La Picua in Cartagena, Colombia
La Picua is what every tourist hopes to stumble upon while traveling: an authentic, locally-owned restaurant serving up fresh food that gives you a new experience. La Picua reminded me of a small beachy, restaurant that you might find off a sandy path in the Bahamas or Costa Rica. But, the difference here is that La Picua is located inside Centro Histórico, or the Walled City in Cartagena. No beaten path required.
Like maniacs, our six person group walked into this restaurant at around 6pm on a weekend. We asked for a table, and in incredible fashion, the one waiter went back to the window into the kitchen, and asked what appeared to be the only chef if she could accommodate us. Generally, this would deeply concern me, especially considering the restaurant had perhaps four other total patrons sitting down. But the good news traveled back to us, and we were seated for dinner.
I'll pause to say, this interaction makes me think that a reservation here would have been wise. If you're hoping to find an online reservation, keep dreaming: this restaurant doesn't even have a website. You'll need to actually pick up a phone for this one.
Upon sitting down, we quickly realized that there was no air conditioning. The waiter spent about 20% of his time rearranging two big fans that were fighting uphill to keep the dining room cool. Was it cool? Definitely not. But that's part of the experience. Then, about 5 minutes after sitting down, suddenly the power went completely dark. Looking outside, it appeared that the entire street had lost power, which apparently is not totally uncommon in certain areas of the Walled City. We exchanged sympathetic looks with the waiter, and filed out of the restaurant to find another meal. But before we could get far, the power turned right back on. We went back inside La Picua to give it another shot.
Some of my Rex for Cartagena identify certain spots as only good for drinks or cocktails. La Picua is a food spot. You need to eat here. From what I could tell, there was a tiny Colombian grandmother in the kitchen putting her Caribbean spin on Cartagena's classics. She's not trying to win Michelin stars or get written up in the food blogs. She's cooking what her grandmother taught her, the only way she knows how.
One thing to know: If seafood ain't for you, keep walkin'. The best things we ate here all contained shellfish and came from the ocean. If you consider yourself seafood-tolerant or even seafood-curious, consider this your encouragement to try something new.
If a white fish is your seafood safe zone, try the grilled snapper. Yes, there are eyeballs, and yes, you'll need to chew slowly to avoid the bones. But if this ain't the freshest, juiciest fish you've ever had, I don't know where else you'll find a better filet. The meat of the fish is plentiful and salty, and the dish is served with sweet coconut rice on the side, a cucumber salad, and traditional fried plantains. If you're worried that a fish won't fill you up, I think you'll be proven wrong here.
For those who have never shied away from a shellfish, order the Cazuela de Mariscos. This is seafood's final boss. Served in a hot pot, this dish is brimming with clams, oysters, squid, and an entire crab, claws and all. The broth is both rich and salty - like a robust stew should be. We kept eating this stew even after we were far too full.
As we were eating our entrees, the power went out for a second time, again for only a few minutes. Perhaps there's a metaphor here. At La Picua, the service wasn't fast, the dining room was hot, and we definitely had to use a little bit of Google Translate to get our point across. But the service was incredibly kind, the food was authentic, and it was a new experience. It's not what you're used to, and that's the point. If the power goes out (once or even twice), have a laugh and eat your fish.
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