Chef Andreas Cavaliere shares a secret recipe: Pappardelle, Umbrian sausage, Chianti & red onion

Ingredients: Pappardelle; Mushrooms stock; Umbrian sausage; Olive oil; Red oinon; parsley; Chianti; butter; and Parmesean


Directions: Peel the skin of the sausage & crumble the sausage meat, start to brown the meat, finely slice the red onion. When then meat is starting to brown add the red onion and stir together, carry on frying until the onion starts to caramelize the add ½ a bottle of Chianti, bring to a boil & turn down to a simmer carry on cooking for about 1h30 mins until the wine has reduced by a ¼ or until the sauce is thick.

Cook the pappadelle & toss through the sauce serve with grated Parmesan and parsley.

A Letter from a Longtime Friend

No other way to say it, you’ve lost a friend- after almost 50 years this is it…the end, always thought I was man enough to break off a relationship in person, but this is the internet age and email will have to do. Thanks for the memories, our friendship has ended.




Lori and I have been going to Vegas together for more than 30 years, I have always found the hidden gems, State Street, an Italian Mob Style restaurant, Hugo’s downtown before it was chic, Ferraro’s for the best Oso Buco this side of Italy, and Michael’s before it was “Michael’s”, the top rated restaurant in Vegas in the dungy Barbary Coast - just to name a few. Wouldn’t want to brag, may seem like I was trying to compete with “The Dining Duo.”



This past weekend Lori and I went to Society at the Encore for breakfast, after devouring the sticky bun and with that special look in her eyes, she said “You are amazing, how do you find these places?” I said I’d love to take credit but Scottie and Michael deserve all the credit.



THAT WAS IT!! Her comment, “We will only eat where Scottie and Michael recommend, they are the best!!!” I used to be “HER MAN” – no longer, you have stolen her stomach. My ego has been crushed, you have stolen her heart, and I hope you’re happy.



Your washed-up - ex-friend-

J.K.



PS The sticky buns were even better the second day -OF COURSE WE WENT BACK, THE PLACE WAS GREAT, AND SCOTTIE RECOMMENDED IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Society Folk Flock to the Encore

Waking up to this amazing view, we worked up quite a hunger for brunch, and although there are so many choices, the one you simply cannot miss is Society. Elizabeth Blou conceptualized an Oscar Wilde feel for the room, and it proved to be a perfect place to snuggle into and stuff our faces. The décor is opulent, done up in greens and vibrant pinks, framed by lush green and white striped curtains that surround a room of coffered walls and rich paneled walls. The Asian theme is carried over here too with the accents of lime green chandeliers and two giant kensha palms in Asian pots. The black crocodile chairs and tables make the room come alive.


Be prepared to gorge on everything breakfast (there’s more, but this place is “it” for breakfast items). The sticky bun is the best, sweet, most fabulous sinful experience you can have this side of a downtown girlie bar. Piping warm, you can feel the cholesterol coating your pipes. Don’t miss it. The waffle was made with pumpkin and pecans and slathered in butter ($15), and was a sweet tooth’s fantasy. The French toast was surrounded with cornflakes, proving a nice texture and flavor. It was decadent and rich, but certainly hits the spot, especially with the serving of caramelized bananas and chocolate cream ($14). The Eggs Benedict were superb, primarily because of the homemade muffins. The eggs were perfectly cooked, soft on the inside, firm on the outside; and the Hollandaise was gooey and fresh ($15). Do not leave without trying Society’s signature dish, the ultimate Steak and egg sliders. The beef tenderloin, scrambled eggs and creamed spinach were all on a bacon-cheddar muffin ($16) and you simply cannot believe that something could taste so good. Wash it down with a great Caesar Bloody Mary (spiced like a Caesar salad), and you’re ready to hit the spa. By the way, Patrick is the manager and if you mention the Dining Duo, he’ll get you past the ubiquitous line to enjoy all of the above.

The Bobcat Bite Restaurant -- Santa Fe Finds the Beef

Bobcat Bite is a local hang out for the best burgers in the country! John and Bonnie Eckre are the current owners since the last 8 years; but Bonnie is no novice to the store, having worked there for 18 years. Seating only 26 folks, the Bobcat is a home-style diner with a counter and a few tables. As you might imagine, located out of Santa Fe on the old Las Vegas Hwy, this find has a friendly relaxed atmosphere catering mostly to local regulars. Their beef is natural, hormone free and is a combination of chuck and sirloin, which they grind fresh everyday. The secret to the incredible flavor of the burgers is that it's cooked on a 50-year-old cast iron grill that has as many stories hidden in it as flavors. Served with grilled potatoes and vinegar-based depression era coleslaw, both are wonderful and different than the usual accompaniments to burgers. Yummy. Us Santa Fe locals definitely know "Where’s the beef.” Bobcat Bite420 Old Las Vegas HighwaySanta Fe, NM 87505 (505) 983-5319


Your Santa Fe Mobile Reporter, Donna Karol

CECCONI'S

8764 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 432-2000


The old Morton’s on Robertson and Melrose got such a fanatical face lift that it doesn’t even look like itself—the first time in L.A. history that getting too much work turned out to be a good thing.

From the moment we entered this new neighborhood magnet, we were immediately impressed with the transformation the designers had made of the old place. Gone were the cavernous ceilings and long walks to anonymous tables. Gone is half of the ugly parking lot in the front. Gone is boring food served by even more boring wait staff. What has replaced all this is a glimmering, comfortable and unpretentious restaurant that has exceptional, tasty food.

Half of the parking lot is now a private out-door patio which takes advantage of our wonderful L.A. weather. The inside opens to the patio, and consists of a few rooms that surround a happening bar scene (if there was ever a “Cheers” in L.A., this would be it). White Carrera marble laced with black veins graces the floors in and out, with blue leather chairs warming each dining area so that it always feels cozy and warm. The private dining room, which seats up to 30 people, is anchored by a million dollar Damien Hirst butterfly painting that’s in the form of a giant heart. The heart reflects the friendly and unpretentious atmosphere that is going to set this restaurant aside from the usual “we only have a reservation before 5 or after 9” crowd.

Even though the atmosphere is so comfortable and welcoming, it’s also about the food served here. There are three wood burning pizza ovens that burn olive branches for flavor (and the aroma will make you die for carbs). There are 4 to 5 seasonal pizzas that are served warm and crispy. Our personal over the top favorite was the white pizza with goat cheese and summer black truffles. Although priced at $28 because of the truffles, it was well worth it; with the rest of the pizzas coming out at $16-18, a very reasonable price since they are so filling.

We could eat the pizza and leave happy, but there’s so much more to keep you going throughout the day. In fact, C’s opens at 7:00am every day, and they welcome people to come in, have a coffee, read one of the many international newspapers they provide, eat, have a meeting, or just sit and enjoy the weather. Having said that, the breakfasts are sensational, so come hungry. It’s a real testament to chef Andreas Cavaliere (from Soho and Cecconi’s in London--see sidebar) because in Italy breakfast consists of a cappuccino and a cigarette. Despite that upbringing, we couldn’t stop eating his creations of pancakes stuffed with ricotta cheese ($8) and the scrambled eggs with shaved truffles both of which were home runs for taste and quality.

There are equally great choices for lunch and dinner, and you will not have a problem finding something you’ll like on this inviting menu, including the wait staff who were not only as tasty as the menu items, but also great servers. Ask for Josh, the nice Jewish boy from Atlanta, or Crystal, the cute blonde, depending upon your own tastes in servers. But back to what you can actually order off the menu.

The ricotta and spinach eggplant parm dish was classic Italian($16) and served in a copper pot that was so piping hot it could have burned a hole in the table. Layers of pasta oozing with cheese was perfectly cooked, proving yet again that the food is not fussy, but delicious and hearty, just as you would find in Italy, or London. Michael loved the Pappardelle with homemade sausage and morel mushrooms ($12 for small size, or $18 for large). There were long strands of flat pasta graced with enough pork sausage to fill you up without overwhelming the flavor; it was all served in a flavorful sauce that had a faint bite to it. Not a bite like our Scottish Terrier Triple might give you when grabbing his ball, but more like a little love bite your partner my give you after having eaten this dish. Scott loved the Summer squash and risotto, laced with aged balsamic. The balsamic was aged without vinegar so it was surprisingly sweet; combine this with the sweet squash and the result was a taste sensation that we would order again in an Italian minute.

The drinks and wines were plentiful, and we tasted a “75” 2005 Cabernet that was bold and flavorful at the bargain price of $12 a glass. Don’t leave without trying some of their terrific “dolci’s, such as the summer berries smothered in rich, creamy zabaglione. As much as we like chocolate, and that everyone seems to be doing a chocolate fondant these days, theirs gives the other restaurants a run for their money. It was rich and delicate, proving that they use a finer chocolate in their recipe. As much as Scott loves his chocolate, the apricot & amaretto tart was particularly yum with the right combination of sweet and tart, and set our taste buds wild. All desserts were $9.

So if you’re in the mood for good food, good friends, nice people, pretty atmosphere and a place you can hang out at without getting nasty looks from the staff, this is it, look no further. We can’t wait to go back and hang with the new friends we’ve met there, even if all they order is a cappuccino and a cig.

Mozza no Mezza !*

*(Mozza is not average!)

www.mozza-la.com
6602 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 297-0100

You, our faithful reader, know that The Duo is always reviewing the newest hot spot. Even though there has been so much written about one of our favorite LA haunt’s, Pizzeria Mozza, we’re here to bring you news hotter than a wood-burning pizza oven: within a few short weeks, you will no longer have to stand in line to munch on the crackling crust to die for. Finally you’ll be able to get this extraordinary pizza to take home at, “Mozza2Go”, which is opening right next door the Osteria.

As you probably know, there is no accommodation at the present venue to provide for take out food. So this is great news for everyone wanting to sabotage his or her diets. In addition to obtaining a quick fix for your pizza habit, the new space will also serve as a private cooking school for you alone with the master of all things pizza, or for up to thirty of your most intimate friends.

The restaurant décor itself is nothing mesmerizing, but it serves as the tableau for an extraordinary selection of palette-pleasing pizzas and much, much more. It’s a simple, large room with high ceilings and a long bar stretching along two of the sidewalls. It’s dark ruby walls, wood floors, wood tables and simple hanging lights provide a din over which you’ll have to speak loudly, or simply replace the conversation with stuffing your face.

The Dining Duo has never walked out of Mozza hungry or dissatisfied. We would venture to say this is the best pizza that we have ever sunk our perfectly bleached teeth into. We owe this to the genius chefs Nancy Silverton of La Brea Bakery fame, and Mario Batali of Del Posto in NYC and B & B Ristoranti in Las Vegas. Between the La Brea Bakery incomparable dough and the simple but perennially fresh fare and spices (all from farmers’ markets), the taste sensations of everything we order is superb.

Our favorite is the house made Fennel Sausage, peppered with red onions and scallions at $15. Our modus operandi is to always order an appetizer and two pizzas. We highly recommend the Fried Squash Blossoms oozing with fresh ricotta ($8), which are lightly fried and served piping hot so the cheese melts in your mouth as the flavors devour your taste buds. Scott is not a meat eater but savors the sauce of the Meatballs al Forno ($12). In that dish, there are three balls (the oddity of such not lost on us) that are spiced just right and served with, once again that fabulous La Brea bread, and accompanied by lots of marinara sauce. We are both corn eaters and the Corn al forno ($8) is a corn on the cob sensation that is served golden brown in spots, which we love. There are three pieces that arrive piping hot at your table by very friendly runners. Speaking of friendly, Pilar, our waitress was nice, pretty and spoke with a slight lisp that was either from eating hot pizza sauce, or hailing from Spain.

If it’s the season (only a couple of months a year), try the Ramps, guanciale with English Peas and panna pizza ($18), a leek and scallion combination, albeit overly salty, is an opportunity to try something unique and usually unavailable. All of this good cookin’ can be accompanied by a wine list that is extremely unique, composed of 50 wines under $50. Chris Miller, the wine director, will suggest something perfect for your wine palette.

The desserts looked yummy, but who ever has room after stuffing yourself full of everything and anything on the menu. Of note is the caramel copetta with marshmallow sauce and salted Spanish Peanuts ($9). Then waddle back to your car (park on the street and avoid the expensive valet parking) and wish that you were Karen Carpenter.

The Dining Duo’s Note: There are no food pictures for this piece because we were asked by the staff not to use a camera in the restaurant.

Beautiful People -- Gung Hay Fat Choi -- Happy Chinese New Year!

The Kress
6608 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 785-5000
Hours: Sun, Tues, Wed 5 - 10 pm, Thu-Sat 5 - 11 pm

The Dining Duo has never been much for old Hollywood. The traffic is bad, the streets are dirty and crowded, and the homeless and hucksters are plentiful; but every now and then we are proven wrong, and The Kress takes full credit for us eating our hats, seasoned and cooked to perfection, of course.

Like a mirage, the moment you open the door to this palace of a restaurant, it is clear that you’ve arrived into something special. The main dining room is cavernous (seating 175), yet richly warm, if not exotic. It is framed by a gigantic Asian-inspired chandelier that looks like an upside-down cake and seems to be back-lit by red neon. Our eyes took in the giant golden booths that afford a sense of privacy, as well as the comfy banquettes and tables. Above, the intricately wood carved ceilings were itself a thing of beauty and painstakingly restored to its 1930s splendor; and this was only the dining room. After spending nearly 30 million dollars on dolling up the old Kress department store (which was more recently, Fredericks of Hollywood), the San Diego based visionaries created a 38,000 square foot, 5 floor city exotica offering the beautiful people everything from affordable fabulous dining, to a giant curved sushi bar overlooking the main room, to hob-knobbing with the likes of LL Cool J, The Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, and more.

Now back to the food, and it was terrific. After being seated in one of those giant gold round booths by a gorgeous girl, the equally gorgeous Nate rushed us water, while the well-trained and informed (and cute) Mathew came right to our aid with food suggestions. Chef Travis Kamiyama has taken over the business and menu planning aspects, and after opening a host of restaurants since he was 14, it shows. Chef loves bringing people of all varieties together and bridging the gap through food, and he’s reduced the original prices to do so.


The Chef is Japanese born and American raised, and his food is Asian-inspired, reflecting elements of Korean, Chinese, Japanese and other Southeast Asian locales. The highlights are the sushi, wok items and the grill. He uses only the finest blue-finned tuna, the king of all tunas, selecting those nearly translucent fishes originating from Spain, Malta and Croatia. The Blue-eyed tuna is from Hawaii, and the meat of the fish we experienced was super red, not showing a lot of fat. The Lobster hails from the North Atlantic coast, and the Kompachi is from Japan. No scrimping here.


Reflecting an “Eo Mae” style from Tokyo, none of the dishes we tasted were overly sauced like many restaurants we’ve experienced as of late. Even the rice served is freshly milled right at the restaurant, ensuring freshness and quality of taste.


The standout were so many but don’t miss the Lamb Chops with some caramelized onions at $22, which Scott particularly enjoyed.
Michael loved the Kobe Beef (American, but tasted close to Japanese) at $39 in a red wine reduction sauce. The Crispy Spicy Tuna Roll gives Katsu ya and every other sushi restaurant in town a run for their money at $18, it was fresh and delicately prepared. The daily fish inspiration, sea bass, was indeed inspired in its ultimate freshness and its light flavor ($24).
We weren’t crazy about the chocolate dessert we tasted, but the plate of five Crème Brulees in sake cups
more than made up for it. Each one had its own unique flavors, ranging from vanilla to peanut butter, and it was out of this world. Hard to believe we had room after the eat-a-thon to devour desert, but it was well worth the calories and the price at $8. We’re anxious to go back and try their warm Banana Split ($23).

For something unique and European, as well as Eastern, this is the place. Come for the food, take in the fabulous décor, drool over the people and spend the night wandering the building—downstairs to the Kress basement nightclub, upstairs to the happening rooftop bar that’s bubbling with energy and raging hormones. Just don’t valet park your car, or it could set you back $20 bucks. Never mind, we parked on the street.

Maui Revisted

Aloha. The Dining Duo just returned from the valley isle, and we have some updates. Although there are plenty of good eats on this island, there are just three outstanding choices that should be added to every visit:

Mama’s Fish House Restaurant(808) 579-8488
799 Poho Place
Paia, Maui, Hawaii
info@mamasfishhouse.com

Talk about Maui Wowie… Our dear friend CJ has demanded that we go to Mama’s and we finally did, only to discover that it was world class on all fronts. The setting is divine; right on the beach, the restaurant is a myriad of rooms facing an empty stretch of virgin sand complete with the pounding surf just beyond. Although everything on the menu is superb, of particular note is the Mahi-Mahi (they even tell you who caught it, and where) stuffed with lobster, crab, Maui onion and baked in a macadamia nut crust. It was infused with flavors that will drive your tongue to do the hula (the price changes, but it was $45 at our lunch, and well worth the hefty price). The wait staff could not have been nicer or more attentive. Don’t miss it. Thanks for the tip, CJ.


Gerard’s Restaurant174 Lahainaluna Rd
Lahaina, HI 96761
(808) 661-8939
www.gerardsmaui.com


(The Dining Duo, Gerard and Mom)

C’est magnifique. This was perhaps our 20th visit to Gerard’s and the only thing that changes is our appetite after we’ve dined for hours on end. Chef Gerard is as charming as he is talented in the kitchen. With a huge litany of restaurants under his belt, Gerard came to Maui and set his restaurant in a colonial style home typical of somewhere in South East Asia, or beyond. Dining on the patio, with the light scent of jasmine and burning coils, the exotic palms complete the experience. White glove service, table clothes, and a fabulous wine list and menu make this experience superlative. Everything is excellent, but make sure to linger over the Terrine of Foie Gras Maison ($24), made of duck liver, aspic of sauternes wine, exotic fruit chutney, toasted country bread, truffle and balsamic vinegar. Also, don’t miss the rack of lamb Persillade ($42), which is always perfectly pink, and encrusted with a mint and lemon crust, served with potatoes au gratin, which melts in your mouth. The champagne and wines compliment each other like our matching Hawaiian shirts.


Merriman’s KapaluaOne Bay Club Place
Lahaina, Hawaii 96761
Phone: (808) 669-6400
www.merrimanshawaii.com


Once the old Lahaina Bay Club, this setting is dramatic and sophisticated. Go during the daylight hours to really enjoy the views (the neighbors won’t let them light up the ocean anymore). When our friend described the food as “weird”, we knew it was a must for the Hula Duo. Far from weird, we enjoyed everything that was served. Of particular note was the Peter Merriman’s original wok charred Ahi, served with cabbage slaw, black and white rice and a dash of wasabi-soy ($37). It was fresh and locally produced, as the chef has always believed in “from the farm to the table”. The service was friendly, but beyond slow and inefficient, especially for the prices they charged. That said, the 17-year-old blond-surfer-bus-boy, David, was so adorable he made up for it, and we passed the time by having him fill our water glasses. Who cares if we needed to go to the bathroom 10 times?

Adam, Eve and the APPLE

Apple Restaurant & Lounge 665 N. Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310. 358-9191


In the beginning there was man and woman, and Eden was a pretty dull place. Then that hip-and-happening snake showed up and gave us the apple, and everything changed forever.

Apple, the restaurant and lounge, has equally changed the landscape of West Hollywood forever. Finally there is a fine dining experience on North Robertson Blvd that is as interesting and tasteful as it is fabulous. Unlike it’s predecessors in this locale such as Rose Tattoo that was exclusively gay, and then Mumba, that was predominately straight, Apple has made it clear that it is about food and not the sex lives of those who come to enjoy it. Bravo.

From the moment a gorgeous woman greets you at the street entrance to the tastefully decorated main room flanking a carmello granite bar, the atmosphere is smart, but not overwhelming, and creates a palette for the food (more of that soon). The outside patio is bathed in an orange glow from a nearby wall of rainforest fountain, and the lounge downstairs is all jazzy, black and comfy. Soon to be opened is the back room venue where the Pussy Cat Dolls (one of them is also a co-owner of the restaurant) will perform on occasion.

The gracious host settled us into a table on the patio next to the fountain, and Chelsea, the hot blonde-newscaster rushed to our table to serve us; no pretentious attitude here, thank god. Chef Bryan Ogden changes the menu daily, so we had to indulge ourselves on as many of the items as we could stomach before bursting. Chef sent out an amuse bouche consisting of tuna tartar with potatoes, a preparation that definitely amused our bouches. Despite our affinity for Kermit, we started with the Florida frog legs, which—contrary to popular belief—did not taste like chicken. They were delicate and prepared in a kalamata black olive crepe and had a side of parsley froth ($18). We used our Beverly Hills plastic surgery tools-cum-cutlery to slice off a tasty morsel and appreciated it’s uniqueness; ribbit. We also very much enjoyed the seafood medley ($21), which was a combo of Maine lobster, Jonah crab cake and gulf shrimp. The first two were very tasty, but the shrimp was a bit overcooked and tough. No matter, we gulped down more of the fabulous apple bread (of course) that comes to the table. We coupled the above with the Riff Pinot Grigio that was suggested by the sommelier, and it was the perfect selection.

Of particular mention was the slow-cooked Atlantic hake, which was basically a Maine lobster fritter served with braised leeks and chervil leaves ($29). Equally sensational was the flakey pan roasted red snapper served as a vegetable spring roll, and paired with a Thai herb salad and lemongrass coconut puree. Who thinks these things up? With another glass of the Pinot, and all barriers down for more good stuff, we scarfed up the Jidori chicken breast, served with polenta, haricot vert and an eggplant vinaigrette (28). Scott of course doesn’t eat meat (what’s the difference after eating Kermit), but Michael drooled over the Triple Seared Japanese A5 Waygu Strip loin, accompanied by crispy shallots, baby spinach and maitakes. It was prepared exactly as ordered, although it wasn’t a Michael Phelps, it certainly was the guy who touched the pool wall one hundredth of a second later. The sauterne wasn’t served cold enough, but at this point we were so satiated, who cared.

There were a plethora of desserts, but one that rang true to us was the Crispy Rosemary Lemon Sorbet. We would have expected apple pie, but this happy ending was way better than a cliché and all of this for $115 as part of the five course tasting menu, which seems like a relative bargain in today’s times.

Welcome to Nicaragua - Part Dos

Crossing the Border
Of all the decades of world travel the Dining Duo has experienced together and apart, crossing the border by car from Costa Rica into Nicaragua was perhaps the most interesting and proactive to date. Thank god we were with friend and local realtor extraordinaire (see sidebar article)Barry Oliver who made the experience painless; or we would still be at the border trying to navigate the situation.

Even “Checkpoint Charlie” was easier to navigate. First we crossed over the Costa Rican border into a sort of no-man’s land and had to stop at some official building where it smelled like an open sewer, and it probably was. We had to get special clearance for the car. Of course, if we had gone in a rented car, we would have had to park the rented car from Costa Rica, and then rent a new car from Nicaragua. From here, we drove a few meters more where there were all sorts of scary looking policia walking with guns over their shoulders. The car was suddenly swarmed with kids and men, banging on the window. Barry took it in stride as Michael and Scott had visions of Midnight Express crossing their minds. It turns out that “Big Dick” was the local guy who for a few bucks ran the paperwork through some other office down the dirt road. We reluctantly handed over our passport to this toothless guy, along with 20 bucks and then waited patiently in the car while an assortment of other characters tried to either get our attention for money or sell us hammocks, something we clearly couldn’t use in the current situation. After about half an hour, Big Dick came back out and handed us the fully stamped documents, asked for a few more dollars which he clearly earned, and sent us on our way. We waved goodbye to the kids trying to extract more money out of us and crossed peacefully over the Nicaraguan border. Mission accomplished.

Pelican Eyes, Nicaragua - Villa Encantado.
“The Enchanted Villa”. “Haunted” or “Haunting” that is the question.

After driving several hours across the border and through thickly overgrown roads with lakes and active volcanoes looming in the distance, arriving at Pelican Eyes Hotel and villas was like finding an oasis in the middle of the desert. High atop the hill overlooking the sleepy and happy town of San Juan Del Sur, Pelican Eyes is the creation of visionary Yank attorney Chris Berry (see side bar), and every inch and every detail proves his status as a visionary, especially in a country where time is irrelevant and being happy is more important than having a bank account number to try and keep you happy.

The lobby and restaurant are side by side, with a gracious pool in the middle of the bar and restaurant. We’ve been told that Wednesdays and Fridays are happy hour nights, and that after zealous drinking by locals and ex-pats alike, the swimming pool becomes an active sight for cooling off. Even Matthew Mconaghy jumped in recently. Unlike it’s Costa Rican neighbor to the south, this is a country where almost no-one speaks English, and yet Chris has finely trained his staff to speak English and run things as close to North American standards as possible. For example, we asked for breakfast to be delivered to our villa at 10:15 am, and we were shocked when two happy, smiling hombres were at our door at just that time.

We digress; after checking in, someone drove us high up the hill and over bumpy roads to one of the highest villas (and the one we recommend to rent) called Villa Encantado. We were greeted by the tinkling sounds of falling water from the fountain in the front yard, as well as by a few geckos and other assorted insects. We entered into a two story, two bedroom 2.5 bath home that was indeed enchanting. With rich wood arched windows that draw in the vistas beyond, saltillo tiles, authentic cane roofs and a sweeping staircase to the second floor, we knew we never wanted to leave. The bathrooms are covered in whimsical puffy tiles of assorted colors, gracing the stone floors and centered by a hand painted sink of birds that will make you smile every time you use it. The bathrooms are large, and the closet unusually large as well. The fountain in the dining room makes it feel you’re in a rain forest. The unobstructed views out the front of the house are of the gorgeous bay below, and the views from the back of the house are of the mountainous terrain covered in a rich blanket of verdant foliage. In fact, when we went on the back balcony at night, there was enough odd animal noises that we decided to retreat into the house until morning.

With the sunshine of a new day came the awe-inspiring views below us and then the warm breakfast we previously described. As everything was set before us, we scarfed up the fabulous eggs benedict and the cream cheese stuffed French toast (the following days we enjoyed fluffy thin pancakes that you just can’t find in Central America) with crispy bacon, while all the time sipping on fine Nicaraguan fresh coffee. And all this whilst rocking in our chairs and listening to the birds chirp all around us. Oh, and did we mention that this feast is at no extra charge? Can there be anything better?

So why is it haunted? Well, according to the locals here, when they were constructing this villa, there were workers sleeping in the bedroom, only to find themselves on the balcony in the morning, with no recollection of how they got here. Instantly, the superstitions of the local people gained momentum and before long, there were rumors of “Fantasmas” or ghosts in the house. After staying in the villa a few days, the only ghosts we encountered were our own internal demons begging us to stay forever, and upon further study of the word “Encantado” we realized that this particular villa was more “enchanted” than “haunted” immediately putting us at one with the divine spirits that brought us here. And by the way, if you mentioned that you’re gay/lesbian, Pelican Eyes will give you a ten percent “purple triangle” discount; how’s that whip cream on the Homosexual cake?

Not only is the service fine-tuned here, but also the food is fabulous. The dining room is set under a giant wood and thatched open-air roof that is an architectural wonder. With ropes and giant tree trunks the setting is accentuated by the view to the San Juan Del Sur town and bay below in the background, and that beautiful inviting pool in the foreground. At the capable hands of Chef Lbee (see sidebar), we dined—no, we stuffed ourselves—on the best meal we’ve had in Central America. We were lucky enough to meet the humble woman behind the gastronomic delights and she apologized for her “simple country cooking”; to the contrary, each and every item placed before us was delectable and delightful.
The servers hovered over us so that our every need was looked after, and we shared in some fabulous wines from South America, our favorite being the Shiraz from Chile.


Michael started with Lbee’s Napoleon fresh ceviche, served with fried plantain chips, chiffonade of cilantro and pink peppercorn oil, which quite possibly could have been the freshest ceviche we have ever been served. Before we could put the fork down, it was followed by lobster bisque loaded with fresh lobster just pulled from the ocean and served with pastry straws, delivered at the perfect temperature and loaded with lobster.

Michael is not necessarily a red snapper fan but with Lbee’s snapper, he decided to rethink his slight aversion to the dish. The fish was served with a curried spaetzle, miso vinaigrette, laced with a hint of garlic and a side dish of broccoli. It was a treat and was followed by grilled ahi tuna filet, with beet risotto, and citrus foam accompanied by fried julienne of carrot. We were shocked and overwhelmed at experiencing this level of gourmet dining in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the western hemisphere.

If we had to search for fault somewhere, the meat course was our least favorite; but that’s like saying we don’t like one of our children because it was still worthy of a fine dining experience. The stuffed beef tenderloin served with caramelized onions, gorgonzola and spinach, as well as rosemary-gruyere potato au gratin (our favorite part, we are suckers for gourmet potatoes and dijon demi glace).

Although this would certainly have been enough to satisfy, we felt that we wanted to try everything, so we next indulged in the rack of lamb with balsamic marinated coriander and crusted baby red potatoes with oven roasted tomatoes served with Mint-Jalapeno Marmalade. Scott, the lamb lover of the duo, said this dish compared to the finest restaurants we have dined at around the globe. It was delivered at the requested medium rare (exactly) which so many restaurants have been unable to master.

As if we had room for desserts, Lbee would not hear of us skipping them and what a fitting end to an amazing feast. We were completely happy with the trio of desserts, which included flourless chocolate cake, lemon panna cotta with blueberry sauce as well as white chocolate bread pudding with whiskey sauce. All were memorable but the Panna Cotta was legendary. It is worth traveling to Pelican Eyes just to eat at this gorgeous little restaurant in this gorgeous little hotel hideaway in the middle of nowhere.

As if all the food and drink wasn’t enough to sink us into the comfortable bed of our villa, we had to top things off with an assortment of desserts, all still at the hands of Chef Lbee. The warm bread pudding was delicious, but the real taste-treat (and this coming from Scott, the confirmed chocoholic) was the flourless chocolate cake that virtually melted in our respective mouths. The chocolate was fine quality and the preparation ranking world class. Shame on you Chef Lbee, for being so self-effacing, when her creations are way beyond country cooking. But then again, this humble attitude seems to be pervasive of the gracious people of this beautiful country, and the reason we are loving it here.

The other eatery of note in San Juan Del Sur is El Pozo (The Well) headed by Californian chef Christian Dreyfus. This chic spot in the middle of a funky downtown will surely become our hang out as we spend more time in San Juan Del Sur. El Pozo is loaded with a mix of Ex-pats, tourists and successful locals. The service is comprised of well-trained beautiful Latinas and while the food simply did not compare to Pelican Eyes in either sophistication or presentation, we are told that when Christian is cooking, it is the town’s close second. That being said, the Chilotomas Rellenas con queso and salsa roja, approximately $4 (Chile Rellino with cheese and red salsa) was flavorful and delicious, as were the Pipian Cakes (shrimp cakes prepared similarly to crab cakes). We also recommend their Big Indiana Burger, a real bargain at $7.50; it’s a mystery as to why they call it “Indiana” when they use high-end Nicaraguan beef, which is actually exported to places like Argentina. It was served just as requested, medium rare with perfect hand cut French fries. For dessert, Christian’s Chocolate Sabayon with bitter orange curd (approx. $4) was a superb chocolate mousse, but since The Duo prefers their chocolate uncluttered with fruits and nuts, we ordered it sin naranja.

The truth is that we enjoyed cracking open local cervezas while chatting up new friends over good food at this very friendly nightspot. We’ll be back pronto.

Stay Tuned for Nicaragua y Costa Rica, part Tres