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For vegetarians in Latin America, dining out often means a meager subsistence on rice and beans. Most get by in Costa Rica by substituting an egg for the meat in a casado – a typical dish of rice, beans, salad, ripe plantain and a portion of meat, chicken or fish – though it may take some convincing of suspicious waitresses.
Barry Moss was among those food connoisseurs who found dining out here a challenge, so he added a sidewalk patio lunch area to his popular downtown San José bar and drafted a six-page menu crammed with organically grown and vegetarian-friendly items.
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Latino Rock Café in San José's Barrio La California offers organic and vegetarian cuisine in a sidewalk patio setting. |
Whitney Martin | Tico Times
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“There was a need,” said Moss, a native New Yorker who follows a macrobiotic diet. “We have a shortage of places to eat here that have organic or vegetarian food.”
For people-watchers and patio-lovers, the wood-floored terrace of Latino Rock Café offers a spacious, clean dining environment made possible even in the rainy season by a heavy plastic lining, though the see-through protectors risk creating something of a greenhouse effect. Complemented by cushy chairs and touched with modern lighting, the space invites guests to linger awhile.
But the ambience is not the main draw to this restaurant in eastern San José's Barrio La California – rather, it's the food. For where else will you find a black-bean burger or a plato del día sin carne (meatless daily special)?
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Mouthwatering meatless lasagna. |
Whitney Martin | Tico Times
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In full disclosure, neither my husband nor I is a vegetarian, so when we sat down to eat on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, we were a little reluctant to turn the page from the handful of meat dishes.
Yet the full page of vegetable-topped pizzas ranging in price from ¢1,500 ($2.60) for a slice to ¢ 6,900 ($12) for a large pie, the long list of salads and wide gamut of health-infused, gourmet meals – including hormone- and antibiotic-free poultry – had us scratching our heads in indecision.
Taking advantage of this opportunity to go vegetarian-only, we proceeded to order dishes that bordered on risky and uncomfortable.
To start, the waitress brought us complimentary thick, grainy bread with a parsley-speckled, cream-based dipping sauce – a welcome starter to take the edge off our hunger before the real meal.
We ordered the meatless lasagna as an appetizer ( ¢ 3,250/$5.70), only to learn it could have been a meal in itself. Layered with mushrooms and a salty tomato sauce and lightly dressed with cheese, the stack was almost enough to fill our growling stomachs.
We knew we were in trouble when the meals were placed before us. Presented on square dishes and styled with care, the large portions indicated in advance that we would be going home with doggie bags.
My Buddha Supreme (¢ 2,750/$4.80), a tangle of vegetables on a bed of organic whole-grain rice, and my husband's bean burger ( ¢ 2,750), a lightly grilled patty held together by a web of cheese, made us question our carnivorous past. We could do this, we thought to ourselves, as we loaded our mouths with a tasty mix of beans, tofu, mushrooms and brussels sprouts, dressed lightly in sauce.
Each plate came with a corner salad, seasoned and topped with beet shavings. The bean burger, which came on a wholesome bun dotted with various spices, was accompanied by a side of fries.
We complemented the meal with a handful of blended drinks, including an all-natural, sugarless fruit shake in milk ( ¢ 1,250/$2.20) and a beet-infused, mixed organic vegetable juice ( ¢ 1,750/$3) that gave the sensation of sipping a garden.
Leaving the restaurant with pleasantly full stomachs, we felt inspiration in the flavorful, filling meals, created out of a handful of steamed vegetables, beans, bread and rice.
This patio restaurant is a true celebration of organic cuisine and vegetarianism.
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