Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with sweet plantains, an upscale version of local root vegetable stew and lobster with curry
- punch up the menu's more traditional continental plates, such as crusted mahimahi. The
service is excellent and there's often live music on weekends. The food and the scene can
be a tad inconsistent (our second visit, replete with Velveeta croquettes and bickering law-
yers, was a disappointment) but the views of the city never miss. No doubt: Ponce's best.
King's Cream
ICE-CREAM PARLOR $
(9223 Marina; cones $1-3; 8am-12am)
On warm evenings, lines stretch down the
sidewalk at this institution, located across from Parque de Bombas. Smooth blended trop-
ical licks have big chunks of pineapple, coconut, almond and passion fruit, and come piled
high for just over $1. If the line is too long, find the other location a few blocks north of the
plaza on Vives, between Unión and Marina.
La Casa de Las Tias
CARIBBEAN, FUSION $$
(46 Reina Isabel; mains $15-30; lunch & dinner)
In a cozy historical home, 'the
aunts' kitchen is overseen by Wilda Rodriquez, one of Ponce's most creative, least preten-
tious chefs. The unhurried service and atmosphere may lack a little polish, but whimsical
specials (such as the fantastic midweek 'Deli & Burger Queens Night') balance traditional
and fusion Puerto Rican dishes, such as the seafood stew and rib eye glazed with a guava
reduction.
Café Café
CAFE $$
(
www.cafecafeponce.com
;
46 Reina Isabel; mains $15-30; Mon-Fri
8:30am-10:30pm,Sat11am-3pm)
For the best coffee in Ponce and an excellent breakfast,
start at this art-filled, bilingual cafe. The coffee beans couldn't be fresher - they're roasted
next door - and the egg scrambles excellent. For lunch, try the
mofongo
(mashed plantains)
'a caballo,'
stuffed with corned beef and topped with a fried egg. When the students are in
town, the cobblestoned patio is great for mingling.
Cesar's Comida Criolla
CARIBBEAN $
(near cnr Mayor & Cristina; dishes $2-14; lunch)
The ultimate hole-in-the-wall for
comida criolla
(traditional Puerto Rican cuisine), this humble joint might be rough around
the edges, but the savory piles of pork, chicken and seafood (most served with rice and
beans) are the city's best home cooking and best dressed in the homemade hot sauce. Daily
offerings are scrawled on the chalkboard.
