Costa Rica - Food

Good, As Usual

My Tico colleagues (Tico is the word for a Costa Rican person) are constantly surprised that I eat like a local.  I'm not sure why, the food here is tasty.  Rice, beans, veggies and a meat, usually pork.  What's not to like?  Even at work, the standard is high.  This is from our cafeteria - so nice to get a solid lunch with real plates and silverware.

Each colleague tries to outdo the next by taking me to what they consider to be the most authentic and good place.  Yesterday was Alejandro and Desiree's turn.  They got a good laugh when I ordered chicharron with rice and beans.  "Josh, you are such a Tico!"  I just shrugged, mouth full.  Deep fried fatty pork - sign me up every time.  Life is short and getting shorter

That's not to say I don't duck into a pretty cafe from time to time - I do.  My neighborhood, Barrio Escalante, is choked with them.

At a cafe called Kalu, my favorite breakfast is their "Paris-San Jose", which is a crepe filled with refried beans and cheese, topped with a runny egg, chile on the side.

I like this cafe on the east side of town as well.  They make really good coffee.

On Sunday in Barrio Escalante there was a huge food festival that got smashed by the rain.  A colleague's son owns a restaurant in the area.  He tells me that they usually do about a month and a half's worth of sales on this one day.  Not so this year.  I took a stroll while the rain was light but once it picked up, I begged to get under a tent.  The salespeople obliged, they looked bored.  I drank a beer....

...and eventually started eating.  I felt bad for them.  They stacked my beef taco extra high.