Wilo Benet is a busy man. He's the chef and owner of three restaurants in Puerto Rico: his flagship, Picayo, which bridges the gap between traditional Puerto Rican dishes and high end cuisine; Payá, a casual spot in the business district of Guaynabo; and Varita, the new rotisserie-style restaurant which opened a few months ago, and which happens to be where I met him last week. His other passions go far beyond food -- he's a drummer, photographer, and saxophonist in what little spare time he can muster -- but fortunately, I was able to see him at his best, serving up mouth-watering dishes and delightful Puerto Rican hospitality. "Puerto Rican food is all about the intensity of flavor," he said. "Things are well-seasoned, but not a single dish is intended to be spicy." With this well-seasoned chef helming these spots, you know you're in good hands. Varita is Benet's latest venture, and here he says he's trying to serve the "comfort food of Puerto Rico -- roasted pork cooked on a spit over wood." The spit -- or varita -- in fact, inspired the name of the restaurant, but that's not the only down-home touch. Benet explained that the meals that you'd find in the small towns in Puerto Rico influenced everything from dishes to the design of the restaurant, pointing out the pressed tin walls that evoke the roofs of the food kiosks scattered along the beaches, the mustard and amber floor tiles that are reminiscent of a country house, and the recovered wood and coconut shells that have been refurbished into the tables and walls.
Continue reading Dinner with Wilo Benet.
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