“Mom, I am going to take you to the best Italian restaurant in town,” my daughter said, starting the car when I first arrived. She had lived and worked in Monteverde when the pandemic started and when she visited later on she treated me to the best dinner in Monteverde.
As a retired tour guide, I presume sometimes I know all the “best places”, however, this time she surprised me by taking me to Bon Appetit. A quaint and warm Italian-style restaurant that proved her right that night.
As time has passed — and now I am counting my third year living here — Bon Appetit has become one of the places that I recommend the most. Not only the place itself is quite charming, and the service is efficient and joyful, but the taste journey of each dish has turned it into one of my personal favorites in town.
Hence, having an interview with its owner Josue, seemed to be an almost compulsory experience.
In this article, I had the chance to sit down with Josue, the restaurateur in charge of Bon Appetit! and its sibling restaurant, and get a chance to understand what it is that inspired this familiar yet fresh idea in the mountains of Monteverde.
The interview
Josue has an open smile and an amiable attitude. It Is one of those people that make you feel at home at all times while honoring his hosting skills. He is generous, creative, and has the permanent air of someone who is always discovering the world anew.
Q. Josue, thank you so much for receiving us. I have had lunch and dinner in your restaurants and I know, first hand, that they are the best in town. Let's talk about your pizzas first. I love all your options, but you must have a specialized oven, Could you tell me about the difference it makes in the cooking?
J: I learned about oven construction more than ten years ago, with a friend. However, the oven you see there is brand new. It is only 9 months old.
The restaurant grew up so much in the last year, we were forced to build the oven out of the kitchen. The one we had before was in perfect condition but we had to demolish it to be able to open more space for clients to come.
Q: Why is it that we feel flavors improve when the pizza is made in a wood oven?
J: For me, nothing replaces a wood oven!
The bricks reflect the heat keeping it not only uniform but also quite high. And then, of course, there is the wood flavor!
We use only certain woods for this oven as it affects the flavor without a doubt.
Q: Really? What do you mean?
J: We use guava tree wood and coffee wood. And they give a perfect smoky flavor to the pizzas, but in trying different sorts, we have discovered that some of the best construction woods are terrible in flavor and can completely spoil a pizza. Either because they burn really fast or because their sap aroma is sour or too sweet.
Q: Do you think that you have to have a special palate to do your job?
J: That alone is a long conversation! Yes. But it goes beyond my own sense of taste as clients may have a different way of seeing flavors and aromas, and what I like, they may not like.
We have to have powerful yet selective senses. But also having an open mind is very important, as sometimes comfort zones catch us without us even noticing. For me, listening to customers when they don’t like something is very important. A client’s complaint can teach us so much!
We must be very strict, from the tomato sauce to the house wines.
We have been growing, learning, and evolving.
Wines are a great challenge. For years I tried different possibilities. I wanted my clients to learn to drink wine. I wanted them to say “That wine was really good” instead of “That wine gave me a headache”.
We improve every day, and I feel very positive about the future.
The pandemic was a “before and after”.
Q: I know that the pandemic was a “before and after” for you. Can you tell me a bit about it?
J: I have lived in Monteverde for 19 years. It’s my home. The travel industry in Costa Rica has grown and so has my restaurant. Before the pandemic I saw the World in another way, Everything was very accelerated, and as weird as it may sound, thank God for what happened in 2020.
I lost a lot as did everyone else in the community. Don’t get me wrong!
But, we learned to value the important things: Family, my children. We learned to value every single client.
Think about this: We had our storage areas full to the brim, with grains, meat, and vegetables. We were in the middle of a really good season! And then everything stopped.
We had to close for three months when the first clients finally showed up, debts were already at the door. And so! If before the pandemic we had good customer service, after the pandemic we valued every single person that went across those doors.
Local tourism started to travel through Costa Rica. And they saved us. Not only the restaurant but all of the tourist regions of Costa Rica!
Interestingly and maybe because of this evident improvement in customer service we have had a recent increase of over 150% from 2019.
We are always trying to get to different sorts of people. Nowadays we are offering gluten-free pizzas, and they are the latest success. We also have several options for vegetarians and vegans. And right now I am researching the de-lactosed products to offer that too in the near future.
Q: Let’s talk about your other adventure: Wine and Grill, what are the differences between both restaurants and why do we want to go to both?
J: Wine and Grill is a quaint place, more personal, and romantic. It’s smaller and it has an amazing view. We are specializing in different sorts of meat. While in Bon Appetit our strongest are the pizzas, the best for families and groups.
The quality of meats in Costa Rica has increased and the wine card in Wine and Grill is high-end. And there are great choices for a glass of house wines.
In Wine and Grill we also serve great pizzas, and pasta, although the flavors are stronger.
The Wine List is more focused on the menu. From a Malbec from Argentina to a Chardonnay from Napa, California.
And while Bon Appetit is for a client that comes from one activity to the next, Wine and Grill is for people to stay and enjoy their time in the restaurant.
Q: I know that you have a great relationship with the Ocotea Boutique Hotel, can you tell me about it?
J: Besides the personal side, we provide them with private transportation from the hotel to any of the restaurants and back. Plus a 10% discount.
A Thanks to Josue!
Add a little bit here to provide a more objective perspective, addressing the facts, and some of the menu items, and tying that all into the interview. Will help provide some legitimacy to his claims and will also keep our legitimacy too. Feel free to tap into our other article.
As conclusion:
When you come to Monteverde, having lunch and dinner at Bon Appetit and Wine and Grill may turn into the highlight of your dining experience while in Costa Rica.
Their food is delicious! All of it! That night with my daughter we ordered a Quatro Stagione, a delicious Mediterranean-styled pizza with black olives, artichokes, and prosciutto. Since then, I have been in Bon Appetit many times. The last time I was there, I ordered a delicious Filet Mignon. But when you come to either restaurant, trust that whatever you order will be delicious!
And when you are a guest of the Ocotea Boutique Hotel, we will make the reservation for you and get you private transportation.
