Playa Negra is beautiful and, also, very remote. My name is Jen and I have been lucky enough to live in this special spot for the last twenty-five years. Opening up and running La Ventana has been as much about cooking as it has been about sourcing supplies, learning a foreign language & adapting to Latin culture. There aren’t any big supermarkets in town and when I first moved here I had a hard time finding ingredients I had otherwise taken for granted in the past. At the local market it was the basics only - white rice, black beans, white bread, eggs, coffee, canned goods and maybe some onions, yuca, potatoes, bananas and pineapples. So it was out of necessity that I realized if I wanted wholegrain bread, for example, I would have to make it myself. If I wanted to eat something besides Gallo Pinto (a typical and delicious Costa Rican breakfast dish) , I would have to get creative with beans. So I taught myself how to make things like fresh bread, hummus and tempeh. Which was fine with me because I have always enjoyed cooking and feeding clean, whole food to my family. Cooking from scratch was not only the only option here if I wanted to eat certain things, but a way for me to really know and control what my food was made of and keep it as healthy as I could.
Fast forward to today and we are now lucky to be able to purchase beautiful and artisanal foods from local producers. Things like organic vegetables, yogurt & cheeses, and naturally brewed teas and fermented drinks are being made right here in Guanacaste by creative people interested in providing quality products. La Ventana has always chosen to buy what we don’t make ourselves from these small, local businesses. Besides being supportive, it’s just better product!
Open since 2007, La Ventana started as a cafe serving customers whole, clean & colorful food made with love. After 19+ years, it's time to change it up a bit. We've closed our cafe to walk-in customers in order to focus on our Catering & Prepared Foods with the same attention to detail and personalization that made our cafe unique. Our collaboration with artist Johnny Coopwood still continues, and his artwork can be seen by appointment, just contact us. Click here to ask about available art, custom work or scheduling an appointment.
Fast forward to today and we are now lucky to be able to purchase beautiful and artisanal foods from local producers. Things like organic vegetables, yogurt & cheeses, and naturally brewed teas and fermented drinks are being made right here in Guanacaste by creative people interested in providing quality products. La Ventana has always chosen to buy what we don’t make ourselves from these small, local businesses. Besides being supportive, it’s just better product!
Open since 2007, La Ventana started as a cafe serving customers whole, clean & colorful food made with love. After 19+ years, it's time to change it up a bit. We've closed our cafe to walk-in customers in order to focus on our Catering & Prepared Foods with the same attention to detail and personalization that made our cafe unique. Our collaboration with artist Johnny Coopwood still continues, and his artwork can be seen by appointment, just contact us. Click here to ask about available art, custom work or scheduling an appointment.
For more information about the artwork, message us at [email protected]