Croc, Macaws & Butterflies

         This past week I had the privilege of going on 2 awesome tours. Even living in Costa Rica you fall into your routine and sometimes tend to overlook the fun stuff. Having friends or family visit often gives you a great excuse to do something touristy.
       
          Costa Rican Quad Tours are so much fun! Not only do you get to zip up and down the mountains on some super nifty machines, but you get to experience the beauty of the rolling hills beyond the beaches. From Jaco, tours often go up to the neighboring community of Bijagual. With a population of around 600 people, you won't find much glamour, but you'll catch a glimpse of what real Tico life is about; dirt roads, men on horseback, fields of palms, and ponds of Tilapia. The Paz Del Campo Tilapia farm in Bijagual is owned by the family of one of our Chefs at Jimmy T's and is a perfectly serene setting for a delicious lunch. Many quad tours often stop there for lunch depending on the length of the tour. I had the opportunity to have lunch there this past Wednesday and let's just say it made me want to move the Bijagual. The typical Casado plate of Rice & Beans with salad, veggies & of course... Tilapia, was filled with flavor. Butterflies fluttered all around the garden as we sat and ate. I could have stayed all day.

On the way back to Jaco from Bijagual we saw two beautiful Scarlet Macaws sitting in a tree together about 3 meters off the ground. I had never seen these magnificent birds so close-up before and they really take your breath away. They even sat there for a while as we took some photos and listened to me tell them how pretty they are. I absolutely love these love birds. And remember when you see two together that they're mates for life! 

On Thursday, even though it was a bit rainy we went and checked out Jose's Crocodile tour on the Tarcoles River. Let me just say this was a fairly "National Geographic" experience. I'm not sure if these guys are real crocodile whisperers or just plain crazy but they did not disappoint. We saw dozens of crocodiles of all different sizes including Osama Bin Laden & Monica Lewinski. And we had all different varieties of birds following us looking for food. Any avid bird watchers would probably love this tour. And these guys have no problem jumping out of the boat to show you how their pet crocs can sit, stay and roll over. I know the croc whisperers have probably been doing that their whole lives, but they make it looks so easy. Those gigantic crocodiles look like well-trained dogs taking orders from their owner.  

Even though it's rainy season, remember there are always fun things to see and do. And if you need help booking any tours, come to Jimmy T's and we can help you out. 

Back in Action!

That's right folks! You've heard correctly... the main man, Jimmy T, is back in action and in great spirits I might add!! He returned early this past week and it was straight back into the swing of things with 2 catering jobs the night after his arrival. Chef Pablo took one dinner and, after a very long and windy road over to Punta Leona, finally was able to prepare dinner for the Harris group even though all the ice cream had melted by then. Jimmy T was the superstar chef for the second dinner serving Crabcakes, Empanadas, Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad, Mac & Cheese, Pork Tenderloin, Fresh Mahi Mahi & Lobster Tails. Pineapple & Banana Flambe for dessert left everybody happy! Welcome back, Jimmy T!!!

About Our Services...

Just a reminder to all that at Jimmy T's we offer the convenient service of vacuum sealing fish.. At only c2,000 (about $4) a kilo, for vacuum sealing or c3.500 (about $7) a kilo for vacuum sealing plus cleaning, this service is a quick and fairly inexpensive way to save and store fish after a successful fishing trip. We also have gels packs for sale and styrofoam coolers in store for one stop to package up fish to transport back home with you.

And if you're going out all day on a boat and you think you might get hungry come over to Jimmy T's and get some food before you go. We always have an array of salads ready made, but we can also have food prepared and ready to go in the morning for your boat trip. Just come in the day before and leave us your order. We open at 6:30am every morning except for Sunday (7:30am), so we're here bright and early for you to pick up. We can make anything to order including lasagna, fried rice, fried chicken, chicken wings, BBQ ribs, deli meats for sandwiches, and chicken parmesan to name a few favorites.

Also, if you're not lucky enough to be out on one of the fishing charters pulling in your own catch, we offer fresh fish in Jimmy T's daily. We don't always have it in the morning but if you come in the day before with your order, or even in the morning we can usually have fish for you by the afternoon... Tuna, Snapper, Seabass, Mahi Mahi, Grouper... whatever you need we can get it for you.

So remember, we're here to help!

Dinners & Wedding Bells

We've had several Catering events this past week. Thursday night we cooked for the Gutierrez clan, 13 people. They had gone fishing the previous day and had us cook up two different types of fish from their catch along with some mac & cheese, mixed veggies, coconut rice, greek salad, and a pineapple custard with ice cream for dessert. The group loved every bit of it!

Last night we catered to a group of 40 for a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner. The menu was incredible... starting off with crab cakes, coconut shrimp, and mini caprese skewers for appetizers. We then moved on to bigger and better things with Alaska King Crab, fish, chicken, and beef, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables to choose from. Topped off with brownies and ice cream for dessert, the entire party was stuffed to the gills.

 

          

    

I have to say that despite the delectable cuisine, the coolest thing about last night's Rehearsal Dinner was definitely the fashion. Mostly everyone arrived in traditional Nigerian apparel, with a different fabric for each family. The Bride explained to us that because she and the Groom both have parents from Nigeria they wanted to do something different and cool to celebrate their roots for their special day. This particular group was some of the nicest most laid-back and also appreciative people we have served. We feel very lucky to have been a part of the festivities. Congratulations Tim & Jenn.... we'll be thinking of you guys today at 4:00 while you're tying the knot!

 

Case of the Mondays

There might be a case or two of the Mondays over here at Jimmy T's, but the crew is hard at work getting some provisioning orders together for the Carol Libby and the lovely sailboat Josefina. Carol Libby will be departing tomorrow, July 30th, for Mexico and Josefina plans to embark on the 31st. We've definitely enjoyed working with both boats and their great crew over the past couple weeks and we'll look forward to their return. Bon voyage everyone!

Gone Fishing

Finally! After half a year of working at the Los Sueños Marina, I got to go fishing! Now I see what all the fuss is about. These guys, who wake up at the butt-crack of dawn, slather on their sunscreen, and race to their fishing boats may be onto something! Deep sea fishing was seriously a blast! I was lucky enough to have my dad in town and he invited to take his kids out fishing for an experience that far too few get to enjoy. And as we cruised on our boat, the Dreammaker, out of the Los Sueños Marina with the "On a Boat" song playing full blast, and the crew giggled while us silly gringos got "jiggy with it", we were on top of the world!

We cruised for about an hour until we had finally reached our first fishing spot. Some of the family was a little nervous about the waves and the speed of light at which we cruised for what felt like forever. But once we dropped our lines and got two bites first thing, nobody thought twice about the bumps. The girls were up and our first catch of the day was a yellowfin ready to be eaten. One of the guys on the crew got to work right away expertly slicing up the tuna and displayed it beautifully on a plate with some spicy soy sauce for us to try. Freshest sushi ever!!! That was very cool!

Quickly after that, the girls caught two Wahoo. I am proud to say that the girls were the only ones who caught fish for eating on the trip! Later on, the boys almost caught two Marlin and my youngest brother pulled in a sailfish. They pulled him up close to take some photos and what a beautiful creature! The crew said he was one of the biggest sailfish of the season. We also had the privilege of meeting up with two different groups of dolphins that day: Bottlenose and Spinner Dolphins. Both groups were fairly large; over a hundred beautiful sea mammals swimming together, and they seemed happy to see us. The dolphins were definitely something special to see.

Later on in the day we stumbled across a turtle caught up in an old rope and some fishing line. Lucky for him we came along and set him free. He was one happy turtle as he waved goodbye and splashed overboard. We had seen some small sharks circling the turtle when we pulled him out. He surely would have been shark food.

I have to say, the simple experience of being out on the ocean and the spectacle of so many amazing creatures was a totally fulfilling experience. The gentle rocking of the boat left me in a near catatonic state after hours and hours out at sea and we all felt fairly demolished the next day from all the excitement. But, being able to come home and cook the food you caught that day is so completely satisfying, not to mention delicious! I would definitely recommend a fishing trip to anyone who has never been. Costa Rica Dreams can make your dreams come true! And if you're too tired to come home and cook, Jimmy T's Provisions will cook it for you!

Catering last night was another success thanks to Chef Pablo Picado. The dinner was a beautiful spread of Beef Tenderloin, filet of Mahi Mahi with a mango/ginger salsa & Lobster tails, along with a Caesar Salad, Mixed Vegetables, and stuffed Baked Potatoes. Our gracious hosts were pleased as always. And we got to enjoy the beautiful sunset from the breathtaking view at Casa Catara. Many thanks to Marc Stanley for being such an awesome client!