Puerto Viejo d’ Talamanca, tucked away on the southern Caribbean coast, is home to many fine eating and drinking establishments. Because this little Caribbean village caters to tourists from all over the world, you can enjoy an eclectic mix of cuisine in a fun, laid-back environment. There are a dozen or so more restaurants along “main street” that offer a variety of dishes ranging from seafood prepared with exotic Caribbean jerk to hearty Argentine steak dinners. Since these places are frequented by North Americans and European tourists, their prices tend to be somewhat higher than the smaller sodas, pulperias and panaderias in the outlying areas of town. Some of my favorite places include Soda Luise along the beachfront which offers a delicious ceviche for about 1,200 C and Pan Pay, a panaderia that sells outstanding pasties for a few hundred C.

One of Puerto Viejo’s best kept secrets is an Italian restaurant situated about 300 meters into the jungle behind Kayas Place. I am not positive of its “real name” because the locals refer to it as simply “Jenny’s Place.” It is inside a large home and is owned by a charming young Italian ex-pat from Trieste named Jenny who is the chief cook and bottle washer. In between looking after her little 1½-year-old nena, Jenny whips up some of the finest Italian cuisine I have ever tasted.

One balmy night last September, I was enjoying a few cocktails on the front deck of Kayas Place with JT (the owner), my favorita and two young gringas. Hunger was getting the best of us, so JT suggested that we give Jenny’s Place a shot. He pointed us down the side road and off we went. When we reached the house, Jenny greeted us and seated us at a table on the deck. Jenny returned with a stone carafe of red wine and explained what the house had to offer. The three women had no problem deciding on what to offer, but I wanted something not on the menu (no…not Jenny!). I told Jenny that I had a thing for Spaghetti Carbonara. She told me, “No problemo, mi amore…I will see what I can do.” Several minutes later, Jenny returned with several plates of delightful appetizers consisting of various bruchettas, roasted peppers, mushrooms, soups and salads. As we waited for dinner, Jenny continued to ply us with more wine.

only two sides to this one - the actual facts, and his side