Fresh Start - Boquete Restaurants

Dining in Boquete

House-made chocolate and cappuccino at The Perfect Pair

In September of '22 we moved to Boquete, Panama from Panama City. It's been an adjustment from the hustle & bustle of Panama City to be sure.

The heat in the city was just too much to handle, even when balanced against the great variety of restaurants there.

Now that I'm fully embedded here and have a handle on the dining scene I figured it's time to get back to posting about the restaurant scene in Boquete and the surrounding areas of the Chiriqui province.

I'll be posting about coffee shops, restaurants, and whatever else strikes me.

Some general observations so far: The dining scene here is vibrant. There are great ingredients available all within two hour's drive of Boquete. Chiriqui is the country's bread basket and the availability of fresh vegetables, fish and meats is second to nowhere in the US. The care taken in the handling, preparation, and service varies wildly though.

Along with the variations and food care and quality, there is a huge range in the ideas of hospitality and guest interaction. Harder to quantify, but certainly an aspect of the scene that can make or break my desire to return to a restaurant. Part of this variation is due to the labor pool and laws in the country. Apparently you can't fire an employee regardless of how egregious their behavior is. The details of this are out of my area currently but I'm sure I'll learn more about that over time.

Stay tuned for posts about my adventures and thanks for reading.

Market - The Best Kept Secret in Panama City

Market and Allen Brothers 

ALLE 48 # 27

URBANIZACIÓN MARBELLA, BELLA VISTA

PANAMÁ, PANAMÁ

  +507 6678-4052

  INFO@LAFAPA.COm

Once in a great while you run across a restaurant that speaks to you like an old friend. Like you've always been together and an you always will. Time may pass, but you can pick up right where you left off. Market in Panama City is a restaurant that makes you feel that way about it.

I'm embarrassed to say I've lived within walking distance of this restaurant for almost exactly a year but never even knew it was there. It never showed up on my radar and no one one the expat groups talks about it. Crazy. It is actually probably a good thing as I wouldn't have found so many other good restaurants in the city if I'd hit this one sooner. 

The only reason I found myself dining there two days in a row is that my friend Mark who I walk with every day mentioned it and got me to go with him for lunch as a goodbye celebration. I'm leaving Panama City in a couple of days and will certainly miss his company as well as this restaurant.

It's a block off Avenida Balboa. You'll see this sign about a block past Gaucho Steak House. 

This is the actual entrance to the restaurant. You walk through this market door. There is a lot of retail including sauces, truffled products, chocolates, wines, that type of thing. I'm hoping to chat with the owner a bit to hear the story of this concept and the connection to Chicago.

The retail section.

They have a full raw bar with clams and oysters from North America. I've missed cold Atlantic oysters dearly.

They're pricey, but they're a slice of home.

The space itself is reminiscent of a lot of North American restaurants. Subway tiles, big industrial ceilings a central bar, and very, very loud (acoustic absorption is zero). 

The wine list is big and the walls are adorned with numerous choices including out-sized bottles

The big draw for me was the steak. Finding steaks I've liked here has been difficult. They're either extremely expensive or not very good, and unfortunately sometimes they're both extremely expensive AND not very good. This place has extremely good steaks on both ends of the price spectrum. The day I was there for lunch I had twin tournedos of domestic beef and they were outstanding at $16. I was really shocked at how good they were. They're served with a head of roasted garlic and a popover as well as a roasted tomato. Great value.  

Then you can step up from there. I'm sure the dry-aged beef can get well over $100 for a big tomahawk or a ribeye. I went with an American Wagyu mid-rare. Great piece of meat and perfectly prepared.

For dessert we split a Coconut Pavlova. The center was filled with a passion fruit creme. Nice way to wrap it up.

If you go, note that there is parking on site but it fills up fast. There is also a paid parking lot across the street. 

                                                

Be sure to get some beef. Tell 'em the gringo from MD sent you. 

Cheers.

Onde El Gringo - Texas BBQ In Panama City

 Onde El Gringo

Plaza 69, San Francisco Panama https://www.ondeelgringobbq.com

Hi all. I know you've missed me. Well, frankly, I've missed you too! Panama is a wonderful country and I've been enjoying myself tremendously. What I haven't been doing is writing or taking an obnoxious amount of pictures of what I'm eating. Well, it's time to stop that nonsense and start all that up again.

First stop: Onde el Gringo. It's a Texas-style bbq joint that sits right next to a couple of other good restaurants including TaiSei Ramen and La Rana Dorado. Both of those deserve separate posts and will get them.

The owner of Onde el Gringo trained in the US in Texas and his brisket is second to none. Mine included. It's not cheap at $15 per 1/2lb, but it's worth it.

When going by Uber you'll note, much to your driver's dismay, that the location reads dead center in the block so they will generally take you to the middle of the next street over and look around. You need to continue to the next street and take two rights to get you to Plaza 69. It's towards the back. There is ample indoor and outdoor seating.

You can request fatty or lean. Everything is sold by the pound. They offer brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs (sometimes) and pulled pork. Sides are minimal and also sold by the pound. Cole slaw, Mac'n'cheese (seemed pretty much like Velveeta, not that that's a bad thing) and a few others.

Menu pricing is below.

Below is what we got for Father's Day. 

I managed to score some burnt ends once and they always throw in some pickled onions and pickles with a couple of buns. 

Expats, rejoice. There are other BBQ joints in the city, but so far this one has my heart.

As always, questions/comments are welcome.

Cheers.

Marzola Parrilla Casco Viejo

 Parzola Marrilla Argentina in Casco Viejo

Calle 8 Oeste 

Don't be fooled by the word entrails. They're not serving entrails, they're serving entrana, which we call skirt steak in the US. That being said, let's talk about the restaurant.

It is quirky and colorful. When you walk by they have a grill right by the front door that generally has a huge chunk of pork on it, sizzling, to attract people walking down the sidewalk. It's just off Herrera Square and it's a very lively area.

When you walk in you'll note that there is no wifi. They suggest that you talk to the people you came with via signage to that effect. There are tables, chairs, and mannequins on the ceiling and all other manner of weird things.

As far as the food goes, it's the best steak I've had since I got here. I miss Liberty Delight Farms in Maryland where I used to get my ribeye and other steaks. This place has imported USDA Prime and I believe some Argentinian meats. There are nine entrees and two sides to choose from. They have fries and grilled tomatoes. Both are excellent.

This is the Entrana Importada. I've had it a couple of times and have never been disappointed. The seasoning is awesome and the it's grilled to perfection. 

It's a feast for the stomach and the eyes in here. Pretty crazy.

The New York Strip. It's pretty good, but I prefer the skirt.

If you go, do not skip dessert. They have ice cream, but this is the bomb. It's a crepe filled with dulce de leche and striped with some chocolate and Kahlua if I'm not mistaken. 

Definitely worth the calories.

It's expensive, but you are eating the best steaks in town in the trendiest part of town, so you know what you're in for. Enjoy. 

Miranda Bakery and Café

 Miranda Bakery & Cafe

Calle 75

Panama City, Panama https://www.mirandabakery.com

What haven't I had in Panama City up until now? A good chocolate chip cookie. I'm also a fiend for Tres Leches, so as luck would have it Cheryl was googling tres leches and came up with this place. It's in San Francisco. A trendy, happening, bustling neighborhood a $4 Uber ride from our apartment.

There are a ton of restaurants and bars. This particular place has a small indoor dining area and a lot of space outside. There appeared to be a roof or covering of some sort in the back.

It was served warm with gooey chocolate chips. It tasted like the original toll-house recipe with a little more fluffiness. 

This cafe also has brunch and lunch with paninis and other things. I'm looking forward to getting back there to try some lunch.

The cappuccino art was on point. The blend they used was high quality.
I'd definitely stop in if you're in the 'hood.

Normandie Farms - It Only Took Me 13 Years to Get Here

Normandie Farms

10710 Falls Rd, Potomac, MD 20854

www.popovers.com

Funny thing, Normandie Farm is the closest restaurant to my house, 1.4 miles to be exact, and in my thirteen years here I’d never eaten there. 

Normandie Farm is on a bend in Falls right past Falls Rd. Golf course and across the street from the prestigious Bullis Private School. It is Potomac at it’s stereotype-confirming best. Tuition there is more than out-of-state tuition at UMD (including room & board).

The restaurant is old-school with plenty of outdoor space for banquets and lots of currently under-used indoor space due to the pandemic.

As our son is leaving for UMD next we thought we’d go as a family and try it out. Below are some of the dishes we tried and my thoughts on them.

We started out with the Clams Casino. Lots of garlic butter and herbed bread-crumbs. 

The Calamari was perfectly done and served with a Sauce Louie.

My son had the Crab Imperial after being warned that the crabcake wasn't worth it for an afficionado. The Imperial was definitely a hit. Huge lumps of crab in a creamy Imperial sauce. They also served it with a side of Bearnaise that was ok, but not great.

Cheryl had the special which was a Chilean Sea Bass with capers and brown butter sauce. She really enjoyed it.

My entree was the Veal Oscar. Same Crab Imperial as on my son's entree. Very tasty. The asparagus was done nicely, as was the veal. The Broccolini was too hard to eat, but the garlicky riced potatoes made up for that.

For dessert Alex had the cheesecake. Too stiff for me, but the flavor was good.

Cheryl had the creme brulee'. The custard was spot-on, however, they really phoned-in the caramelized sugar on this one. It seemed like they'd caramelized a bunch of sugar ahead of time and then cracked it up and sprinkled it on.

Not pictured is my chocolate truffle cake. I couldn't get a shot becausae we were eating outside and it was getting dark. It was sublime. Definitely one of the better ones I've had.So, is the juice worth the squeeze at Normandie Farm? If you want ot get a flavor of old-Potomac, absolutely. Great setting, nice band, passable food, but very expensive.Best of luck and stay healthy folks.

Commonwealth Indian - North Bethesda Gets a Winner

Commonwealth Indian

11610 Old Georgetown Rd, Rockville, MD 20852

www.commonwealthindian.com

240-833-3055

Sunil Bastola already owns and operates Bollywood Bistro (X2) in Northern Virginia. Apparently he's taken what he learned in NoVa, added some area-specific tastes after spending some time in Rockville-AKA North Bethesda, and provided and exceptional dining experience named Commonwealth Indian.

 The restaurant, situated right next to the soon-to-open Fogo de Chao, is gorgeous. Sunil spent a lot of time on this build-out, considering colors, textures, and art work. It doesn't disappoint for looks or comfort.

 I really appreciated the fact that they offered some non-alcoholic cocktails. They were excellent NA versions of some of the drinks they had on their cocktail menu, though they weren't listed on the menu as being available sans booze. If you're into this kind of thing be sure to ask.

 We started out with Garlic Naan. Two pieces of tender cloud topped with garlic, olive oil and cilantro. Just enough of everything in the right proportions, prepared with years of practice. Do not skip this.

 Next on our order was the Kavak aur Swarn Aloo. Little puffs of golden potato with truffles and gold leaf. Its served with crackers and some excellent chutney. 

Next up was the yellow crab curry. Just enough heat to liven the dish up. The crab was hidden in the pic, but there was plenty of it. All of the entrees we had were served with perfectly cooked jasmine rice and their house chutney with crackers. 

 Next we tried the Butter Chicken You sometimes get the feeling that butter chicken is an afterthought dish that Indian restaurants put on the menu because it's supposed to be there. That is not the case with Commonwealth's. The chicken was not trimmings that had been simmering for hours, or leftovers. It was fresh, trimmed, boneless, and perfectly cooked. A very pleasant dish that was thoughtfully prepared.

 As I do, when I can, I popped into the kitchen to see what it looked like. Very high-tech, contemporary, and clean. That's what I like to see.

 The expo side of the line was also well stocked and clean. You can see the Micros Kitchen Display unit hanging from the center beam.

Overall, an excellent dining experience. It brings some much needed upscale (not just up-priced as we've seen from other restaurants in Pike on Rose) product and service to an area that really wasn't turning out to be a promising dining destination. 

General Manager DJ Joshi was very hospitable during our visit and it's clear that under his and Sunil's guidance this will be a very popular place on the Pike. Worth a visit. Take your time, enjoy the atmosphere and the food. It's like a little breather in the middle of the craziness of Rockville.

If you go, tell them where you heard about it!

New Kam Fong - Maybe It's Me

New Kam Fong

2400 University Blvd. West

Wheaton, MD 20902

301-933-6388

https://www.newkamfongsilverspring.com

I'd read about NKF from a social media post about where to eat now in Silver Spring. I saw their pictures of lovely looking crispy pork belly, duck, and other unctuous goodies. I had to go.

It's in a very mixed portion of Wheaton, plenty of ethnic restaurants, kind of across the street from Max's Kosher.

I came, I ordered, I ate. Kind of.

 When you see a display like this you start feeling the anticipation of a fantastic meal. Always so cool when you find a reasonably priced ethnic restaurant.

 My dining companion ordered a spicy Szechuan chicken dish and requested it with extra, extra heat. I tasted his first. No heat. It was a harbinger of things to come.

 OMG! Look at this plate! So much promise!

I ordered the triple meat combo with roasted pork, crispy pork and duck.

Maybe it's me, maybe not, but nothing was actually hot. The pork and chicken were both just above room temperature. The fat as not rendered nearly enough in either, and they don't give you a knife, and when I asked for an extra napkin I was handed a diaphanous 8" paper square. Not nearly enough to handle all the digging I had to do to get to edible chunks of meat.

The flavor was good in the parts that were edible, but seriously, I have no idea how the health department hasn't spoken with them about their food temperatures.

Needless to say, it was disappointing. I really wanted to like it, and I thought I would, but when it came down to it, there wasn't enough on the plus side of the score card.

Thanks for reading!

Is Your Restaurant Prepared: Active Shooter/Active Threat

This is not the kind of thing I usually write about, but sometimes something I'm privy to in the course of my business compels me to share things besides awesome pictures of food.
Today the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington held a seminar on preparation for Active Shooter/Active Threat scenarios.
It was hosted at Del Frisco's Double Eagle and was proctored by Bill Wright, leader of the Special Operations Division Emergency Response Team and Ready DC.
There was lively, interactive discussions about what has been learned in recent history about active shooter scenarios and what you can do to prepare your place of business for these events. Apart from that, there was discussion about safety in general and how to be safe while not wearing a tin-foil hat and crying yourself to sleep in your safe-room.
The key take-aways were as follows:

• Be aware of your surroundings
• If something looks or feels out of the ordinary, say something - 911 would rather you be wrong, but they want to know as quickly as possible just in case you're right
• Keep your doors locked, especially the back doors and loading docks (yeah, it's a pain, but it may save you and your staff/guests
• Have a plan - know where your exits are
• Have a bug-out kit

Lastly, if something does happen, you've got three options:

1. Run
2. Hide
3. Fight

If you have to fight, remember what you're fighting for: To get home to your loved ones. 

Fisk & Co. - What Austin Fausett has been up to in Chicago

Fisk & Co.

225 N. Wabash, Chicago IL 60602

312-236-9300

www.fiskandcochicago.com

DC misses Austin Fausett. At least I did. I've known him since he was at Citronelle and ran into him again while working for Trummer's on Main. He's a good chef. He drives towards perfection in the little things and it shows.

I was lucky enough to be able to spend a little time with him and try out his new place while is I was in Chicago for the National Restaurant Association show in May.

 In addition to spending time with Austin, I got to hang around with these two - Tom and Victor. I've known them for 15-20 years and finally got a chance to break bread with them again...and make them wait for this awesome food while I took pictures. They were good sports about it.

 Austin looking happy and in charge.

 We started out with the tower. It seemed like the right thing to do.

 A variety of oysters, clams, shrimp, and king crab.

 The arrangement got envious looks from around the dining room as it was delivered to our table.

 Love the crab.

 Remember when I was mentioning attention to detail? There is a difference between someone going high-speed/low drag and someone who takes the time to make sure there isn't a speck of shell in the liquor to take your attention away from the briny perfection. This is that kind of place.

 Gorgeous - and I don't usually like clams on the 1/2 shell.

 Seafood mortadella with smoke whitefish rillettes

 The whole seafood charcuterie board was excellent - the monkfish liver mousse was awesome.

 I can never pass up deviled eggs with roe.

 Nashville-style hot soft-shell crab. This heat was slow-build with a fiery finish. Excellent.

 Grandma's pierogis were a hit.

 The salted-caramel/espresso ice cream had a very powerful coffee flavor but none of the color you'd expect. Science I guess....

 Hazelnut Kit-Kat in a vanilla crème with crispy chocolatey bits...Seems familiar. 8)

Last but certainly not least, the rum cake. 2nd best I've every had..next to Martha's from the Whitehouse Press Pool parties, but that's a story for another day.

Overall, wonderful meal in a very nice spot. I'm sure they'll be successful and Kimpton Hotel Group is lucky to have a chef like Austin running a restaurant in their hotel.

Best of luck and see you next year Chef.