You know its a good place when its hard to find.

Before even landing in Colombia, I had already read a selection of posts by other travelers who were raving about the restaurant called "La Mulata", so I was thrilled when I found out one day that we were going there for lunch. It is located with the walled city, and was just a short walk from where we were staying. You might have to ask someone to point it out, as most people its location, despite there being no sign. It might help to know that it is located under the Defensoría del Pueblo.

Sometimes you just walk into a place and know you are going to love it. Oh, what an adorable place! White washed walls, covered with art and words which I recognized from the menu, checkerboard floors, and brightly colored and playfully mismatched chairs. Even the menu looks like a piece of art with its splashily decorated boxes and a collaged effect of people, foods, and words absorbed my attention as orders were taken. 

La Mulata has three rooms for diners, including a back garden, so even if there is a wait, it is probably relatively short. Another plus? Fixed price menu of the day! In Cartagena, which can be very pricey, this is a great feature. And an additional reason to return again, which we ultimately ended up doing ourselves. 

Lunch starts with a bowl of soup. In the U.S., you rarely see diners interested in having hot soup in the summer. However, I can tell you that every time I have traveled to the Caribbean or Latin America, there is a hot soup served. So whether you decided to start with the fixed price one that is a lentil and chicken soup…or you order one as your main course (see picture below), soup is assuredly the way to start a meal here. 

This seafood soup was served with fried green plantains, and a side of coconut rice. I was informed this soup is good for “stamina” and we left it at that! Also, you might notice on your table that there are fresh lime wedges strewn in the metal napkin holders. Those are for squeezing into your soup. 

If you want to add a little heat, simply ask for “picante” at the server will bring over some hot sauce for you to sprinkle in the soup, which I highly suggest trying! Now you might be getting full from the soup, and from sipping your “Limonadas de Coco, a signature drink in the city, made of coconut milk and freshly squeezed lime juice, but try to save room…cause here comes the main course! 

It was seafood, and more seafood with us. From an early age, my father, a genuine seafood connoisseur, taught me that you should never eat seafood that you can smell. While I didn’t always love seafood, despite his persistence, his wisdom finally rubbed off on me. 

This seafood had ZERO fishy smell. It could have been pulled out of the ocean depths in the morning, and on my plate by noon. All three dishes were deliciously fresh and paired with either coconut rice (which I could not get enough of…even when my stomach was bursting!) or lightly sautéed vegetables, and strips of crispy plantains. 

For being considered a “bargain luncheonette”, this place is ridiculously hip with amazingly prepared, fresh food under $10 per person. During my trip, we also went to other more expensive restaurants, and when all was said and done, I would give my vote hands down to the food and staff at La Mulata. Now, next project… how can I make this food at home???

I discovered that the restaurant keeps a blog too, which does have a little mention of the menu, actual address, etc: http://lamulatacartagena.blogspot.com 

Ices on the streets of Cartagena

There are so many ways that a foodie can find to keep themselves cool and entertained in Cartagena. Vendors can be found throughout the city selling coconut water, freshly squeezed orange or lime juice, freshly cut strips of salted mango, or cups of chopped watermelon and papaya. Or if you are lucky, you will find yourself one of the vendors who will make you a freshly grated ice. To my great pleasure, my friends and I were able to stop and get ices from this vendor quite frequently on our walks into the centro. It is a real treat to watch the block of ice get shaved, select your flavor (mine was always tamarind!!), and add the optional sweetened chantilly cream on top. Then its time to enjoy the sensation of sipping and crunching those little sweet pieces before they disappear all too quickly in the heat. 

Maria y Mulata

One afternoon, I was taken out for an amazing lunch date to Meson de Maria y Mulata. It is located on a quiet street of spanish colonial buildings across the way from the uber modern convention center. The restaurant captured my heart quickly and over a split bottle of white wine, I inquired about the name. 

Through a most entertaining and potentially terrifying story, I learned about the nature of the black bird that makes its home only in Cartagena. Think of Alfred Hitchcock’s film, “The Birds” and that about sums up the nature of the maria mulata. Apparently they are very aggressive, and if you start something with them, they hold a grudge and will summon a crowd to attack you. That’s the stuff of nightmares!  

While I was absorbed in the story, our server unobtrusively delivered a wire basket filled with fried potato and plantain slices. One word: addictive. Since we discovered we had a shared love of tapas, we decided to start there. 

One of the best parts of being in Cartagena believe it or not, has been the fact that I do not speak Spanish. At least not well enough to understand a menu, or order. So dining has been a total experience as my food has been selected for me, and I have gotten to try some things that I may not have ordered for myself. 

So, here came the tapas. There were marinated, sautéed baby mushroom caps on a bed of lettuce, a typical Spanish potato and onion torta which is essentially an omelette that has been flipped in a heavy bottomed sautee pan several times until firm. Then you just slice and enjoy it warm or cold. 

Finally, we had an order of muelas de cangrejo which are crab claws in a warm cream sauce. Essentially you just suck the meat off. Definitely a new experience for a recovering vegetarian such as myself. Just as I was getting full, the plates were cleared and a piece of volcanic stone was place in front of us. Next came three sauces (one being a sort of pesto that I am still fantasizing about) and a plate of uncooked beef medallions. 

I watched as the meat was cooked for me on the sizzling rock, doused with each of the sauces, flipped until browned and then delivered to my plate. As I said, I am not a huge carnivore. But these little medallions were so tender, so flavorful, and juicy…that I could barely wait as I waited for the next one to be prepared for me. There was another surprise in store for me at the end of the meal. 

“Salute"

I was taken through a rear door to see the “rest of the restaurant”. It was enormous! Each room appeared to open up to an even larger room, and each one had walls covered with artifacts such as chairs, brass horns, and other objects of intrigue. It was fascinating. My only regret is that my visit occurred near the end of my trip. Although on retrospect, perhaps that was a good thing, because I could have gone broke eating there many more times!  

It’s the small things...

One of the smallest of pleasures in life is to taste juice that has been freshly prepared. And I have been having a lot of it; maracuya, mango, lulo, and more. The flavors are bolder. There are seeds, fibers, and maybe some dirt swirled into the mix. But its like taking a drink of pure sunshine. When I was a kid on St. John, my mother always spoiled me with freshly squeezed juices, and soursop ice cream. All these years later, and I haven’t lost my taste for the stuff. 

In the Cartagena heat, there is nothing more refreshing that stopping at a street vendor’s cart for some cooling coconut water. Some quick action with a machete, a straw is popped in, and you have yourself a delicious bit of re-hydration. I can’t recollect how many of these I have enjoyed on my trip, but it’s a high number. Even better is that after you have finished the liquid, you hand the coconut back and with a few quick strokes, the coconut is struck again and the smooth young meat is scooped out and returned to you as an added treat! 

Arepas all the time…

During my time in Colombia, I have had a steady intake of various kinds of arepas. I have had them for breakfast in the morning filled with queso and a fried egg, seen miniature sized ones replacing fries, as well as being my go-to favorite food for lunch or dinner. So what is an arepa? Basically, it is a flat, round, unleavened patty consisting of soaked, ground kernels of maize, maizemeal or maize flour mixed with water and salt. It is then grilled, baked, fried, boiled or steamed. The characteristics vary by color, flavor, size, and its stuffing depend on the region. Possibilities include: meat, eggs, tomatoes, salad, cheese, shrimp, or fish depending on the meal. 

One of my favorites has been at a restaurant down the street from where I am staying. It was stuffed with chicken, vegetables and cheese. What makes eating these even more enjoyable is the selection of sauces for squeezing onto each bite. Pina (pineapple sauce), tartara and salsa rosada seem to be the most popular. Each time I go to have one, I feel confident that I am hungry enough to have two, after all, they don’t look that big, right? Forget it, by the final few bites, I am always struggling to finish. But so far, I always squeeze on that last bit of tartara and pop the crispy end into my mouth. Arepas from Colombia might be the food that I miss the most at the end of this trip. I have had them back home, and while I certainly enjoy them, and I encourage you to try one when you have the opportunity, nothing compares to the real thing.

I have to add something about the atmosphere of this place which put a smile on my face. There was a bottle of water on the floor by the door, and also a line of plastic baggies nailed to a rear wall also filled with water. My initial thought was that they were to serve as a reminder of the power of the natural world, when I inquired, I also found out that they are used to purify the space. I absolutely adore this concept. 

A Christmas in Colombia

This was the first Christmas that I have ever spent away from my home and family. It was a year of trials and tribulations, and I was in serious need of sleep, sun, and a chance to recharge. So where did I go? Brushing off a flurry of well intended warnings, I flew to Colombia to spend the holidays. Despite being in a tropical climate and not seeing the white stuff, I was still in the holiday spirit as the streets, restaurants and public spaces are all ornately decorated and twinkling lights dance down the sides of walls, and hang from the trees. 

So the obvious question….what did I eat on Christmas? After a long night of dancing till sunrise, the logical decision for the day was to head to the beach for some seafood soup to recover, which is what we did. The restaurant I was taken to, is beautiful. Open air, thatched roof, and huge tables and chairs out of repurposed tree stumps. 

Since my Spanish is beyond elementary, I have been treated to a surprise at every mealtime as my food is ordered for me. This has worked out quite well as I have been exposed to items that I might have otherwise stayed away from. Such as the seafood soup that was placed in front of me with the head of a crustacean staring back at me. Just call me Anthony Bourdain (who also recently visited Colombian btw). 

Hot sauce was drizzled liberally, lime wheels squeezed, and with a plate of warm coconut rice handed to me, I grabbed a fried plantain and used it to scoop out a healthy first bite. While I call myself “a recovering vegetarian”, and still am getting used to funky textures and tastes that are new to my palate, I enjoyed the soup very much. The consistency was more of a stew, and reminded me of a super sized ceviche. I polished off 90% of the soup easily, but when faced with the task of consuming the little guy on top, I had to admit I wasn’t ready for the challenge and passed him on to my obliging dining companion. 

The remains….

During the course of the meal, a woman selling homemade candy passed through the restaurant. She carried them in a large and heavy bowl which she balanced skillfully atop her head. We got two different varieties. One was a sticky ball of molasses and a grain that I couldn’t identify, my best guess is amaranth or sorghum. The other was a slice of toasted coconut skin, filled with a sticky grated coconut mixture. 

All in all, my Christmas breakfast was all that this foodie could have asked for this year. 

Why not be different and make it a "green" holiday season???

Try as I might this year, I just cannot seem to get into the "holiday spirit" of being a consumer and trolling the malls, waiting in lines, and stressing out over finding that perfect gift for people. Maybe it's the fact that the holidays seem pushed upon us sooner and sooner each year, making me subsequently rebel so that my disinterest in the holiday gradually increases so much that I wait till a few days before Christmas and then I run around in a mad dash. Maybe I have simply become such a fan of "un-cluttering" my life, that the idea of filling my life and others with more stuff seems so wildly unappealing. Or it could just be my inner hippie consciousness rising to the surface again thinking about everything that is going on in the world. Whatever the reason, I started thinking about previous posts that I wrote on gifts to get a foodie. I wondered if I could still write that post this year. I realized I could, but with a slightly different slant. Here are some beginning ideas that have been formulating in my mind for what to get the foodie in your life this year.

A $12 pack of seeds? $50 to send a goat to a family? $100 to support a woman entrepreneur? Even a gift a little as $20 could irrigate a farmer's land for 2 months! Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, we work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions. Oxfam saves lives, develops long-term solutions to poverty, and campaigns for social change. More gift ideas: https://www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/all-gifts/
 

 Or spend $20 on a "Foodie's Delight" at Natural Resources Defense Counsel to help grow the local and organic food movement. Keep the foodies in your life happy and healthy with this mouth-watering gift! You’ll be helping NRDC to grow the local and organic food movement and ensure that all of us have access to an abundant supply of healthy, locally-grown food, free of pesticides and other toxins. It’s the perfect way to honor your loved ones’ commitment to delicious food that’s good for us and good for the planet. Check out this and other ideas at: https://www.nrdcgreengifts.org/gifts