A fascinating kind of food awaits in Paulina Escanes – Gourmandize. Located within the Condado—an affluent region surrounded by lodges, lavish houses, and beautiful seashores—this eating place is progressively becoming a favorite amongst locals. THE WEEKLY JOURNAL could taste some of its splendid services firsthand and talk with the head chef and proprietor, Paulina Escapes. An energetic and adventurous spirit, Escanes defined that the whole concept of her eating place changed, stimulated by her travels and her unending ardor for conveying that equal cultural enrichment through pleasant and delicious meals. A native of Guadalajara, Escanes defined that she was uncovered to one of many substances, strategies, and cuisines in her native Mexico and her international adventures. However, her foray into professional cooking began through a dessert enterprise she owned, in which she would make sugary confections to sell to restaurants.
“I offered the dessert commercial enterprise, and I took a sabbatical for approximately three years, and then, after the sabbatical, I found out that I had to return to my career,” Escapes stated. Shortly after that, she opened a small restaurant in Santurce’s Loíza Street in an area she shared with a clothing and vintage store. After Hurricane Maria in 2017, she was pressured to shut the shop, but Escanes and her husband—a Puerto Rican—fast found a place on Ashford Avenue, a hotspot for bars, restaurants, and nightlife in the town’s surroundings.
“When we noticed the space and network in Condado, we fell in love and decided to take it. And, contrary to the alternative area, we’ve higher operational hours here,” the proprietor stated. Paulina Escanes – Gourmandize has a formidable timetable, serving food each day of the week. From Monday to Friday, the restaurant is open from eleven a.M. Until 10 p.M. With no breaks. On Saturdays, she chefs up brunch from 10 a.M. Until four p.M., and on Sundays, from nine a.M. Until 4 p.M. After brunch ends at the weekend, the restaurant serves its regular dining menu at 10 p.M. As for her culinary offer, she made a factor to emphasize that, although she is Mexican and her menu includes some Mexican objects, Paulina Escanes – Gourmandize is not via any means a traditional Mexican eating place, given that she gets stimulated using her journeys overseas.
She gracefully allowed THE WEEKLY JOURNAL to attempt her croquettes and the “Pescado Amalfi.”Presently, the menu’s croquettes are made with shredded brisket and creamy crimson coleslaw; however, for this event, she organized its upcoming substitute, made with rice, cheese, and greens and served with clean beets and garlic mayo on the side. The four croquettes, called “Croquetas Pupplí,” had been substantial; however, their size paled in assessment to their vast taste—creamy, savory, and oh, so mouthwatering.
As the croquettes vanished from the plate, Escanes defined that the transition from brisket to veggies was a part of her efforts to limit her restaurant’s ecological impact, I and overeater vegetarian options.
She pressured her and other regional restauranteurs to coordinate to reduce their waste by collecting scraps to create compost. Her commitment to the environment extends down to the biodegradable straws she offers at the restaurant, which are available upon request.
After the croquettes, Escanes served the “Pescado Amalfi,” inspired by Amalfi’s summer lemons. The dish became constructed from a sparkling seize of the day over toasted capers, a clarified buttery sauce, and wild rice made with almonds and leeks. Surpassing all expectancies, one chew is enough to enamor. The fish turned clean, buttery, and extraordinarily savory, even as the rice supplied an expansion of textures and undertones, largely in part via the toastiness of the almonds. Escapes explained that the day’s catch is added using nearby fishers, including that the whole lot on the menu is ready with neighborhood products or supplied using nearby suppliers.
The vast listing of local groups that she helps includes Fresh Fish PR, Aulet Dairy, Queso de K-bra, Frutos del Guacabo, El Horno de Pane, Alcor Foods Chorizo, Drouyn, Don Luis, Puente Selections, Feliche Artisan Yogurt, V. Suárez, and greater. At the birthday party of the restaurant’s first anniversary, developing in September, Escanes affirmed that she intends to exchange the menu, although she intends to hold the classics. Some of her maximum coveted classics, as she calls them, are the “Tacos Escapes” and the “Queso Artesanal al Horno”.
The former serves three tacos made with either everyday or blue corn tortillas. There are three options to choose from Tacos de Amigos, with grilled shrimp, beef, chorizo, and melted cheese; Tacos de Carnitas, with shredded beef and melted cheese; and Tacos de Mamá, a vegan choice as they’re made with organic purple lentils, potatoes, and bloodless-pressed olive oil. For indecisive site visitors, reserving one of each may be possible.
