EARTH'S BOUNTY AT VERDE MESA

Photo by Juliette Blasor

FOOD is life. At its most basic level, eating is a necessary part of existence since food fuels the body and endows it with the necessary energy and nutrition for optimum daily performance. But eating is also one of the great pleasures in life and never more so than when it is shared at home with loved ones and friends, or when it takes place in a restaurant that takes food seriously: Not just the preparation and presentation of food but also the sourcing of the ingredients behind the dishes listed on the menu.
A COMMITMENT to quality and tasty foods lies at the heart of a small restaurant in Old San Juan with the simple but poetic appellation, "Verde Mesa (Table Green)," a word that alludes to farming and the earth-friendly green movement. Foods served here are mostly grown by young Puerto Rican farmers, many of them attuned to organic farming. They also reflect owner/chef Loyda Rosa Figueroa's interest in simple, healthy dishes centering on vegetables, rice, nuts, and fruits. "Our stellar dish is a salad prepared with lettuce cultivated in Lajas," she says with pride. Other locally-grown produce served in the restaurant include eggplant, yauía (a starchy tuber), squash, carrots, beets, celery, and broccoli.
A VEGETARIAN for 17 years, Figueroa was often frustrated by being unable to find a restaurant that fully met her expectations for healthy dining. Eating out is a favorite activity she likes to share with life & business partner Gabriel Hernández (between the two of them they have nearly two decades of experience in the food industry) but either the meals were too rich in fats and sodium, or the eatery itself felt sterile and minimal.Two and a half years ago she found herself at a professional crossroads: Should she switch careers or perhaps start a restaurant of her own? While mulling this question, she ran across some advice by Gandhi that helped put things into perspective: "Live life the way you want the world to be." Those words, a paraphrase of the actual quote, coupled with encouragement from friends, pretty much helped make up her mind. And that's how Verde Mesa came into being.
UNTIL RECENTLY, the restaurant had occupied
a cosy nook along one of the quieter lanes in the
colonial city. You knew that you were entering a 
special place the moment you opened the glass 
door and crossed the threshold. It was like stepping 
into a cheery eatery in Provence, France, except that
this was Provence on Tetuán Street and it also reflected
a woman's sensibility and whimsy as seen by the happy 
mix of mismatched tables and chairs, mirrors and lighting 
fixtures (including a lovely chandelier), decorative

New Verde Mesa location 

elements and details that combined to create a very
charming but at the same time homey atmosphere.
"I'm obsessed with French villas," said Figueroa, a 
long-time collector of antiques, some of which were
incorporated into the restaurant. Plus, she liked the 
idea of a restaurant as vicarious travel. "It's as if 
people were taking a little trip while they are eating,"
she said. "It should be a way of disconnecting from 
everything outside."
BUT NOW, in a reflection of its growing status in the community, Verde Mesa is moving to slightly larger quarters just two short blocs up the street, smack on the corner of Tetuán and San José Streets. The new locale, scheduled to open in September, occupies some 600 to 700-square-feet of space, room enough to comfortably accommodate 14 tables, each seating three to four people. "We wanted to increase the capacity of the kitchen and our offerings," said Figueroa. And so the expansive new menu will include a greater variety of salads, home-made whole-wheat pastas, a wider fish selection. Hours also will be extended: while previously it only opened for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Verde Mesa will now also serve dinner though, initially, only on Thursday and Friday, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
THE PUBLIC accustomed to the ambience of the former locale need not worry that any of its charm will be lost in the move. Everything that gave the old place its indelible appeal will be replicated in the new space, down to the colorful walls painted a rainbow of hues: salmon, blue, green, gray taupe. For Figueroa, a restaurant is much more than a business built on profit which, she says firmly, is something she is willing to sacrifice rather than compromise quality. Her commitment to the ideal of healthy food finds her seeking out producers around the island who can stock her table with earth's bounty. Right now she has arrangements with eight farmers to supply her with local produce.
BUT FIGUEROA is also committed to her community and hopes to get her restaurant, and other businesses nearby, involved in activities that not only drum up visitors but also contribute to important causes, such as the problem of stray animals in the old city. For all her enthusiasm, running a restaurant is no bowl of cherries. "People don't have the minimal idea of what one has to go through to open a restaurant," she said. "Every day there are obstacles. It's a monumental production and you need a stomach of steel and to be well-prepared psychologically." Figueroa, apparently, does not lack in either department. But then, of course, her restaurant is clearly a labor of love.
VERDE MESA is scheduled to reopen in September
254 Tetuán, corner of San Jose & Tetuán Streets 787.390.4662
Lunch prices from $3.50 to $13 plus; dinner entrees $23

Photo by Denise Blasor

SIMPLE TIP One way to extend the life of any juice is to water it down. Even better: fill ice cube trays with your favorite juice, though this works particularly well with cranberry. Once frozen, you can drop the colored ice into a glass of water for a cool, sweet refreshment to beat the summer heat!

Photo by Jack Bierschenk

HOME is where the heart is. Home is where the soul longs to be.

Home is where you feel at the same time the deepest comfort  
and the greatest estrangement.

Robert Friedman, "Under a Dark Sun"

Life isn't about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.
-- Bernard Shaw


Copyright 2011© Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved