Pura Vida!
That’s the motto of Costa Rica, Pure Life. It betokens a willingness to put aside problems and ambitions and enjoy life. It’s used with the flexibility of “Roll Tide” as a greeting or to express positive feelings or an acceptance and casual determination to relax and slough off any problems. It’s a handy phrase for those of us whose Spanish is menu-centric, not to say menu-exclusive. Stumped by the language barrier? Just smile, raise your glass and say, “Pura Vida!”
Pura Vida definitely applies to Rancho Manuel. We spent the first day of our Spring Break stay in Los Suenos at hotel restaurants — I’ll post later on the the resort and its restaurants — and by lunch on day 2, we were ready to explore some Costa Rican places. I asked Juan Carlos, the preternaturally helpful and friendly guy at the Marriott Vacation Club desk, about the best local food, and he promptly said, Rancho Manuel. To Rancho Manuel we all duly went.
We walked in and I fell in love.
An old school wood fired smoker, designed for direct heat cooking. Things stayed great as we moved toward a table at the back of the restaurant.
The entire area is roofed throughout but open to the air — and to a couple of chickens — and cooled by fans and by the ambient breeze. The atmosphere and the decor are very casual and very Costa Rica.
So is the menu, which is heavy on Costa Rican standards and specialties. One nice surprise: The girls ordered lemonade and it arrived as a frozen slush. And it was utterly delicious. They must use a different species of lemon.
For food, we started with some fried yucca.
It hasn’t been one of my favorites in the past, but this was very good. The girls certainly were all over it. We should have ordered two.
Time to order entrees. Ella ordered “Dedos de pollo, por favor” and the server intuited that Lily wanted the same thing. He must be psychic.
Lily took a bite and said, “Delicious!” The girls didn’t try the slaw topped with pico de Gallo, but I did, and it was a great combination. I need to make that.
The grownups all ordered casados, the Costa Rican combination platters that include a protein, rice, beans, grilled sweet plantains, and potato salad. I ordered the casado with carne enhumada (wood smoked pork).
Ah, the pork. It was tender and it had a fine pork and smoke flavor. I was happy. The rest of the plate was very good. I married the beans and rice together (cosada is married in Spanish), of course, and it had an earthy, savory flavor. The potato salad was over-dressed, as are so many potato salads, but the plantains were outstanding. They tasted local. The big surprise was the vegetables. Usually they’re perfunctory, but these had been cooked with some fat and it brought out the flavor to a marvel.
Nancy ordered the camerones a la plancha casado.
She was pleased by the shrimp and said they were fresh and nicely cooked. A solid win. Michael ordered a casado with carne mechado, which he reported was similar to ropa viejo, and which he enjoyed a lot. It certainly looked and smelled delicious. Like me, he loved the rice and beans and commented on the vegetables.
Liza chose the filet de dorado al ajillo.
Liza reported that the fish was excellent, and that they were serious about the al ajillo description. She also praised the sides and volunteered that the vegetables were cooked just right.
Rancho Manuel was a fun place with friendly-as-can-be service and a relaxed, open atmosphere — pure vida. We all enjoyed our food, and Juan Carlos was spot on with his recommendation. It’s the place to go for a taste of Costa Rica. You must try it if you’re staying at Los Suenos, and also if you’re not.
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