Many people have inquired, " Where do you get your inspiration from?" As a chef, I honestly get thoughts and ideas from many different sources. Seasonal ingredients are, in my belief, the most important source of inspiration to all chefs. Every once in a while, we get to travel and experience the different cultures and cuisines abroad. From the pictures above, most would gather that I was recently in Spain. However, these shots were actually taken in Puerto Rico.
Heavily influenced by the Spanish, namely Ponce De Leon and Christopher Columbus and those after them, the city of San Juan, in particular the section known as San Juan Viejo or "Old San Juan" is full of Spanish architecture and cuisine. We were lucky enough to be told of a really authentic tapas bar in Old San Juan that was located in a hotel that was originally a convent dating back over 350 years. I must say that we really enjoyed our experience. I was definitely inspiried by the simplicity and freshness of the dishes and tried to incorporate some of this philosophy in our new Spring Menu. I think that we definitely accomplished our goal.
Eat and Live Well
Chef Anthony Boccella
