culinary hearts:

Pita Bonita – Playa Chiquita
Pita Bonita Quartet

Pita Bonita's menu consisted of super solid Middle Eastern specialities - made by Israeli-born Eylon and served up by his lovely Cali-wife Alison. Their fresh baked pita bread is something I still think about today. It was pillowy soft and when accompanied by their perfectly creamy and garlicky hummus...it was thank you lord good eating!

Other dishes high on the tasty scale were the chicken shwarma, herb-filled falafel (or, as the Simpsons would have it, "crunchpatty"), and the Yemeni hot sauce – made with chiles, cilantro, garlic and cumin. This condiment reminded me of the tantalizing Venezuelan guasacaca sauce we stockpile from our local farmer's market every summer. Trust me peeps - this lovely green concoction is guaranteed to catapult your meal to the next level of deliciousness. 

We visited Pita Bonita twice for dinner but we probably could have eaten there every day. Yessiree. Loved everything about it - the ambiance, the eclectic background music, the food and the hosts.


Selvin’s – Punta Uva


Selvin's

This is what I'm talkin' about!! Costa Rican Caribbean food at its authentic best. Selvin's is where I devoured the most succulent grilled snapper of my entire life. So so good. Fresh, flaky and perfectly cooked. My mouth waters just thinking about that dang fish.

We also tried Selvin's version of rondon soup (a local specialty made with coconut milk, seafood and vegetables) and loved it. Rondon is a rich, delicious Jamaican dish, very popular on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. The name? It's the Patois pronunciation of “run down”  - referring to a thrifty housewife putting everything together in one pot, simmering it in coconut milk, and calling it “rundown” for everything she was able to “run down” that day.  I call it coconutty goodness in a bowl.

After all these good eats, I think I might just have to make my way back to Playa Chiquita one day. soon.

Dajana  :)

p.s. We also visited: La Organica Botanica (super sammies & fresh organic produce), Jungle Love (all kinds of delish dishes), Miraflores (tasty squid tacos) and in Puerto Vieojo, we really dug Bread and Chocolate, a cafe that served up the most refreshing ginger lemonade and amazing brownies, among many other delights.

9 comments:

  1. Hi Susan! Thanks for popping by. This post makes me very very hungry. It shouldn't be viewed on an empty stomach. ;)

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  2. Wow, what an amazing range of food you can get in Costa Rica. You have made my mouth water and I just finished eating dinner. Everything looks so good!!!

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  3. I've eaten at both. Selvin's is the real deal and fabulous. Pita Bonita's is wonderful and fresh and a completely different taste than Selvin's. But these two restaurants are just a tiny sample of the wonderful restaurants in that area.

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  4. Dajana, this food looks amazing ;) Mouth-watering good!

    amy*

    ps. thanks for your sweet comment today - have fun trying the smoop.

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  5. Carol - I had no idea there was so much variety in this part of Costa Rica either. There was yummy-ness all over the dang place.

    Ellen - They are both lovely & delicious places, aren't they? I'd love to hear what restos you recommend in the area.

    Amy - Doesn't it?! By the way, I smoop'd it up this weekend. Loved it.

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  6. Oh your photos from Costa Rica are amazing! And the food looks delicious. What an amazing trip!

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    Replies
    1. It was an amazing trip, Michelle. I'd love to go back someday.

      Thanks for commenting! (:

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