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SENATOR HILARY CLINTON VISITS OLD SAN JUAN RESTAURANT IN MIAMI
Nov 2, 2008 Hillary
Clinton Campaigns In Miami MIAMI (CBS4) ― With polls showing the tightening race in Florida, both campaigns
are leaving nothing to chance. Senator Hillary Clinton returned to Florida to campaign for Democratic presidential nominee
Barack Obama days before Election Day. "It took a democratic president to clean up after the first Bush; it
will take a democrat to clean up after this Bush," Clinton said to South Florida supporters. The campaign
stop got off to a rough start for the former First Lady. Clinton was supposed to address a crowd at the Miami-Dade auditorium
on West Flagler Street Saturday morning. About 200 people were lined up outside the auditorium to hear Clinton speak when
the campaign said her plane was running behind schedule. So she combined two stops into one rally; the appearance was moved
to the Old San Juan restaurant on SW 57th Avenue.
CHEF (TUTTI) OBDULIO MARTINEZ CON
LA SENADORA HILARY CLINTON EN EL RESTAURANTE.
LA SENADORA DEMOCRATA HILARY
CLINTON CON SU SEGUIDORES
LA SENADORA CON EMPLEADOS DE EL OLD
SAN JUAN RESTAURANT ALBA,ELIERSI,JOMAR
Great Puerto Rican Food!!! 04/21/2008 Posted by MelindaandVinny This place is simple amazing!!! Since we are from NYC this place and the food makes us feel closer to our home and
people. The atmosphere is so peaceful and their coffee is amazing. All this great food at a reasonable price... I recommended
it highly. Cons: Don't have one...
10/23/2007 Posted by americaine Want really good, fresh Puerto Rican food? Want it presented in a non-pretentious, easy-to-get-to place? Head to Old
San Juan Restaurant, where the man in the kitchen really knows what he's doing. This little corner of island heaven offers
good food and good service. Crave great pasteles? Want a fresh, tasty cod salad? Feeling like some bacalaitos? Need a dose
of great rice and beans - PR-style? Come on down! Weekends feature a very nice buffet - it even includes dessert and a drink
- for a resonable price. I've been to this place several times and liked it so much I used them to cater a corporate event
at my company. We celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month one fine Thursday with lunch (for 100!) from Old San Juan. That made
for some very happy people, and I was the hero! Places like this deserve a good following so that they thrive and multiply!
El Diario La Prensa comida 11/22/2006 Miami, La cocina puertorriquena, que venera los aromas del lechón asado,
ha ideado la fórmula perfecta para reunir en torno a la mesa de Acción de Gracias a todos aquellos con dudas
cárnico-religiosas: el ‘pavochón’. Gente
de ingenio vivo y de más saludable apetito, los boricuas inventaron el ‘pavochón’ —el pavo
con sabor a lechón asado— con el propósito de sentar a una misma mesa a amigos judíos y musulmanes,
que no precisamente simpatizan con la ‘cerdolatría’ hispánica. La receta del pavochón, original del pueblo puertorriqueno de Reyes, ha alcanzado tales cotas como emblema
gastronómico que hoy se encuentra registrada en la Oficina de Patentes de Washington D.C. De esta manera, judíos y musulmanes, en buena hermandad, mantienen su fidelidad inquebrantable a sus respectivos
preceptos religiosos y, como quien no quiere la cosa, participan también del regocijo de la cocina cristiana de Occidente. "Lo adobamos como si fuera un lechón dos o tres días antes de
asarlo, porque la carne de pavo es insípida y así queda luego jugoso y tierno como un pernil", asegura
Thomas MacManus, propietario del restaurante Old San Juan (1200 SW 57th Ave., Miami, Florida). Para este boricua nacido en la ciudad de Nueva York, la clave del éxito de su ‘pavochón’
radica en la receta de adobo de su chef, Obdulio (tutti) Martinez que él guarda con celo ejemplar y en la que
entran más de 30 especias diferentes. MacManus comenta
orgulloso que en su restaurante sólo utilizan la mejor clase de pavo, el denominado ‘butterball’, proveniente
de granjas de Kansas, un pavo que entrega a la hora del asado "jugosas y tiernas" tajadas. Pavos lustroso, de oronda y generosa pechuga, que pueden pesar desde siete kg. hasta el doble y que acompanan en
Old San Juan con la imprescindible guarnición de arroz con gandules y relleno de mofongo —patacones o tostones—:
"plátano verde frito repisado con chicharrones", explica MacManus.
Miami New Times 2005 The
menu at this sophisticated, moderately priced family-style restaurant touts many favorites of the expatriated, and its old-world
charm gives the impression it could be located in the middle of the historic neighborhood after which it’s named. Puerto
Rican cooking is defined by a mix of indigenous tropical ingredients occasionally boosted by bold dashes of Spanish spices,
a pairing clearly evident in morcillas con guineos or blood sausage with boiled plantain. The $8.99 lunch buffet
is a boffo way to enjoy island specialties ranging from garbanzos with pigs feet to pinon, a sort of plantain lasagna. Selections
change daily, but the buffet consistently offers three different meats, four starches, and a couple of rice dishes (brace
yourself for some serious carbo-shock). The traditional mofongo, a plantain mash, is treated with reverence and served with
chicken broth for dipping. You can try it plain or in tandem with lobster and octopus, but most prefer the version riddled
with crisp pork rinds. A petite take-out shop in the back allows you to bring a little of the island home with you.
EL SABOR QUE NOS UNE EL NUEVO DÍA Puerto Rico MIÉRCOLES, 19 DE OCTUBRE DE 2005 Miami - Los olores, los sabores dela cocina en la que crecio Thomas Mac Manus Acosta en NuevaYork se han quedado con él através de los aZos. Tan es así, que luego de trabajar durante casi dos décadas como gerente visual de mercancía para
la firma Ralph Lauren desde el sur de la Florida,MacManus decidió invertir sus ahorros y hacer un sueZo realidad: abrir su propio restaurante de comida típica puertorriqueZa. "Yo quería tener un restaurante que fuera más allá de una cafetería, de una fonda, algo con mejor presentación", dice
MacManus una tarde en Old San Juan Restaurant, que el 1ro. de octubre cumplió cinco aZos de existencia.En una encarnación previa a la llegada de MacManus, el local albergaba
otro restaurante boricua,Isla del Encanto.
"Las recetas de Old San Juan Restaurant
son mías,
y de Obdulio Martinez.Durante ocho aZos tuve en mi mente el menú que algún
día iba a hacer", cuenta MacManus
en la cocina, mientras Martínez
machaca plátanos en
un enorme pilón de madera tallado
por un artesano de Ponce."Todo aquí lo hacemos fresco, o ‘from scratch’,como
se dice en inglés", continúa el propietario,quien
de niZo llevaba los pedidos de la cantina
de su madre en Manhattan, al mostrar una bandeja de sorullos rellenos de queso. Variedad a lo clásico.Aunque
la especialidad de Old San Juan Restaurantes el mofongo en distintas variaciones ,carne
frita, mariscos, pollo, etc.– y platos quenormalmente en Puerto Rico se consiguen más para
la época navideZa, como los pasteles, MacManus tambien
les da sus propios toques a los clásicos. "Hacemos lo que llamamos morcirullos, que son sorullos
rellenos de morcilla", cita como ejemplo. Pero donde MacManus se da gusto
es con los postres, que él mismo confecciona para la variada clientela que lo visita. "Este es un bienmesabe de guayaba; éste de piZa colada con ron; acá hay bienmesabe de china, que escomo el trago dominicano Morir SoZando pero convertido
en bienmesabe; y por aquí el típico
tembleque de coco", muestra orgulloso el propietario.De lo típico a lo innovador hay un paso, y por eso MacManus disfruta
de preparar tembleque de tamarindo y de parcha. Igual, los bienmesabes parecen venir en infinidad de sabores: chocolate, guanábana,tamarindo,
mamey. Y los flanes no se quedan atrás
en la paleta gustativa. "Mucha
gente cree que la comida puertorriqueZano es
sino grasa y tripas, y no es así"
dice MacManus.Agrega el chef Martínez, oriundo de Lares y con 20 aZos de experiencia: "La comida criolla de PuertoRico da trabajo, porque
requiere preparación, mucha condimentación,
una variedad de ingredientes".La riqueza de esa cocina podría ser una de las razones por las cuales no es más divulgada en este país, considera MacManus."Hay que sazonarla bien, con
condimentos específicos que no encuentras en todos lados", dice."Un
amigo mío quería abrir un restaurante puertorriqueZo en Colorado,
pero no lo hizo porque no encontraba allí
el recaíto fresco, la yautía, los
ajicitos".¿Consigue MacManus en Miami lo que le hace falta?"Sí, aquí
tengo de todo", afirma. "Pero también viajo a Puerto Rico para las cosas que ves de venden enla tiendita". Porque Old San Juan Restaurant,
decorado en gran parte como una casona del Viejo San Juan y con cuadros
de familia, tiene una esquinita, "La placitadel mercado", donde se venden productos típicos: camisetas con la bandera de la isla, Café Yaucono,
dulces del país, música y más. En expansión La aceptación y el éxito
de su negocio –elogiado por la revista Hispanic
en el 2003 como uno de los 50 mejores
restaurantes hispanos en los Estados Unidos(una de cal y otra de arena: ese mismo aZo, unsemanario llamado Miami New Times le dio unacrítica menos positiva)- han llevado a MacManus a un siguiente
paso: abrir otra sucursal de Old San Juan en la ciudad de Orlando."Me la he pasado yendo allá durante semanas, y te digo que el mercado está de categoría en Orlando", considera."Sólo me falta el local, y espero poder abrir antes de las
navidades". Propagar la palabra de la buena cocina puertorriqueZa
parece ser la misión evangelizadora
de MacManus."Lo que he querido hacer, para el público no sólo puertorriqueZo, sino americano, cubano, y de otros países, es elevar la comida de nuestro país", explica MacManus. "Que la gente entienda
de qué se trata.
Y, en cinco aZos, no me ha ido tan mal". Old San JuanRestaurant 1200 SW 57th Avenue, Miami. Tel.: 305-263-9911
Hispanic Magazine
Celebrates Top City and Top Restaurants Hispanic
Magazine recently celebrated Miami as the top city for Latinos and five of the nation’s top 50 restaurants in its 2003 annual ranking at an October
party in Coral Gables, Fla. Although the magazine’s
headquarters are in Miami, it was the first time since the rankings began in 1996 that Greater Miami had been chosen as the
top city, proving that the rankings don’t come easily. Miami
was chosen for several reasons, including its job opportunities available for Latinos, the area’s affordable cost of
living, the fact that Hispanics pack a powrful political force as represented by council members, and its tribute to Latino
heritage and cultural events. In addition, it is home to this year’s World Series champions, the Florida Marlins. At the party held in La Dorada restaurant, five area restaurants—including
La Dorada itself—also were honored for their service and cuisine in the top 50 nationwide ranking. As seen in the first
photo opposite page, the owners and representatives of the restaurants received framed pages of their restaurant’s rank
and description. They are, from left to right: Tom MacManus of Old San Juan Restaurant; Felipe Valls, Jr., of Versailles;
Beatrice Bajares, of La Dorada; Lubis Rascosqui of El Novillo; and Leo Graziano of Graziano’s Parrilla Argentina.
Hispanic
Magazine 2003 Old
San Juan Restaurant Some folks say that the cooking here is as good as mom’s. With that endorsement, you’d
better stop by and check out the Puerto Rican delicacies served in Old San Juan. It is noted for its asopaos (hearty stews)
and mofongo (a specialty of fried plantains, pork cracklings, and lots of garlic). Before you get to the main dishes,
however, you might want to start with traditional openers—alcapurrias or sorrullitos de maíz. Just leave room
for the bien me sabe, a rum-drenched cake that comes in various flavors. Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sun. 12100 SW 57th Ave.
(305-263-9911). All major credit cards. $–$$.
Miami Herald Old San Juan excels
at all of island's many dishes *** stars Fabiola Santiago Published:
Friday, November 17, 2000 In Miami, a city of transplanted traditions, the copy is sometimes better than the original. In the new Old
San Juan Restaurant, owner Tom MacManus Acosta
has replicated with exquisite precision the Spanish and indigenous flavors and textures of the best of Puerto Rican cuisine.
This is no exaggeration: The fare is better than we've
had on the island. The 11/2-month old restaurant is on the
grounds of the former Puerto Rican restaurant La Isla del Encanto. MacManus bought the humble cafeteria-style locale and remodeled
it with tropical flair, tasteful furniture and colorful art. The
ready-to-please staff are uniformed in guayaberas with a coconut palm print. Primitive Caribbean paintings adorn the banana
yellow and plantain green walls. An original work by MacManus' brother, Ernest, a painting of their mother in an old-fashioned
kitchen, was on exhibit in New York City's El Museo del Barrio. Another work, a mammoth-sized rendition of El Yunque,
the island's lush rain forest, will soon take up the only empty wall. Another winning touch: The varied menu is fully bilingual and has easy to understand descriptions of every dish.
We stumbled upon Old San Juan on a late Sunday afternoon and
asked a Puerto Rican friend to join us. The restaurant bustled with families taking advantage of the all-you-can-eat Sunday
buffet ($22 a person), the best deal, although you can order ? la carte from the menu. A word of caution: It's easy to
run up a large bill if you get carried away sampling the pricey appetizers, drinks and desserts. For starters, there's coquito al San Juan ($5), the year-round Puerto Rican eggnog; the popular root drink mav?
frio ($2.50), which is fermented in the sun; and India, a grape soda ($1.50) with a whopping 182 calories. We lost control right away on the appetizers - alcapurrias ($4.75), a serving of
two plantain and tanier root fritters filled with ground beef; ara?itas ($4), a web of crunchy ``spider fries''; and
tasty guineos en escabeche, pickled green bananas ($4.50). The portions were too small - and too delicious - for four to share,
so we kept the extra orders coming. Nevertheless, we had plenty
of appetite left for entrees. We created our own plate by combining piononos ($6, listed as an appetizer), cone-shaped rolled
sweet plantains filled with meat and topped with fried egg whites, and a side of fluffy arroz con gandules ($4.50, rice with
pigeon peas). The funky mofongo con carne frita ($11.95) also
was a hit. There's no real translation for mofongo, but it's a tasty ball of mashed plantains flavored with pork rinds
and garlic, in this case served with fried meat. But what really hit the meal out of the ballpark was the rich asopao de pollo
($9.95), a soupy rice stew made with a flavorful breast of chicken and served with fried green plantains. The asopaos also
are made with lobster, shrimp, a combination of both, or gandules with sweet ham. We also sampled pasteles ($12.95), which were not as flavorful as the other dishes. Not to be confused with the sweet
pastries, this Puerto Rican version of tamales is made not from cornmeal but with plantains and malanga, stuffed with chicken
or pork, then boiled and served wrapped in a green plantain leaf. As
if we hadn't sinned enough for one meal, we were tempted with an outstanding lineup of desserts, made daily by MacManus.
The waitress boasted that the bien me sabe ($4.50), a ``Cocorican
cream dream,'' was better than the Nicaraguan tres leches - certainly an exaggeration, we thought. Not quite. This
sweet dream had plenty of competition from other Puerto Rican favorites, like the mushy arroz con dulce de coco ($4.50), coconut
rice pudding; the guayaba cheesecake ($6, also available mango-flavored); and the pud?n de pan y guayaba ($4.50), a guava
bread pudding brought to our table by MacManus, who had been observing our joyful binge and didn't let us leave without
a taste on the house. We ended with a pocillo, what Puerto
Ricans call the demitasse of thick Cuban coffee. Our only regret was that some favorites on the menu - sorullitos (finger-shaped
corn and cheese fritters), bacalaitos (golden fried batter of cod fish flavored with coriander), avocado salad and the creamy
tembleque dessert - were not available when we dined. Like they say on the
island, !Ay, bendito! We'll just have to come back.
Enter conte User Reviews for Old San Juan 10/23/2007 Posted by americaine Want really good, fresh Puerto Rican food? Want it presented in a non-pretentious, easy-to-get-to place?
Head to Old San Juan Restaurant, where the man in the kitchen really knows what he's doing. This little corner of island
heaven offers good food and good service. Crave great pasteles? Want a fresh, tasty cod salad? Feeling like some bacalaitos?
Need a dose of great rice and beans - PR-style? Come on down! Weekends feature a very nice buffet - it even includes dessert
and a drink - for a resonable price. I've been to this place several times and liked it so much I used them to cater a
corporate event at my company. We celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month one fine Thursday with lunch (for 100!) from Old San
Juan. That made for some very happy people, and I was the hero! Places like this deserve a good following so that they thrive
and multiply! Pros: Friendly and efficient service. Great
food. Cons: Only con I can think of is parking -
there's not much of it. 01/23/2007 Posted by rnlloz01 Traditional Puerto Rican cooking!!! Everything taste like my Grandmother's cooking....well, almost. Pros:
The food Cons: a bit over priced 10/30/2006 Posted by yanik If you've never tried Puerto Rican food, you should - it's very tasty, although mostly fried so best to eat
it ocassionally. Try their different varieties of "mofongo" (smashed plantains) for a delicious meal. And their
thick and juicy pork chops are sure to satisfy even the largest of appetites. A must try when you are in the mood for something
different. Pros: Friendly service, ample parking Cons: Lots of fried food nt here
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