Tilapia Farm

The sign reads Rancho Las Tilapias, Comida Tipica.  Tipica.  I love that word.  Typical.  The better translation would be authentic.  Another really great word.  Around here, the phrase comida tipica, is used everywhere.  After all, while the comida tipica (authentic cuisine) here is simple, it is pretty tasty.  And one assumes, comida tipica is what ticos and travelers are here to eat.  No one around here is looking for the perfect burger or steak tartare.  On a lovely Sunday a few weeks ago, we got together with our friend Omar, his wife Rosita, and their darling son, Omar pequeno (Little Omar).  As it happens, one of Omar's brothers is the proprietor of the Tilapia Farm.  When we arrived, I was impressed by the sheer size of the place.  Within this Farm, there are two swimming pools, two Tilapia ponds, a restaurant and lovely grounds.  In the states, there is a lot of concern about farm raised fish.  Something about the water being dirty and gross and stagnant or something like that.  All I know is that with snakes in my yard and spiders in my house and crocodiles altogether too close to Adrian where he surfs, dirty fish water is not on my list of things to be worried about right now.  This is a picture of one of the Tilapia ponds.   
The boys and Omar ordered the Tilapia.  You order the fish, someone walks out to one of the ponds and within minutes, they have caught your fish and it's being prepared.  I don't think you can get any fresher than that,  The fish was a great choice since it is their specialty although Ivan wasn't completely stoked by the eyeballs and bones!  I ordered Olla de Res, (beef stew) and it was really tasty.  Full of delicious veggies.

After we ate, Ivan went for a swim.  They have this one GIANT pool that happened to be drained but the other one had a long slide, so Ivan went in that one.  The huge plastic slide is definitely not to code by any country's standards but what are you going to do?  Poor Ivan had a giant bruise on his hip for days afterward from a particularly gnarly curve but he claims it was well worth it.

My sons have had to adjust to the amount of time spent in a restaurant when we go out.  It's not just that it takes so long to get your order, but the whole experience lasts much longer than it does in the states.  There is something they do here that I grew up with called 'sobremesa.'  Literally, it means 'over the table' and it means that you spend time at the table after the meal.  Just talking, enjoying each other's company and frequently someone will find a guitar nearby and start playing and if I am very, very lucky, singing.  On this particular day, there was no guitar playing or singing but it was still a lovely afternoon, very well spent. 

Comments

[Dennis]

Here in Nevada they have a place called Wild Bills Casino right at the I-15 at the state line CA. Prim Nv. and I rode the rollercoaster with my younger daughter some years ago and after the first ride I got off and my back was hurting for about 6 months later. Because of the sharp turns and speed. I think I was lucky that I didn't break my back. Question Is that the real color of the water in the pool or is that just because of camera angle?. It almost looks like they used the pond water.. Ha Ha....

[Marta]

While the eyeballs-to-tale fish is off-putting to me, I'm sure it was completely delicious. =D
The 'sobremesa' experience is something I try mightily to re-create here in my own home. It speaks of an ease of life that doesn't exist here. (sigh)

[nora]

Dennis!
You made me laugh so hard about the pool/pond water! Got me thinking though...

Marti,
If ANYONE knows how to make the sobremesa fun, it would be La Cubana!

[Don Sausa]

These fish ponds are safer as long as they have a closed looped system. The water is transferred to a hydroponics area where the plants eat away at the waste, good water comes back to the pond. In open systems, where the water is continuously running from rivers, possible disease or toxins can come through. The only exception is if the water source is from fresh springs, then it is relatively safe as long as the spring source is safe.