I’m not much of a foodie. I had my first piece of sushi when I was in my forties. I eat just about the same 5 things 90% of the time. If I like a particular dish at a restaurant, chances are I’ll never order anything but that dish. That said, I found myself in beautiful Rincón, Puerto Rico this past weekend (accompanied by Mrs. Perez) and was looking for something to do on Saturday night. A friend recommended we head over to nearby Mayagüez and check out their annual culinary affair, the Festival Gastronómico Porta del Sol.
Now like I said, I ain’t no foodie but if I can pay one price ($50) and try out a bunch of different fancy schmancy foods (and drinks) as many times as I want, then I’m all in.
The Festival Gastronómico Porta del Sol is a three day event (this year from June 16-18) that takes place in Parque Litoral in Mayagüez. It kicked off with a limited seating dinner party on Friday night that featured several of Puerto Rico’s top chefs. The main event took place on Saturday night (6pm-12am) and featured unlimited tastings from 40 of the top restaurants and hotels in the region as well as live music and guest chefs. The event wrapped up on Sunday with a Father’s Day brunch. We attended the Saturday night tasting and let’s just say I left with a full (and very happy) tummy.
As I am wont to do when I travel, I brought along my camera and snapped a few photographs. It was pretty dark in the food tasting area (I’m not much for using flash) but I think I captured enough to illustrate that should you find yourself on the beautiful west coast of Puerto Rico (the Porta del Sol!) next June, you may not want to miss this dynamic event.
LIVE MUSIC
THE BIG STAGE
Dancers from the MayaWest Dance Project warmed up the crowd on the big stage…
Puerto Rican singer Melina León closed out the show on the big stage.
Needless to say, Mrs. Perez and I had a great time and the event was well worth the $50 ticket per person. For information on next year’s event, follow their Facebook page. Who knows? We just might see you there…