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Fortaleza Antiques

By Eric Marion

“Antiquing” is a time-honored tradition among shoppers of a certain sort. Searching for that perfect curio (and finding a delightful tsotchke along the way) is one of life’s simple pleasures for many folks. In San Juan, there are a handful of hidden antique stores. None are as “hidden” or as well-stocked as Fortaleza Antiques. Tucked behind a non-descript reja (ornate grill-work) on Calle San Jose, passerbys will miss the store unless they are specifically seeking it out. Word-of-mouth has obviously worked well for Fortaleza Antiques; in business for 29 years, the shop has no signage or advertising. This speaks mountains about the quality of merchandise offered by that store. In an age dominated by million dollar mouth pieces, gauche advertising that too often includes wardrobe “malfunctions”, and the unrelenting ubiquity of the “social media”, witness first-hand the success of old-fashioned customer service and quality merchandise. The store's stand-alone marketing campaign is refreshing (in a vintage, reminiscent sort of way).

The store is filled (but not “stuffed”) with merchandise that spans periods, genres, and continents. Mission period pieces are found in abundance (this was, after all, colonial Puerto Rico). English and German antiques hint at frequent shopping trips abroad by the owner, Sharon Bartos. The Orient is well-represented (although presumably these items traveled to Puerto Rico via the American Colonies at the height of British and American obsession with Oriental art). The Chinese and Japanese items fit nicely into the Victorianesque feel f of Fortaleza.

The store opens into a courtyard, one of those “hidden gems” for which San Juan is known. The sitting area is exposed to dappled light and ensconced in lush yet subdued ferns, an additional nod to Victorian design sensibilities.  Fortaleza’s Antiques all but whispers in the voice of owners past.  Heraldic emblems in one of the rooms would indicate that some of these previous owners were men and women of some importance.

Fortaleza Antiques is most certainly a “must-see” for San Juan visitors and residents who enjoy the finer things in life. Even the coldest contemporary condo needs a little heart. At Fortaleza Antiques, that heart is easy to find, even if that heart is a little tea-stained.

Fortaleza Antiques
Sharon Bartos
Calle San Jose No. 103
Old San Juan 00901
787-723-1229

 

 
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La Chola Peruvian Cuisine

by Eric Marion

 

As a vegetarian, I am very often challenged with Puerto Rican dining and in general with most Latin American Restaurants. Chefs will spend hours preparing animal meat to taste, but vegetables and fruits are too often deemed "secondary" elements to the main course. Thus, most of my restaurant experiences are tales of stale parsely, wilted lettuce, and second-class dining experiences.

 

La Chola on 1859 Calle Loiza (near the Ocean Park Entrance) is a delicious vacation from the subpar norm to which I have become accustomed. Each meal is prepared to order. You want onions?  They are cut fresh within minutes of your order. Do you prefer mango or avocado on your salad?  No matter, they will both be freshly peeled. For meat eaters, the quality is of a similar stellar standard (or so I have been told by the countless referrals I have sent to La Chola).

 

My favorite treat is the red sangria. In true Peruvian tradition, the syrup is made from purple corn tea, freshly brewed and saturated with fresh tropical fruits, then mixed with a fine argentinian wine for zest. The sangria isn't served on ice. The attentive waitstaff has the forethought to pour your sangria from the carafe onto the ice as dinner proceeds (eliminating that watered-down cocktail so common in other less-attentive Caribbean venues).

 

The tasty sauces which accompany many of the menu items are brown-bag worthy. You know that the dinner is a success when you are imaging how such-and-such a sauce would taste in your own kitchen on your own dinner items. The zingy/tangy/sweet/rich sauce(s) are perfect compliments to the "carbon" cuisine of La Chola. ("Carbon" is "blackened" in English; thus, "blackened chicken", "blackened salmon"). Almost all items are served on crispy beds of vegetables and fruits (unless the recipe calls for La Chola's delicious ceviche, one of La Chola's more popular dishes).

 

La Chola's spacious and artsy interior make this spot an ideal setting for a romantic last night out in San Juan. Of the many restaurants in San Juan, La Chola is a sure bet that never fails to impress.

 

Loiza St. 1859, 00911 San Juan, Puerto Rico

(787) 200-5877Today 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

 

 
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coffee

 

Dark Roasted Bliss

by Eric Marion


A Monster lives at 150 San Justo, just north of Calle San Francisco in the Old City in a shop called "Express".  He's a gentle giant, but he makes a mean coffee.


The "Monster" is a fifteen foot tall fire-engine red coffee roasting and grinding machine (he has other talents as well, I didn't inqure since he was rather imposing).


The coffee is as authentic a Caribbean experience as any visitor could want.  This is pure, unadulterated Caribbean coffee.  Straight from the land, with no additives, preservatives, or chemicals.  It reminds me of the coffee I would drink from the farms just outside of San Jose, Costa Rica.  The rich flavors of home grown coffee, freshly picked, hand sorted, and hand ground are unmistakable.  Sorry Starbucks, Expresso's masterful handling of native ingredients cannot be duplicated and franchised.  Plus, it doesn't cost anywhere close to $5 for a large.  Extra bonus:  you can call the largest size cup a "large".  Not "venti", "grande", or "big-issimo" (one will not encounter unwarranted pretense at Expresso).  


Expresso is "anti-Starbucks".  Visitors will readily appreciate that the owner is totally invested in producing a quality product, at the expense of fancy decor and voluminous pastry offerings.  He is quite evidently running his enterprise on a shoe-string budget and from the heart. From a deep and caring heart, with heart strings attached to every caffeinated cup. The store is sparse in furnishings and extras, but this is a coffee shop.  This is a Puerto Rican coffee shop.


Bottom line:  one memorable cup of coffee awaits you at Expresso.

 
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Kosher Popcorn

by Eric Marion

 

Jewish visitors to San Juan will find a vibrant and welcoming community with resources to provide for any exigency. Rabbi Levi Stein of the Puerto Rico Chabad has energetically applied himself to providing resources for visitors and residents alike. Rabbi Stein coordinates his activities from a small store in San Juan’s Old City at 263 Fortaleza.

263 Fortaleza itself is an interesting concept; ostensibly the space functions as a kosher popcorn storefront. Bags of flavored popcorn line old paneled walls like artifacts of a jeweler’s window. The storefront appears, in fact, to have been a jewelry store at one time or another. Now, the precious gems come flavored in hues of rum, coconut, and wasabi.

Rabbi Stein provides kosher paninis, fries, salads and danishes from what once may have been a jewelry repair counter. Next door to the store is the Jewish Welcome Center, a small cubbyhole that serves as the digital headquarters of a branch of the Chabad (the Chabad is actually located in Isla Verde at 17 Calle Dalia). For travelers, the headquarters is a handy and accessible application of Rabbi Stein’s vision. At the heart of the enterprise is the Rabbi’s new website, www.chabadpr.com, which provides residents and visitors with a menu of the extensive resources made available by the Chabad. Those resources include a kosher food service, a kosher grocery order service (Rabbi Stein regularly orders kosher food items from the mainland), and a kosher valet and catering service.

For more information, visit the Chabad’s website.

 
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chocolate

 

Chocolate Covered Dreams

by Eric Marion

 

210 Calle San Francisco is San Juan's biggest and best kept new secret. The Old City's only private art collection is housed in a new museum facility owned and operated by Puerto Rico's legendary Cortes family.

A bit of history is in order. The Brothers Cortes started producing Chocolate confectionaries 97 years ago when the Caribbean Basin was still very much agrarian. The Company grew and prospered, and was handed down through three generations to the current owner, Ignacio Cortes. Cortes Chocolates are well-known in Puerto Rican, in no small part due to the advent of television.

As television became a household commodity, the Cortes Chocolate Company gained fame in Puerto Rico by hosting an "American Idol" type talent show as a sponsor and contributor. The show was famous for its harsh treatment of undeserving contestants:  badly received performers were tossed a quarter and informed "take it, you'll need it for the bus ride home". The well known jingle which announced Cortes Chocolate sponsorship is still sung by Puerto Ricans of a certain age. 

The Cortes family still owns and operates the Cortes Chocolate. The current Cortes, Ignacio, was introduced to the world of art by his father during a visit to the Sorolla Museum in Madrid. Over the next 35 years, Iganacio acquired works from numerous Caribbean, Central and South American Artists.  After consulting with his wife, Mr. Cortes decided to share his art with the world and began construction on a new private museum located at 210 Calle San Francisco, in Old San Juan.

The new museum splendidly displays Mr. Cortes collection of notable art, including works by Arnaldo Roche Rabell, Nick Quijano, Jose Morales, and Hector Hyppolite.

The facility is nearing completion, with teak flooring, industrial finishes, and very adequate climate control. The third floor section of Casa Cortes is open to the public Monday, Tuesday and Saturday from 11-5. All visitors are given a free chocolate, and there is no charge to admission.

The collection is a splendid accumulation of local art which rivals the collections at Museo de Las Americas and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Ignacio Cortes’ 30 year infatuation with art is well-documented by the astounding pieces he has collected. Whether visiting or a year-round resident, this delightful museum is well worth a visit. This site will most definitely be added to local “must see” attractions for Old San Juan.

 

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