Guanimes con Bacalao (Cornmeal Dumplings with Salt Cod)
THE ROAD TO the mountain town of Ciales, near the center of Puerto Rico, snakes upward as it cuts through lush green forest. Casa Vieja appears, almost suddenly, like a bright blue beacon of roadside dining on a sharp bend when you thought you might have passed the last remaining restaurant miles ago. Overlooking the verdant Toro Negro Forest, Casa Vieja couldn’t be in a more perfect setting.
Within minutes of opening, the outdoor deck is so full that we grab the last available table inside as a line begins to form under the awning. Manager Gerardo Mena and his waitstaff offer a variety of fresh tropical fruit juices, cocktails, and frosted bottles of beer to those waiting to stave off their thirst and keep their hunger at bay.
Casa Vieja is owned by Gerardo’s mother, Blanca Ayala, and was built to mimic the house that she grew up in. The interior walls are whitewashed horizontal
