Ambergris Caye Directory

Restaurant Review

November 25, 2011 - 15:49

Dine With Art at Casa Picasso

Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest artists of all time, a master of the arts, is truly an inspiration. And when it comes to dining in San Pedro there is one cozy corner in the island that emulates artistry, both in the culinary field as well as in its surroundings. Casa Picasso is back and after a year’s hiatus the popular restaurant has been brought to life once more by Adam and Jackie Feldman.

By the looks of things, Casa Picasso will be teeming with life once again as the hotspot it once was. The restaurant continues to live up to its “Dine Artfully” motto as Ambergris Today found out when the staff was invited to sample its new menu which included some fantastic tapas, delicious entrees and sweet desserts.

“Casa Picasso has always been a beloved, chic dining experience in San Pedro featuring global tapas and eclectic menu choices in an “artful” setting,” commented the Feldmans. “When Picasso closed its doors, it left a void in the San Pedro dining scene and was sorely missed by both our hometown neighbors and countless visitors who chose Picasso’s as part of their adventures in Belize.”

But the sad days are over for patrons who loved to visit Casa Picasso. With strong backgrounds in the food & beverage and marketing industry, Adam and Jackie are adding their personal touches to the menu at the restaurant and bar. They have taken the time to sit down with their chef and mixologist/bartender to fine tune each item on the menus. This goes from adding their personal recipes, adjusting some to suite with local ingredients, working with as much organic products as possible and the ‘hardship’ of perfecting the great list of martinis at the bar.

They have enlisted the expertise and experience of 4-Star New York Times Chef Hasni “Jeff” Ghazali (Bentara and Central Steakhouse) who overlooked the kitchen as Casa Picasso prepared to open its doors to the public. Taking the reins in the kitchen now is Executive Chef Tien Vo and his staff that have created a Mediterranean influenced menu with, of course, a touch of Caribbean cuisine that ties it up with the island dining experience.

“Excellent food made with local fish, meats and produce with a focus on taking the ordinary and making it extra--?ordinary became our mantra; collaboration became our game,” commented the Feldmans.

If you have the opportunity to meet Chef Vo, please do. He is a breath of fresh air, who knows a lot about cuisine and such a pleasure to talk to. He made our staff feel at home and we also saw him visiting other tables to check up on his dining guests.

What was for dinner? Have a look and then go for a taste; we know you will love it!

Salads included the Organic Salad Mix with avocado dressing and local vegetable and the Jicama and Yellow bell peppers with lime vinaigrette. Both very light and refreshing, especially the Jicama.

Tapas Delight – Keeping it Global
On the top of our Tapas list has got to be the Savin Rock Lobster Roll Sliders. Buns soaked in rich butter bursts in your mouth as you bite into these amazing sliders. Then there is the Malaysian Chicken Satay with coconut peanut sauce - tender chicken in skewers has an amazing taste that is complimented with great coconut peanut sauce.

Also try the Vietnamese Pork Spring Rolls with sesame hoison sauce. It’s pork with cilantro, diced tomatoes, rice noodles; they are very light on the body and all organic (can be modified for vegetarians as well). The hoison sauce is a winner!

Other tapas include Roasted Button Mushrooms with goat cheese and chili oil, Belizean Stew Chicken Sliders on local burger bread, and the Vegetable Terrine with is layers of grilled vegetables (corn, purple eggplant, squash, zucchini) with a balsamic reduction dressing and crostini.

Entrées:
The Curry Rice Noodles, with sautéed vegetables (chaya, cauliflower, bell peppers) was probably the favorite all around the table. We could not get enough of it, but the Banana leaf wrapped snapper made its rounds at the table. The banana leaf, sweet tamarind sauce and a trio of bell peppers give the catch of the day a fantastic flavor; fresh fish all the time.

*Rendang Pork Spare Ribs are prepared Malaysian style with turmeric coconut rice and acar (pickled vegetables which include cucumber, pineapple, carrots, onions and a habanero sauce)

*Lobster Risotto that is very creamy and flavorful

A Treat for Dessert
The best part of dessert was the homemade ice cream, in particular the Coconut Ice Cream. They have that ice cream packed with grated coconut that is second to none on the island. It’s rich and “Hmm, so good”. The ice cream accompanied two other dessert items which included the decadent Molten Chocolate Cake with fruit coulis and the Fried Chocolate Banana Wontons with Picasso Kahlua Sauce, “Mucho Bueno”! Other ice cream flavors include vanilla and chocolate that can be ordered as a trio along with the coconut flavor. Oh, and do try the Coconut Flan; it’s sweet but not too sweet, just perfect!

“We always knew that we would make Ambergris Caye our home after our children had grown and we had been preparing for that eventuality for many years,” commented Jackie. We believe that Adam and Jackie have a great passion and love for what they do and feel their warmth whenever we visit Casa Picasso. They are a fantastic, fun-loving and cheerful couple that truly makes you feel welcomed. Casa Picasso is back and back with great flare. See you there, and do let them know that Ambergris Today sent you. :)

It is only fitting that local art hangs on the walls at Casa Picasso, with even some replicas from the famous artist. Casa Picasso sets a very cozy and homey atmosphere with an inviting dining area highlighted by bold colors to accent the paintings, a star-lit bar and a small patio in which to chillax!

Martinis
Trevor is the man behind the bar with great cocktails, wines and of course Martinis. Trevor has created amazing martinis which include the Dirty Banana, Esperanza Blue, Limeade and the signature Stingray. Plus there are the traditional martinis which include Watermelon, Pomegranate, Limeade, Classic Cosmopolitan and the Manhattan.

The bar/lounge stays open later with Happier Hour prices from 9pm-11pm. Thursdays has its own themed night.
The restaurant is open Tuesday - Saturday from 5:30pm-10pm for dinner.
Reservations are suggested 226-4443

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