How A Hurricane Improved This Restaurant's Menu

CONDADO VANDERBILT

While much of Puerto Rico was left without electricity and running water for many months after 2017’s Hurricane Maria, several hotels are now open and ready for business. In Condado, affectionately known as the South Beach of Puerto Rico, the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel  is the nearly 100-year old grand dame that sits on beachfront property. 

With a socially conscious Michelin-starred executive chef Juan Jose Cuevas in charge of 1919, their fine dining restaurant, dishes utilize products that are local, sustainably farmed, artisanal and homemade. Following the devastation of the hurricane, chef Cuevas said his menu is more unique than ever now, as the storm completely altered the terrain and agriculture in the area, creating more options than before. Dishes like the Organic Local Beet-Carrot Salad with avocado, citrus, crispy grains, wild purslane and yogurt sounds simple enough, but the new ingredient combinations will transform the palates of locals and visitors alike.

As we rapidly approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which devastated many of the Caribbean islands, the most important thing to know is that many of them are ready for tourists to come back. Tourism is the main source of revenue for much of the region and while we are are in the midst of hurricane season right now, this is the best time to start planning an island getaway for the upcoming holidays.