Bud

Marcelyn and I had to spend Friday morning (August 27^th) in David on business. At lunch time we stopped by McDonalds on the InterAmerican Highway for a quick snack. While seated inside we watched a team bring in an antique Ford on a trailer, unload it, and then park it on the lawn outside McDonalds. Almost everyone inside McDonalds (not that many because of the pandemic) watched like we did with fascination at backing the Ford onto the grass area. We have no idea why this vehicle is on display or for how long, but it certainly draws attention.

A small group of us expats had our first dining experience at a new Peruvian restaurant that has opened in Boquete. La Barra del Cuzco opened at the end of July on the side street where Isabella's is located. Previously that venue was a private residence, but then converted into commercial purposes about twenty years ago. The original Papa Rico's was located there. Most recently I recall the name of the eatery was Restaurante Las Orquideas. Now it is La Barra del Cuzco.

The ambiance was inviting, and the staff attentive. Two of us had a chicken with yellow chili sauce entrée, which included white rice. Two others had what was labelled salted loin. The waitress promptly delivered our drinks. There is no hard liquor, but beer, sodas, fruit drinks (batidos de fresas, etc.) and bottled water are available. We were pleasantly surprised to be provided some plantain appetizers, which were tasty. Entrée serving sizes were quite large, which led to some "para llevar" boxes; no problem there. Entrée costs were typically $12 to $16, not including drinks.

Besides interacting with our waitress, we also met the owner, Robert Dunkley, who answered our questions about the background of his new restaurant. Both the waitress and the owner were very competent with English. Credit cards and cash accepted; receipts provided without requesting such. None of us asked for or about a jubliado discount, so I cannot comment on that topic. There were no other dining customers during our stay of approximately 45 minutes, but two gentlemen did stop by for about fifteen minutes for beer drinks only. Low noise level so our table conversation was unimpeded.

Overall it was a pleasant dining experience and we likely will return.

I asked and was told about their operating hours, but I simply do not remember the details.

Contact Information: labarradelcuzco@gmail.com

Here are some of the pictures we took.

The Main Street Side Sign

Robert Dunkley, the Owner, Outside the Restaurante

Some of the Interior Décor

More of the Interior Décor

The Chicken Entrée With Yellow Sauce, and White Rice

The Salted Loin Entrée, With Rice and Plantains

I can think of several venues for a small wedding. None of these are a recommendation, simply an option to consider.

• La Posada
• Stone Cabins
• Tapout
• Arco Iris Salon
• Mesa Azul
• The Rock
• Tree Trek Restaurant

Many years ago Marcelyn and were married in the US, but delayed our wedding reception until we were in Boquete. The reception was held at the restaurant that was affiliated with and managed by Hotel Oasis. Anayansi and her staff did a spectacular job of decorating and servicing the approximately 100 guests we had invited. Things change through time, and that restaurant is now Mesa Azul, which is operated by people not affiliated with Hotel Oasis. But it is the same place, and a wonderful setting for our event.

Several of us returned to La Cuchilla last Friday for dinner. Again, great food, great customer service, and good value. Marcelyn and i had dinner with drinks for less than $10. One of our party had the pork ribs plate and it looked scrumptious. We plan to try the ribs plate on our next visit to La Cuchilla.

Here is another shot of their menu, as it existed last Friday (in case of selection changes or price changes), along with two "grab" shots.

Our understanding is YES. But expect long wait times.

Have your friend ask a friend with a computer to make an appointment. Things go much faster with an appointment, and making an appointment is easy. Even I could do it.

See Marcelyn's blog entry about this. https://chiriqui.life/blogs/entry/446-and-now-i-know-renewing-panamanian-drivers-license-ain’t-easy-for-seniors/

Our vehicle is registered here in Boquete. During our twenty years here there have been about four instances of vehicle license plates not being available. The first time that happened I was quite stressed. But then friends gave me a tip -- TIP, meaning This Is Panama. Not a big deal. Also, no plate means no sticker; they go together.

What you need to protect yourself if stopped by authorities is a letter prepared by your licensing office to the effect that your registration is current but they have no plates. I am not aware of a standardized template for these kinds of letters. The police understand the situation. A copy of your paid receipt is nice, but may not be accepted. What you need, to the best of my knowledge and as mentioned previously, is the letter from the licensing office.

I recommend having that letter in paper form, but the police might accept it as a digital image.

A couple of dinner friends recently joined Marcelyn and me to tryout the recently opened Restaurante Meye Bounore, which is located on Calle Principal in Bajo Boquete, just to the right of Restaurante El Sabroson #1. Meye Blounore is a "tipico" restaurant and priced for those on limited budgets. Quantities of food were large, and a reasonable selection of various entrees and accompaniments. Marcelyn and I each had a dinner costing $4.00. The ambiance is quite inviting -- the walls are not painted, but covered with wooden palettes and decorative items. Cash only, no credit cards accepted.

Here are some pictures taken during this dining experience.

 Luis was the counter attendant.

Here are menu items.

Two of our plates.

And now for the décor and ambiance.

And the contact information.

In case you have no idea what happens at a duck race, here is a short recounting of what I witnessed, accompanied with pictures.

Start with the host and organizers setting up.

And then getting the duck/balloons assembled and labeled. 

Followed by the admissions check-in desk.

Then there is the friendly Tapout staff taking care of food and drink orders for the participants.

Now the selling of the 50/50 Raffle tickets.

More on the preparation of the balloons, which seems to be an unending task, followed by transporting the ducks out of Tapout, across the bridge to the deployment station.

Some of the Tapout patrons enjoying the activities (and the food).

Then the release of the duck/balloons for the first race.

Back inside Tapout is a TV display showing the action in the river in real time.

Then the second duck/balloon race follows the same route.

Some of the very happy second race winners (names not known to me).

The two finalists' ducks/balloons on display for the runoff race. That's the volunteer staff showing the two first place ducks/balloons from the two races. That is Mona Lisa on the left and Linda on the right, two of the volunteers.

Release of the two finalists ducks/balloons for the runoff.

Marcelyn and I joined a few other amigos last Friday late afternoon for a dining experience. The name of the eatery is La Cuchilla, which is Spanish for "the knife". La Cuchilla is located in Bajo Boquete where BQT used to be located before the pandemic caused its demise. 

I have to tell you right up front that the customer service was superb. For instance, there are both outdoor tables and indoor seating (kinda "indoor" given that the "walls" are such that air can circulate; see below). We opted for the indoor seating because Boquete has been windy and cool recently, and this was late afternoon with the sun beginning to set. The entire staff came out to arrange the tables so that we could sit as a group. We did not even ask for that kind of service, but there it was.

Below is a picture of the food delivery station;  the order station is on the right side of the container building. I purposefully left in the image the bamboo "wall" (on the left side of the image). The bamboo walls can be a good clue for when you are trying to locate the restaurant.

The food selection is as expected for this kind of restaurant. See the below picture of the menu selections. Prices are very reasonable. The food preparation and quality of the ingredients was excellent. Serving sizes were large, but not enormous (thank goodness). Drink selections are bottled water, soft drinks, and beers. There is no hard liquor. Much to our surprise, credit cards are accepted.

The staff listens well, and notes special requests. For instance, Marcelyn does not like onions and wants her meat to be well done (not even pink'ish). Those special requests were honored. Further, the very fresh hamburger bun was toasted, which is not normal here in this area. Toasted buns is one of our desired food preparation steps.

Some of our dining group participants ordered different varieties of chicken wings. One of our group was raving about the chicken wings being perfectly prepared, some of the best he had ever eaten.

Below is a picture of the great staff, all with smiles and willing to give good customer service. Bottom line here is great food and good value. We will return.

As for contact information, the cash register receipt gives 720-7294 as the telephone number, and info@restaurantelacuchilla.com for email.

For location: when exiting Bajo Boquete but before going up the incline and left curve as you would to pass by CEFATI, go a bit further past the right exit for the Haven Spa, and you will see a left angle exit off Calle Principal. Take that left angular exit, go no more than 200 feet, and then turn right into the parking grounds for La Cuchilla. According to Google Maps this business is still flagged as "BQT Sport and Grill", which is obviously old information. The street address is shown as Calle 13a Sur 6111, Bajo Boquete, but without street signs that kind of address is of little benefit.

Agree with the quality, service, and value provided by the Fish House. It is at the top of our list of favorite restaurants here in Boquete. Recently had a chicken wrap for a dinner entre. Very tasty, but way too much food for one meal, so we had a take-home for another feast. Veggies are healthy, and their coleslaw is the best.

Every time we arrive at the Fish House, the waitress already knows what we drink, and brings them immediately. Such great service!

Some web email clients let you configure email address "aliases". I had to do this with Union Fenosa (now Naturgy) because my email address contains a period and their software did not allow such characters (contrary to Internet standards, but that is a different conversation). I tried for two years to get that issue fixed but Union Fenosa refused or was unwilling or unable, or.....

Recently Naturgy simply stopped sending all emails to me. I have to get my bills off of their website. No paper bills, no e-bills. Really good customer service.

Several of us decided to try the new Restaurante Al Punto in Bajo Boquete. Al Punto is in the same location where the former Machu Picchu was located (Isabellas is in the same complex). Upon arrival we were greeted in English by Martin, who asked if we had a preference as to seating location. We were the only customers, and so we chose close to the front window. The menu was extensive, and mostly Italian style entrees. We ordered our appetizers (garlic bread, which was very well prepared), and drinks. They currently do not have a liquor license, and so it was water, sodas, and the like. As soon as the liquor licensing procedure can be completed then Al Punto intends to stock a rather large inventory of excellent wines. I suspect beer will be included as well.

Service was excellent. Drinks were promptly delivered, followed almost immediately with the garlic bread (it was so good that we had a repeat order). Then the main entrees came out. We all noticed attention to details, such as the proper and consistent placement of utensils, etc.

Below are some pictures of the facility, the front cover of the menu (much too detailed to try to capture all the pages using pictures), and the food items. We were further pleasantly surprised to be served dessert, without asking for it. Dessert was flan.

We learned that Al Punto has a special business luncheon menu, which is all inclusive, reduced selection of items, but very attractively priced.

Food preparation was excellent. Serving sizes were quite large. Presentation was well done. Again, attention to details was obvious.

Marcelyn and I had dinner with everything included (soda drinks, 2 x appetizers, one entree and tip) for about $24.00. I did not ask about the prices of the other meals, but suspect similar to our entree. This early in the restaurant's life is cash only, but with intention of accepting credit cards as soon as the paperwork can be completed. We all expressed a desire to return for more fine dining experiences in the future.

Here is their contact information:

Restaurante Al Punto
Boquete, Chiriqui
+507 6688-6463
rest_alpunto06@gmail.com

Marcelyn and I had a very long day in David on business yesterday (Friday, November 6th). When we got back into Bajo Boquete it was still drizzling, and another stay at home evening. However, we also had some important mail to pick up at MBE Boquete, and so we stopped by there about 4:45PM to retrieve our mail. Parking was difficult because it seemed like everyone in Panama was in downtown Boquete. Marcelyn stayed in the car and I walked across the street to MBE. Upon exiting MBE I noticed a trailer across the street with the sign "Musk Burgers" and it appeared to be open for business. I talked Marcelyn into trying a Musk Burger, given that we were already exhausted from being in David since 7:30AM.

We approached the trailer, and were greeted by two gentlemen, one of whom spoke good English. There is a menu sign to the right of the counter area, with most burgers being $9.95, including french fries and a coke. We ordered a "California Burger", well done, and cut in half (Marcelyn and I generally split entrees), and without onions. The special order was taken promptly (and with appreciation). We were told it would take about 15 minutes to prepare. We told the staff that we would wait in our car (it was still drizzling), and returned to pickup the order about 10 minutes later. They were finishing the order as I returned to the counter. Everything was bagged up, and home we went.

The menu is limited to various varieties of burgers, some of them huge, plus the accessories such as drinks and fries. I saw no indication of drinks other than non-alcoholic drinks. I was particularly impressed with the sanitation of the facility.

Upon arriving at home and sinking our teeth into the burger, we both quickly concluded this is one of the best burgers in town. The quality of the beef was outstanding, quite juicy, and very flavorful. Our order was prepared precisely as requested.

When the weather is better, it would be nice to have a table or two in front of the trailer itself for dining at the facility.

Here is a picture of their paper bag with contact information showing. I just wish I had taken a picture of the burger itself. In case the wording is hard to read, I will provide it here:

• Bryan Vásquez was the name on the cash receipt right above the business name of Musk Burger (BTW, cash only, no cards)
• 6138-8426
• @muskburgerpty (presumed to be Twitter, but not sure)
• muskburgerpty@gmail.com

We definitely plan to patronize Musk Burgers again, again.... I have no idea why I never noticed it before.

Three of us decided to try Mister Angus Restaurant, which is located in Bajo Boquete. Actually, the "restaurant" is a rather huge red truck parked on the backside of a large lot, one street west of the Avenida Principal.  There is a covered area in front of the truck. I think there were five or six tables, all on a rock base "ground/floor".

We went there with steak on our minds, and so did not completely review their menu. There is no printed menu, nor a chalkboard, etc. The menu is on the owner's cell phone, which I found a bit awkward, but given that we were there for steaks it made things easy. Both parties ordered rib-eyes, with french fries, and a salad. Marcelyn and I typically order one entree and split it; that was not a problem for the management. We then sat down, but were called back about two minutes later due to the fact that they had only one rib-eye, but with the suggestion of their "tomahawk" steak. We had never heard of a tomahawk steak before, but management explained that it is slightly bigger than the rib-eye, bone-in, same quality, same price. Both steaks were to be cooked 3/4 (medium well).

We have no idea what other main entrees are available at Mister Angus. Nor do we know if there are desserts or appetizers. Presumably not, but not sure.

Another minute or two and our drinks were delivered to our table. There are no alcoholic beverages, and so we had one orange drink and two Coca-Colas (all served from aluminum cans), with glasses filled with ice. Eating utensils and napkins, etc., were also delivered to our table.

Our two entrees were soon delivered on black stone tablets (plates) that had been heated, with words of caution about being careful. Nice touch. The rib-eye was cooked as desired, and tasty, although as domestic beef it was, as expected, a bit tough, but not like shoe leather.

Price-wise the steaks each were $17.00. By the time we added the drinks our bill was $40.25. We included a tip in Martinelli's. Cash only, no cards, etc.

Overall it was a very good meal, good service, etc.  We likely will go back.

If there have to be complaints, there would be two, but not serious flaws. First is that the servings are HUGE. We ended up taking away two doggie bags. Also, $17.00 is not a bad price for a steak, but it is on the high side by our standards. Given that there easily are multiple servings from each order then the price is more reasonable.

We intended to take pictures of the facility and the food, but we were so hungry that we dove into the food before remembering to take pictures. Please forgive the poor photography style of showing you partially consumed plates of food.

First is the big red truck.

Next is the rib-eye steak plate. Note the large cuts of beef (that is one entree, not two).

Next is the tomahawk steak plate, and notice the huge bone, which will make a dog (or three) quite happy. Again a single entree, not two.

Next is the salad, which was huge - more than three people could eat.

And finally the french fries (quite tasty) and the mashed potatoes, and salsas, etc.

Schleifchenleuchter is German for "little ribbon chandelier".

(From a formerly somewhat fluent German speaker.)

You may want to check with the urologists and gastroenterologists in this area. I have first hand experience with Dr. Don Guerrero, and recommend him highly. He speaks good English. Check out all of the health care resources as listed here on CL at https://chiriqui.life/topic/1743-health-care-resources-for-the-chiriqui-province/.

Through the years the calzones at Papa Ricos have been one of our favorites. Great taste, large serving size, and fantastic value. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, Papa Ricos had to close its business, which was across the street from the Arco Iris Salon at the Feria Grounds. That was such a disappointment for us.

Then a friend told us this week that Papa Ricos is now open and located in Alto Boquete, just north of Ivan's. We went there late yesterday afternoon and I could not control myself. Bought seven calzones of different varieties. One was to be our dinner last night and the other six went into the deep freeze.

Again it was great value. Seven calzones cost $31.00, which is less than $4.50 per unit. Marcelyn and I split one calzone, and even that was bordering on a lot of food for each of us. Our dinner calzone last night was the combo variety, meaning chicken, salami, and ham combined together. The six calzones in the freezer are two each of chicken, salami, and ham. I had never had the combo version previously, but it became my favorite last night.

Upon arrival at Papa Ricos I was met by Leo. From the language skills it was obvious that he is a gringo. I have no idea if he is the owner, manager, an employee or what, but he was friendly, knowledgeable, and totally committed to good customer service. Turned out that he is from Texas, so there we were -- two Texans reminiscing about things Texan.

If you want good food, especially calzones, you gotta go to Papa Ricos. They also do pizzas and other entrees. Leo indicated that they will open for in-house dining as soon as Minsa allows them to do so.

Here is a picture of their storefront.

Marcelyn and I visited the newly relocated and reopened Tuesday BCP Market. We arrived about 11:30AM, and after doing the entrance bio-safety protocol, found about 25 vendors well spaced. The room was squeaky clean, people were friendly, good selection of goods. We had no intention of buying anything, but Marcelyn found a purse that she adored and so made that saleslady very happy with a purchase of the purse. After walking around a bit, I then chatted with Emily Haworth of Miel Boqueteña place (the "butterfly place") and ended up buying a bottle of Boquete honey.

We understand that more vendors will be present in the near future. So glad that the BCP Tuesday Market is back in operation, and think the BCP management has done a wonderful job. Boquete is slowly returning to some degree of normalcy. Actually I am happy that the BCP Market is in a new facility because it is much nicer, less crowded, and with better facilities.

We understand that a Minsa agent was there in the Arco Iris Room during our presence monitoring of the opening event. We were not bothered or even approached by Minsa.

We have called Big Daddy's Grill on some weekends during our lockdown for home delivery service. One such order was a birthday celebration, and Chris did a special steak order for us. It was an imported rib-eye cut, and incredible food.

This past weekend we did another Saturday order, again for a special steak order, which Chris did a superb job. Bryan of the GoGoose Delivery service delivered our order, right on time (even though it was in the middle of some heavy rain).

We highly recommend take out or delivery orders from Big Daddy's Grill. Great food, great customer service, and really good value. If we had to have a complaint it would be that the servings are too big, which means we easily get four servings out of each order.

Bottom line is a "thank you" to Chris and support staff for helping us get through these difficult pandemic times.

We have a very good general contractor that takes care of all of our home maintenance needs. I am reluctant to publish his contact information here because he is very busy. If you send me a PM (private message) or an email (see my signature block, below) or call me then we can talk in more detail. He is bilingual.

Where is the Cable & Wireless office in Boquete? It used to be in Plaza Los Establos.

Thanks for the additional clarification. Hopefully there will be a denial.

There are too many variations on lifestyle and residency arrangements. Some people rent with utilities included and have no car, so they have no proof of their physical residence within Boquete, or automobile insurance, etc. Or how about a spouse whose utilities are in the other's name? Etc., etc., etc.

It is nice (comforting, perhaps?) that the mayor wishes us all to be healthy and happy, but the means to achieve such should not be Draconian.

Another home run for great food, fantastic service (home delivery), and for a good cause (ACCBoquete and DogCamp Boquete). If I was forced to fault something it would be too much food, but that is good for leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Congratulations to all who worked on this.

On 5/25/2020 at 8:58 AM, Bud said:

Penny,

You are an angel.   Thank you.

I picked up the proper form from Penny Tuesday morning (05/26) as soon as my mobility window opened up, and trundled immediately to Banco Nacional. They were closed. Duh. I was not aware of their new schedule. Banco Nacional is open in the afternoons of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday; it is open in the mornings on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

So I returned to Banco Nacional yesterday (Thursday, May 28th) as my first stop when my mobility window opened up. I was in and out in about seven minutes. There were very few bank customers. Processing of the tasa unica form was slow and meticulous. It seemed that the bank teller was triple checking everything that had been entered into the computer before hitting the enter button so as to avoid any mistakes (of that I was appreciative). When finished, he smiled and said in English "have a nice day".

My tasa unica fee payment matter is now completed for FY-2020.

I've learned a lesson from this. I like Penny's approach. Next time I find the correct form at the bank I will take three or four spares with me.

Another huge hug to Penny for helping out on this issue.