Taste bud salsa

Dining in Puerto Rico would have been perfect for critique meetings….if we were all rich ;p  The wind calmed down so we enjoyed temperate evenings with lots of comfy outdoor seating.  We had to plan in advance…if we got to the restaurant hungry, we were starving by the time food came.  Everything was soooo slow but I guess dining is an Event.  No one ever rushed us out like the staff at Barnes and Noble do when I'm at a meeting (okay, okay I *guess* the employees shouldn't have to wait until we finish at midnight).  Everything was pricey though and came in huge portions.  A microwave in the hotel room would have saved us a lot.

Eating out at fancy places makes me appreciate Macaroni Grill.  They're happy to not only split meals but they go out of their way on the presentation for both so Chris and I get portions we can actually fit in our little tummys.  Their dishes also hit enough of the food groups that I feel not just full but satisfied, like my nutrient requirements have been met ;)  Some of these places were fantastic taste-wise but all we got was meat, meat, and more meat.  I need some bread, fruit, and veggies!

Below are my experiences and recommendations for anyone interested in San Juan's dining.

Cielito Lindo - Mexican

YUM!!!  Cute inside with quotes on the walls, great chips like in Mexico, awesome corn tortillas.  Wish we could eat outside, but otherwise this was my favorite meal in Puerto Rico next to Anwel's grandmother's food (:  I also vaguely remember a song about 'Cielito Lindo, happy together~!'  I always thought it was about a pretty little girl.  

Marriott Buffet Breakfast

…was a buffet.   For being at  a resort I expected it to be a little something more than just ridiculously expensive. $20…plus tip, seriously??  It was 'included' in our stay but we had to sign receipts so I guess that's what we'd pay if we didn't get a incentive package.  And how do you tip for a buffet?  I hike up and down three flights of stairs in six buildings at work, often carrying luggage for people, and I don't get tips!  

I'd eat a banana, a french toast stick, toast, one piece of sausage, that's it.  Hardly $20+ worth of food and sometimes the cut fruit had that chemical preservative taste.

If you get it for free, great, but otherwise I'd just keep some fruit and cheese in the room's fridge.

??? Carribean sidewalk cafe on the side of the square by the water, Old San Juan

This is where we learned that dining is all about the experience…not speed.  It set the meandering pace for the rest of our meals.  Perfect for critique meetings but we'd get tired and just want to eat and go to bed!  The food was good but a little on the weird side for me and very rich.  I got the 'lollipops.'

Yerba Bueno - Carribean

More upscale than I thought at first glance.  Their house salad was the epitome of salad…like, I've had salads that try to be that good but have too much cheese or dressing or the mandarin oranges aren't ripe, this is what those strive to be.  We went back for  our last night, it was that good.  I had empanaditas with cheese/meat/seafood.  The sauce with the seafood took some time to grow on me but I liked it.  The best part was that the (very comfy) seats + table swung back and forth on a slider!  Way cool :)

Cherry Blossom - Japanese

I love hibachi!  I wouldn't go if I was living in DC near Bansai or Sakura, but I'm in Savannah where the Asian food isn't ever quite right for me.  I've never had tori soup before so I tried that instead of miso.  It was good but salty.  I appreciated that the staff knew it's traditional to drink from the soup bowl, I've never heard that anywhere else.  The salad had some weird red mayo type sauce instead of the usual ginger dressing.  I just poured my <3 ginger sauce <3 on the salad and it all worked out.  Our chef did some impressive flipping of our rice bowls but no appetizer toss/catch.  The important part:  the shrimp/streak/veggies melted in my mouth (:

Cafe Berlin - Mix?

Tour guidebooks highly recommended this one.  Nice view of the city square but I thought the unnamed sidewalk cafe had a nicer view–bit of the ocean.  Hilarious LCD fireplace.  AMAZING strawberry smoothie…er…frappe?  My veggies could have been less cooked but I like them raw heh.  Everything was excellent, especially the sesame tofu which was a perfect portion size for me.

Ummo - Argentinian  (yes, Ummo is really the name)

MEAT PERFUME!  I could smell this place across the street.  A benefit of outdoor dining (:  The au gratin potatoes were like butter+butter+BUTTER+cheese…but soo good, great for dipping bread.  My mom and I shared one of the sample platters which came out on a grill.  She didn't want us eating the sweet breads because of all meat types, the brain and junk in sweet breads are most likely to carry mad cow disease.  The lemon chicken was the best, delicious variety of herbs on it.  The ribs served as lollipops because they were too fatty for me to get through but the flavor was like a dessert.  We managed to stuff down a chocolate souffle/volcano too but I'd definitely ask for a second scoop of ice cream with it.  I dunno what season is best for strawberries but ours was more tangy than sweet.