Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
still sells some of the best
pan de mallorca
(sweet bread) in town. Come here for breakfast,
lunch or an early-evening snack attack and soak up the unique Latin ambience over a copy
of the
Puerto Rico Daily Sun
.
Parrot Club
CARIBBEAN $$
(363Fortaleza;dishes$17-28; lunch&dinner)
The menu's in Spanglish, the decor's
a lurid mix of orange, blue and yellow, and the waitress could quite conceivably be sport-
ing a pink wig. Welcome to the Parrot Club, where Puerto Rican politicians wind down
and enamored gringos live it up. Until the Parrot's opening in 1996, the concept of 'SoFo'
didn't even exist. But, with its caustic blend of live jazz and tasty 'nuevo Latino
'
cuisine,
this restaurant quickly set new standards and spawned the ultimate in neighborhood chic -
an acronym. Now well into its second decade, the menu continues to win kudos with its
eclectic crab cakes
caribeños,
pan-seared shrimp and plantain-crusted dorado.
Café Mallorca
PUERTO RICAN $
( 300 San Francisco; dishes $6-19; 7am-6:30pm)
If you spent the previous night in
Marmalade or some other haute couture restaurant/club/fashion parade, then bring your-
self back down to earth with a life-saving coffee and breakfast in this cozy nook on San
Francisco. Cheap and simple, the Mallorca is where all-night ravers share pick-me-ups and
American journalists sift through their travel notes. Zero pretension, but plenty of warm
familiarity.
La Mallorquina
PUERTO RICAN $$
( 787-722-3261; 207 San Justo; dishes $15-30; noon-10:30pm Mon-Sat)
A must
for historically minded food buffs, or food-minded history buffs, La Mallorquina is the
grande dame of Old San Juan eateries: it's been around for 150 years, quite a feat in the
musical chairs of Fortaleza and its surrounds. It's worth a gander, if only to have a drink
at the immense slab of mahogany that is the bar. Should the smells from the kitchen tempt
you to stay, try the house specialty,
asopao
(a rice broth stewed with all type of herbs, sea-
food or meat).
Manolín
LUNCH DINER $
( 253 San Justo; dishes $3-10; 6am-4:30pm Mon-Sat)
Elbow in with the local office
workers at this snaking counter grill, and fill up on excellent
mofongo
and
churrasco a la
parrilla
(skirt steak). Killer air-conditioning hits the spot.
