The most famous chef in Cuban history is named Nitza Villapol. She was born on November 20, 1923. Nitza was born to Cuban exiles in New York but moved back to Cuba by the time she was 11. She learned to cook by watching her mother, who focused on quick and easy meals. Her mother believed that women should spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Nitza went on to study nutrition in London but wasn’t a chef.
After reading about Cuba’s very first television station launching in 1948, Nitza wrote a letter to the owner pitching her idea for a cooking show. The owner liked the idea and created a space for Nitza. Her show Cocina Al Minuto ran on television for almost 50 years, airing its last broadcast in ’97. Nitza featured many dishes from around the globe over the years.
Nitza’s cooking show was very popular in Cuba after the fall of the USSR and her cookbooks are now worth a small fortune. There are many versions of her first cookbook and they are priced anywhere from $650 – 750. I saw one book with 315 recipes where the asking price was $2607! It’s not like these books are everywhere either. Currently they are mostly unavailable. Be warned, there are also many fakes. My curiosity about Nitza definitely has been stirred.
Nitza passed to the big kitchen in the sky on October 20, 1998
It is certainly no secret that people like to gather in friendly surroundings to enjoy food and drink. This behavior dates back well before the Roman Empire and Cleopatra’s famous feast. One thing you might not be familiar with is the oldest gathering spot in Manhattan, NYC. This distinction goes to a building located on the corner of Pearl St. and Broad St. in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.
The plot of land that is 54 Pearl Street (a landfilled water lot) was purchased from the city by Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1686. Stephanus Van Cortlandt’s daughter, Ann, married a young French Huguenot merchant, Stephen (Etienne) De Lancey in 1700 when De Lancey purchased the lot from his father-in-law.
In 1719, De Lancey applied to the Common Council for three and a half more feet to be added to his plot of land on the northwest corner where he planned to build ‘a large brick house’. The large brick house has gone through some changes since but has been a private residence, hotel and one of the most important taverns of the Revolutionary War.
The Provincial Congress hosted a banquet in the Long Room at the tavern on June 18, 1776, for General George Washington, his staff and his officers to express their gratitude for the defense of the colony. The party raised 31 toasts throughout the evening, starting with the Congress and the American Army and ending with “Civil and religious liberty to all mankind.” It was a party and officers sang campaign songs while music played. The final bill presented by Samuel Fraunces, totaling £91, included 78 bottles of Madeira, 30 bottles of port and 16 shillings for “wine glasses broken.” Fraunces Tavern served as a headquarters for George Washington during peace negotiations with the British and housed a few federal offices of the Early Republic.
British troops evacuated New York on November 25, 1783. This day is historically known as ‘Evacuation Day’. George Washington led his Continental Army in a parade from Bull’s Head Tavern in the Bowery to Cape’s Tavern on Broadway and Wall Street. New York Governor George Clinton’s Evacuation Day celebration was held at Fraunces Tavern. In true American fashion, Evacuation Day was celebrated for a week. George Washington was in Manhattan and made use of Fraunces Tavern by dining in and ordering take-out.
General Washington meets at the tavern
A week later, on December 4, 1783, the tavern hosted an elaborate ‘turtle feast’ dinner, in the building’s Long Room for George Washington during which the general bade farewell to his officers of the Continental Army.
Historically stated, The time drew near when General Washington intended to leave this part of the country for his beloved retreat at Mt. Vernon.
"On Dec 4, 1783 at 12 noon General Washington entered the room. His emotions were too strong to be concealed which seemed to be reciprocated by every officer present. After partaking of a slight refreshment in almost breathless silence the General filled his glass with wine and turning to the officers said, ‘With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.’
After the officers had taken a glass of wine General Washington said ‘I cannot come to each of you but shall feel obliged if each of you will come and take me by the hand.’ General Knox being nearest to him turned to the Commander-in-chief who, suffused in tears, was incapable of utterance but grasped his hand when they embraced each other in silence. In the same affectionate manner every officer in the room marched up and parted with his general in chief. Such a scene of sorrow and weeping I had never before witnessed and fondly hope I may never be called to witness again.”
It’s easy to see that George Washington was highly respected and well loved. This kind of closing ceremony goes a long way in explaining why Washington was elected as the nation’s 1st President and why he is so well remembered by history.
On February 2, 1790, the Supreme Court dined at the Tavern to celebrate the opening of the Court. Guests included Chief Justice John Jay of New York, Justices John Rutledge of South Carolina, William Cushing of Massachusetts, James Wilson of Pennsylvania and John Blair of Virginia. Also in attendance was Robert Hanson Harrison of Maryland, who later declined to serve.
On July 4, 1804 under the management of David Ross, the Society of Cincinnati held a meeting at 54 Pearl Street. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton both attended this meeting which was a week before their famous duel.
Re-opening 1904
Fraunces Tavern and historical team have much rich American history and they do a great job at preserving, sharing and teaching the subject. More can be learned by visiting their site.
Established in 1990 the pub was owned by Tony Moogan from Liverpool, England. It was voted the best soccer bar in the USA in 2002 by FSC.
Their web site claimed “British pub and restaurant in Santa Monica – we serve British beers and British Food such as Fish & Chips. All of our food is home-made in our kitchen. Try our delicious pies! We are a renowned Sports Bar and have won many awards as the Best Soccer Bar in the USA – come and watch the live English Premier League games, World Cup, Champions League, NHL, NFL and International games on our large Hi-Def screens. We are home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and have the NFL package. Home to a friendly British staff and customers. Frequented by Santa Monica locals and visitors alike.”
This place was great. A typical Irish pub in that you could be from anywhere, walk in and enjoy a pint and bite while feeling like you’re in a local living room. They shared this experience with me. The staff was a family of friendly faces. Everyone was cool and got along well. Davey was a cool bartender. He had a thick accent and I don’t think he heard as well as he could have but his mind was always going. Barney was always cool with everyone and always hand his finger on the pulse of the neighborhood doings. All the staff girls were locals and just lovely. All were strong, smart and driven.
I loved going there for Happy Hour and getting $5 pints. Rich, the road worker, would almost always be there along with all of the other locals. For breakfast they offered King Size, English or Scottish Breakfast and all were a solid plate’s worth of food to help anyone feel better.
I’ve watched many big sports games in that place. The Kings winning the Stanley Cup was a good time as was any Sunday during the NFL season. During big English football matches the place could be so packed the crowd would spill into the parking lot and out onto Lincoln Blvd as seen below.
Sunday nights were reserved for the famous lamb dinners they prepared. Sometimes they would sell out if you arrived too late. The other option was the roast beef dinner. Personally, I much preferred the lamb and almost never asked for the roast beef. On a couple of occasions I actually stuffed 2 lamb dinners into my face!
Sunday lamb dinner
They also had a low rise stage that many entertainers performed on. The photo below was the image painted on the wall behind the stage.
The Cock n Bull was an awesome place and is forever cemented into the history and souls of many south side Santa Monica locals.
Currently, after a couple years of closure, the old place is being renovated to become another Mexican restaurant. Oddly, there are a few well established Mexican restaurants within a couple blocks walk, so competition for Mexican food might swing in the favor of the consumer.
Thank you very much and forever cheers Cock n’ Bull.
One of the things I noticed about people returning from the island of Ometepe was that they all projected a relaxed vibe. Being on vacation at the beach I was already relaxed but I was curious about this vibe other folks were experiencing. They all said they had just returned from visiting Ometepe and the surrounding areas.
Taking the ferry from Rivas to cross to the island is easy, inexpensive and takes an hour. The boats run pretty frequently and make it easy to get back to the mainland if needed during daylight hours. The town of Moyogalpa is there like a patient friend waiting to greet the newly arriving ferry travelers. The town is a neat little arrangement of approximately 6 square blocks that you can find nearly everything you might need within. There are many places available to stay between the 2 volcanoes on this big island and everything can be arranged once arriving in Moyogalpa if a pick up hasn’t been arranged already. There are a bunch of places to choose from within steps to regroup, have a beer, get some food and/or contact folks for arrangements. Read on.
My arrangements were made for me. I needed to be 3 blocks up and 1 to the left of the port to a place known as Hospedaje Siero. The family that run this place are great. Lucy holds down the rentals while her husband Abraham is handling the remodeling that was going on. The photo below shows the old school material delivery happening one morning.
In the foreground you have the construction delivery going on and in the background you will see the orange canopy Krisdalia. I’d visit Krisdalia for instant mocha coffees in the early mornings. The mom and daughter team were nice people. Both the hostel and Krisdalia next door were easy to find and provided an excellent area to call home.
The island consists of 2 volcano cones that protrude through an enormous lake that feels like a wave less ocean. The island’s perimeter claims roughly a 60 mile figure eight. Renting a motorcycle from the crew at Green Expedition was easy. They are reputable, trustworthy and came with a good recommendation which I share here. https://www.instagram.com/greenexpedition/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D
Along the same main street from the ferry and steps from Green Expedition is El Picante Restaurant. They offer a knowing staff, pleasant atmosphere, good blended drinks and delicious food too. The owner Jan knows many things, is very helpful and a great host. Many hours were spent here. Visit here for sure. Even Kurt from Canada recommends El Picante as you can read below.
The next place up and on the same side of the street hosts a sign that says La Cocina de Mami and offers rooms to rent also. This is an awesome place to go for breakfast. The other thing I loved besides the sweet staff was the chicken pasta.
The last place you should seek out is up the main ferry exit road and when you get to the island circle road which is about 5 blocks up go right. About 2 blocks down on the volcano side is a small sign letting you know there is delicious food waiting to be created for you at Comedor Alma. We were always welcomed warmly there and treated like family. I love this place. Everything we had on the menu was good. It is as local as you can get when it comes to eating in Ometepe and added to a great experience while visiting the island. https://www.facebook.com/memitoelnica/videos/estamos-transmitiendo-desde-el-comedor-almamoyogalpa-isla-de-ometepe/376300624389041/
Thank you to all the wonderful locals for sharing your beautiful place and vibes with me. Muchas gracias. Sincerely, the Dude of Food
Once you arrive to Playas Del Coco and get situated you will end up back on main street for one reason or another. It is the center of everything you will need whether it’s the beach, food, information, transportation, bank, doctor or whatever. The photo above shows the main street looking east. You’ll have a couple blocks until you are at the end looking this direction. The other direction in the above photo will send you towards the beach and a few more blocks of interesting places like more shops, quick eats, sports bars, etc.
Housing was at a place found on Airbnb called ‘Maria and Marios’ and I was very happy to have stayed there. They couldn’t have been nicer people and treated me like family. The walk from their home to the main road would take me past 2 stores and a fruit stand. Whether needing a refreshing coconut water straight from a coconut soaking in ice water or a cold beer on the walk I had options.
There are many fun looking places to enjoy around town and unfortunately I didn’t get to experience all of the ones that appealed to me but the following spots are a couple of the cool places I discovered as I wandered around Playas del Coco.
In the morning I would ride my rented bicycle the few blocks to the beach and get a coffee at a cool place called Cafe Corazon. They are located close to the water (50 meters) and provide good coffee in a cool zen atmosphere. The guy behind the counter was always a welcoming host. https://www.instagram.com/cafe.corazon/?hl=en
Sal y Fuego can be found off the main road up the street from the sports bar and is a terrific find. If you love grilled meats and fish presented by a local trained in Argentina then you’ll love this place. The staff is friendly. I gave them a Venice Brand sticker. It’s worth the quick walk up the slight hill. https://www.instagram.com/salyfuegocr/?hl=en
At the corner where the sports bar and Mexican restaurant meet (the street you’ll walk up to find Sal y Fuego) is another new restaurant called Nakapasi. They are really new and I couldn’t find their social media but the man behind the bar, Abraham, was super cool. I gave him a Venice Brand sticker too. We tried to get the NHL Stanley Cup finals on which didn’t work but they did offer cold beers and really good ceviche. This would also be a good place to bring a date for dinner.
The Dude of Food really enjoyed the time chilling out around Playas Del Coco and thanks all the nice folks that shared with me and made this Costa Rican experience extra special. Thank you all. Pura Vida.
After years of independent merchandising for surf companies and the Hawaiian Tropic brand, the Dude of Food is switching gears and working on a list of quality food and beverage products to offer in his upcoming market.
If your company is looking to get in other markets, whether domestic or international, then please by all means let’s talk.
The Dude of Food can be emailed at- weallgottaeat (at) g mail (dot) com
On May 1, 2014 I found my myself in Fontainbleau, France enjoying a holiday called May Day. The only people who have to work on May Day are the restaurant employees so I went to this bistro down the street from Napolean’s house called L’escapade and tried some rum from Martinique.
The staff is friendly & the food is delicious. You won’t be disappointed. Go here!
Flour de Cana rum is a 12 year old rum from Nicaragua.
The Caribbean Islands and Guatemala are known for their rum creations and I’m sure you can find a more palatable rum for the time and money it took to make this product.
