A Panamonte Birthday Dinner

Turning another year older usually isn’t a big deal, but this year was special.  We live in Boquete and we were home today, October 13, David’s birthday, which was unusual.   Usually, we’re off to some faraway place exploring the world in October.  It’s a good time to travel, the rates are low because most travelers are back home working or back in school and the weather is fairly mild everywhere.

But this year, we were home in Boquete and David selected The Panamonte Inn for his birthday dinner.  I grabbed my camera to record our intimate evening at the most acclaimed restaurant in Boquete.  This month, The Panamonte Inn’s Executive Chef Charlie Collins had a front-page article in The Bajareque Times about him, his achievements and his new business ventures in Boquete and David wanted his birthday dinner to be one of Charlie’s specialties.

The scene in front of the fire was as beautiful as any we have seen anywhere in the world. The fire was roaring, the candles flickered and the flames sparkled everywhere.  The photo in front of the fireplace showcases their house red wine, Trivento Vineyards 2007 Shiraz – Malbec, Argentina, a wine that “brings together two of the most noble grape varieties, the shiraz lends great structure and spicy aromas, while the traditional malbec gives its intense color and fruitiness”, to quote the label on the bottle.

The birthday boy preferred his favorite rum, Ron Zacapa Centenario, and Boquete’s #1 bartender, Nelson, poured one over the rocks for David.

We have always loved Charlie’s gourmet cooking, especially his signature trout fillet with guilded butter and almonds over locally-grown spinach, so we ordered it with mashed potatoes.

For an appetizer, nothing is better than his fresh carpaccio of filet mignon with limes, onions, mustard sauce, wasabi and fresh-grated parmesan cheese.

To think that we were at home in Boquete for David’ birthday this year and eating real comfort food in one of the finest restaurants in all the world.

It’s a beautiful life here in Boquete, even when you turn another year older!
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A Menu Fit for a King!

It was exhilarating to have Tom and Caroline Bott as our guests for dinner last night. They were just mentioned in our local newspaper, The Bajareque Times, as celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary in Boquete. Instead of receiving gifts, they asked friends to please make a donation to The Handicap Foundation of Boquete, one of the local 4 charities receiving the proceeds from the Bid 4 Boquete Auction project.

Tom and Caroline have lived in Boquete for over 9 years.  They built “The Castle” in Boquete and we were fortunate to be able to buy their former home adjacent to their new house in El Santuario.  They are very special people, known for upgrading lifestyles in Boquete, their altruistic endeavors,  their love of life.

Last night, we hosted Tom and Caroline for their “farewell” dinner on the night before they left on their world trip to India, Australia and other far-away places.  They had been in David for the day and didn’t return to Boquete until dinner time.  I quickly designed a menu especially for them on this special occasion, their “Farewell Party”, so to speak.

The menu I decided on included all my recently-tried dishes; Baked Fresh Mozzarella with Garlic Oil Infusion, Chef’s Salad with Boquete dressing, Whole Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Chasseur Sauce, Twice-Baked Potatoes, and English-style Scalloped Tomatoes.  Caroline is from Herefordshire, England, so it seemed right to prepare baked tomatoes for her.  For dessert, David grilled Rum-glazed Fresh Pineapple Kabobs ala Greg’s www.sippitysup.com.

We chose a robust wine to serve with the beef tenderloin, Santa Rita Vineyard, 2007 Reserva Carmenere.  The rich fruity flavor paired well with the tenderloin and created a meal meant to be savored.  It was a most delightful evening sitting under the roof of our Ramada with our good friends and neighbors, enjoying the sunset and wondrous landscapes below.  A most “gourmet” evening, if I must say so myself.