By Linda McCrerey

RESTAURANTS IN DOMINICAL OFFER INTERNATIONAL VARIETY

            Newcomers to Playa Dominical are often pleasantly surprised at the international variety of excellent restaurants in the area. In the last year, several new eateries have opened, from Playa Dominical down the highway to Uvita. The new venues add variety to the roster of older, more established dining places, with menus to suit all price ranges and tastes.

The restaurants in the village of Playa Dominical are only a few minutes’ walk from Kiana Resorts. Here are a few of our new and old favorites (prices are approximate):

            Heading north from Kiana Resorts to the pueblo or village of Playa Dominical, one comes upon Plaza Pacifica, housing a restaurant called Hammerheads, a popular hangout for area residents and tourists alike, as much for its consistently satisfying food as its down-home blues music. Besides hamburgers ($3.25 to $4.75), the menu includes sandwiches -- marinated chicken ($4.75), BLT ($4), and club ($5.75). Typical specials are meatloaf, carrot cake and other classic American comfort food, at moderate prices.

            At Pueblo Del Rio center, one finds Restaurant El Rincon Argentino, a steak House overlooking the Baru River. The lunch menu includes salads from $5 to $7, pizzas in the $9 range, and pastas with either spaghetti or fettuccini from $7. For dinner, try a beef, pork, and chicken main course starting at around $15, or the mixed grill for two persons ($32) to four persons ($60). There is a small selection of Chilean wines.

            Tu Lu Ristorante (which means “full moon” in Costa Rica’s indigenous Bribri language) is the Hotel Diu Wak’s latest creation, offering authentic Italian cuisine. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days per week. The appetizers menu includes under-$1.50 brucchettes, Caesar salad, carpaccio of fish, and zucchini soup, ranging from $2.50 to $7. The traditional Italian pizzas cost from $4.80 to $7. The classic pasta dishes are $3.60 to $6.80 and include hand-made ravioli. Seafood dishes are priced from $9.40 for marlin filet to $18.60 for jumbo shrimp. A truly impressive international wine list has 100 selections,

            Blending Italian with influences of Belgian, French and Dutch cuisine, ConFusione (pun intended) is a dinner restaurant at DomiLocos Hotel on the southern end of town. Boasting a top-rated chef from Holland named Fabrizio, ConFusione is often fully packed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights – reservations recommended. The appetizers include carpaccio of beef for $5, prawn and avocado cocktail ($6.20), mushrooms stuffed with gorgonzola ($5). Pastas and risottos are offered ($5.20). Main courses include four to five filet mignon items ($9), pork, and seafood dishes. For dessert, the banana flambé and tiramisu are standouts. The full bar includes frequent new additions to the wine list.

            Heading south toward Uvita on the coast highway, one finds the venerable Restaurant La Parcela -- still going strong after 34 years in business. Located on the incomparable Punta Dominical (Dominical Point), this restaurant reveals an unsurpassed 300-degree vista of the ocean, which makes it seem to float at high tide. La Parcela is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and specializes in seafood – some caught by head waiter Rodolfo, a longtime fisherman. Dinner entrees are priced up to $20 for the shrimp, with lobster at market price. The beef tenderloin costs $14.50 to $16, and the surf & turf is $31. Tuna filet ($15) can be ordered sashimi style or seared on the outside and rare on the inside. Salads and appetizers are $4 to $7, and rice dishes are $7. The menu includes local favorites, such as gallo pinto (rice and beans) and ceviche. The flambé dessert is a spectacular production that entertains the entire room.

            About 8 kilometers south from Kiana Resorts on the coast highway is the deluxe new Cuna del Angel hotel, with a “gourmet international” restaurant featuring European nouvelle cuisine. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Cuna del Angel has an ever-changing menu, with full selections of soups and salads ($6 to $9),  and main courses priced from $10 top $25. The desserts cost $6 to $10. The international wine list offers a revolving selection of wines.

            Next month:  An excursion south to the Ballena-Ojochal area reveals more restaurants.

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