A fascinating kind of food awaits in Paulina Escanes – Gourmandize.
Located within the Condado—an affluent region surrounded with the aid of lodges, lavish houses, and beautiful seashores—this eating place is progressively turning into a favorite amongst locals.
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL had the possibility to taste firsthand some of its splendid services, as well as to 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 into stimulated via her many travels and her unending ardor for conveying that equal cultural enrichment through pleasant and scrumptious 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 became 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 3 years, and then, after the sabbatical, I found out that I had to return to my career,” Escapes stated.
Shortly thereafter, she opened a small restaurant in Santurce’s Loíza street at 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 a town surroundings.
“When we noticed the space and the network in Condado, we fell in love, and we 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 time table, 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 is a part of her efforts to limit her restaurant’s ecological impact, in addition to offering greater vegetarian options.
She pressured that she and other restauranteurs in the region coordinate to reduce their waste by using collecting scraps to create compost. Her commitment to the environment extends all the way down to the biodegradable straws she offers at the restaurant, which are available upon request.
After the croquettes, Escanes served the “Pescado Amalfi,” inspired via 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 into clean, buttery, and extraordinarily savory, even as the rice supplied an expansion of textures and undertones, in large part in part via the toastiness of the almonds.
Escapes explained that the catch of the day is added in using nearby fishers, including that the whole lot at 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 is a serving of 3 tacos made with either every day or blue corn tortillas. There are 3 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, there may be the option to reserve one of each.
