Beating The Holiday Blues
By Huáscar Robles

The ghost of the recession has prevented some diners from enjoying a good night out, but Metro has found a way to beat the recession blues. This article serves as a map to some of the hottest, most relaxed and – above all cost effective– hangouts of the season.

For evenings of low-lit dining and mature conversation, Metro found the perfect locale. Sangría Global Cuisine is a family restaurant with a homey appearance that attracts locals of the Río Piedras area. It's hidden from sight on a side street opposite the rowdy Logan 's Pub. The restaurant features criollo cuisine with a Mediterranean twist, served up by Chef Pedro Torres, a young protégé of Chef Mario Pagán of Chayote and Lemon Grass. Stand-outs from the appetizer menu are the ropa vieja spring rolls, a moist and tangy blend that warms up the palate for dishes such as lamb chops with pumpkin seeds and plantain with frothy tamarind foam and rosemary.

Another highlight is the pork skirt steak and the foamy mushroom risotto. Of course, the restaurant shines with its glorious sangrías. Owner Marilyn Arroyo serves traditional sangría, her own recipe, and a flavored sangría of the day, usually made from mango, tamarind or passion fruit. Patrons can take exotic cuisine and libations home during the holidays. A special Christmas menu is available for takeout orders, ideal for office or home soirees.

Another family restaurant that breaks the mold is Caminito at Suchville Plaza , Guaynabo . This bucolic restaurant features an elegant cava, an open fire for parrilladas, and cobble wood floors imported straight from Argentina . Owner Jorge Rodríguez has been in business for 15 years with former Plaza Las Américas' restaurant Las Lilas and the ever-famous La Parrilla Argentina . Rodríguez prides himself on a cautious blend of traditional Argentinean dishes and some Italian classics. A signature dish is a skirt steak with skin for $23.00. Another plus for Caminito: It opens every day from 11 a.m. to11 p.m. Drinks average $8 and wines bottles cost between $40 and $60.

Wine enthusiasts can stride over to Cien Vinos, a few stores to the right of Caminito. The wine and tapas bar is owned by José Luis Quintana, vice president of Quintana y Hermanos distributors, which has brought specialty wines to Puerto Rico for over nine years. Cien Vinos has a quaint and lively vibe, and focuses on wines from Spain 's Nueva Ola movement. The movement, which has affected both the gastronomical and viniculture of the country, began with young wine cellar owners and enologists willing to plant in new regions and experiment with new grapes. One example of these iconoclast wines is Cérvole, a Tempranillo, Cabernet and Grenache blend. It hails from the Costers del Segre region in Cataluña and received a Robert Parker score of 94 points. It sells for $32.25 at Cien Vinos.

The bar is managed by renowned sommelier Franco Busó, formerly of Delirio, who guides wine neophytes through Cien Vinos' 210-label cava. Also wines by the glass from $6.50 to $10 are available and creative Spanish tapas-like mushrooms stuffed with serrano ham and manchego cheese ($12.95) and cod rillete ($6.50). Patrons can purchase organic preserves, and a variety of exotic cheeses, including Cabrales cheese from Asturias . Cien Vinos is handled by a friendly staff and offers wine and food seminars each Tuesday for $25 per person. And since wine has become such an intrinsic part of our culinary culture, Palio, on the second level of the Sheraton Hotel in Old San Juan, began its “Wine me Down Fridays.” Each Friday, different wine companies host an all-you-can-drink wine night between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. where patrons sample different wine varieties and several tapas for only 20 bucks. Carlos Escobar sings live and instruments are available for patrons to bohemia out.

Palio, an Italian chop house, specializes in top meats like its one-pound filet mignon ($36) and Tuscan cuisine. The restaurant resembles an Italian eatery with bottles of Chianti atop artisanal wood tables, and large windows overlooking San Juan Bay . Palio hosts its “Conociendo a Puerto Rico ” brunch the last Sunday of every month.

The event celebrates a different island municipality each month, featuring its mayor, live regional music, artisans and food dishes with products purchased from the featured town's farms. In December, Palio celebrates Humacao, and will feature many dishes made of pana.

Below Palio there is another great find. Located next to the slot machines of the Sheraton's casino, Chicago Burger is the quintessential tourist trap. The restaurant, which celebrated its first year in October, has a diner-like décor, with a wide terrace overlooking the bay. It serves eight-ounce burgers made fresh at the moment, the most popular being the pork burger, a jam and Swiss cheese concoction compared by some to a Cuban sandwich. Sundays and Mondays, the restaurant hosts Football Nights with a happy hour of Dewars and Bacardi drinks, and Samuel Adams and Coors Light beers. Chicago 's signature drinks are its Bacardi mojitos, and—along with Palio—it serves drafts of Puerto Rico's own artisanal beers, Santo Viejo and Old Harbor .

Another burger joint worth visiting is Top Burger. The restaurant is located at 57 María Moczo in Ocean Park and emulates a campesino home. The menu is varied but specializes in burgers with traditional and exotic meats. Mini burgers such as the ostrich, mozzarella and tamarind sauce burgers are the main attraction along with the Top Burger, a sofrito, ham and Swiss delight for $8.50 and the Top Chori, a burger topped with cantimpalo sausage.

If in the area, it's a good idea to visit Kasabe Kafe, at 1762 Loíza Street . This charming restaurant, owned by Mary Carmen Díaz, has that amicable feel particular to Ocean Park venues. What makes this little treasure special is its varied blend of Venezuelan plates, very, very cheap. Diaz cooks large arepas overflowing with guayanés cheese, shredded meat, chicken and skirt steak for about $5.50. Cachapas, or corn pancakes, are also served with the similar ingredients. Salads such as the “Capresa de la casa,” with tomato, guayanés cheese and avocado pesto, are made fresh. Kasabe also offers traditional soups and appetizers for less than $10. The main dishes include the “Parrilla llanera,” a chicken, skirt steak and sausage combo served with yucca salad and guasacaca, the Venezuelan version of guacamole, for $15.95.

Kasabe also serves natural juices and smoothies along with Venezuelan favorites: chicha, a rice drink with condensed milk and cinnamon and the Venezuela soft drink Frescolita. Kasabe doesn't sell alcoholic beverages, but patrons can bring their own for a $5 uncorking fee.

The last Friday of every month, members of the Venezuelan community crowd the tiny restaurant to celebrate their heritage, playing traditional songs with local musical instruments. The party goes ‘til late, Díaz warns.

The elegant Bistro Eighty 20 is a venue that boasts its restaurant –and its club characteristics, to boot. Located at the Holiday Inn in Isla Verde, this hub is a cross between a lounge and a diner and its décor consists of minimalist chairs and tables of bright colors. Vintage-style chandeliers adorn the ceiling and 50s-like condiment caddies grace the tables. The place has a clean, fresh atmosphere, and directly overlooks the hotel's pool. Chef Damian Hernández, formerly of the Rincón Beach Resort, prepares an International menu of salads, wraps, burgers and steaks with prices ranging between $15 and $25. Appetizers go for about eight bucks. Wine bottles don't cost more than $40 and top shelf drinks cost about $8. At night, the lights are dimmed and the place transforms into a full-fledged lounge, with electronic and chill-out music played by a skilled DJ.

If avoiding the holiday rush and noise, Metro recommends traveling to the mountains of Cayey to El Cuñao. This family-owned restaurant is touted by many as the best lechonera in town. Most lechoneras, or humble restaurants serving local pig or lechón, have rowdy crowds and live music, but not El Cuñao. The restaurant is quiet and peaceful. It has been around for 65 years and serves inexpensive Christmas food all year round: roasted pig, arroz con gandules, bacalao con guanime, morcillas and pasteles.

The restaurant began as a coffee shop for truck drivers traveling the snaky roads of Guavate. Owners Juan López Cartagena and María López Martínez eventually turned the place into one of the most popular eateries of the region. The truckers inspired the restaurant's moniker since they teased López about his attractive sisters. (cuñao means brother-in-law in Spanish).

El Cuñao is managed by three generations of the López family. Patrons will probably be greeted by Nilda, daughter of original owners, or another member of their friendly bunch. The most popular dish has half a pound of roasted pork, one pastel, one guineito, arroz con gandules and one morcilla for only $9.75. Patrons can purchase roasted pork for their holiday parties for $7.50 a pound. Pigs are bred locally and slowly roasted at the venue. Drinks are cheap, ranging between $3.50 and $5, and they serve a potent sangría. To get to the restaurant, take the Las Americas Expressway toward Caguas , and exit on the Cayey/Aibonito Exit at Cayey, make a left at the McDonald's and drive for about 15 minutes. You'll find El Cuñao on your right. The restaurant takes all credit cards except American Express, and opens seven days a week.

The clubs and hubs on the Island of Enchantment have proven resilient during these difficult economic times. There are options for everyone, so that holidays don't need to be spent home alone. Puerto Ricans should never be afraid of indulging a bit on their enjoyment. After all it is the holidays and it's time to parrandear.

—Huáscar Robles