By Michelle Cloutier
Walking into Pal Campo Restaurant, you are immediately greeted by smiling, friendly staff – and a very large “flamboyant” tree. This beautiful tree, a Royal Poinciana, stands proudly in the entry as a reminder that you are entering a truly authentic Puerto Rican experience. Immerse yourself in the rustic, hand-painted artwork as you dine. Take the time to walk around the restaurant.
If you’ve never been to Puerto Rico, the food at Pal Campo, which means “countryside,” will transport you there. The staff is trained to guide you through the extensive menu offering cuisine from the coastal as well as interior regions of the island. There is plenty of meat and seafood, including a whole fried red snapper, conch and octopus. Definitely island flavor there!
Did I mention the huge portions? We could have fed a family with the “Assorted Pal Campo” appetizer. Heavy on meats, it offered marinated pork, chicken cracklings, Puerto Rican sausage, and fried ribs. The lighter elements were the tastiest to our American palates – fried country cheese in a guava sauce and lightly fried cassava root. The platter was more than a meal in itself, so I recommend trying one or two appetizers each visit.
I decided to try the Skirt Steak (Churrasco) with Chimichurri sauce, having once dined on it near Rincon, Puerto Rico. It did not disappoint! The steak was well-pounded into tenderness (if you’ve eaten skirt steak, you know this is a rare thing!), and the Chimichurri sauce was freshly chopped parsley with just enough garlic to enhance the steak’s chargrilled flavor.
Of course, there’s Mofongo – fried, mashed green plantains – but you have to try the Trifongo! Served in a deep wooden bowl, this mixture of green and ripe plantains and yucca can be topped with the protein of your choice – chicken, steak, shrimp, crab or even octopus – in garlic or creole sauce. We tried the chicken in creole sauce, ate our fill, and even took some of the rich, creamy goodness home.
We topped off our dinner with vanilla flan. Instead of a wobbly custard bathed in caramel, we were presented with a creamy, almost cheesecake-texture slice of rich, velvety deliciousness. Rich, but not too sweet. A perfect ending to the meal. If it had not been late evening, we would have topped off the dinner with some picked-on-the-island “Draco Rosa” coffee!
Pal Campo is meant to bring a taste of home to native Puerto Ricans and introduce the American palate to the varieties and wonder of good, home island cooking. Jon, the chef, had his own restaurant on the island and helped open the first Pal Campo in Orlando five years ago. Seeing an opportunity to bring home cooking to Tampa, Jon and the owners opened the Tampa restaurant in the summer of 2019. I am looking forward to visiting the island again and again through the exceptional service, food, and décor of Pal Campo Restaurant.
Pal Campo is located adjacent to the AMC Veterans Cineplex at 9218 Anderson Rd., Tampa. Regular hours are 11:30am – 9pm Friday – Sunday, and 3pm – 8pm Monday – Thursday. Phone: 813-252-8271. Website: http://www.palcamporestaurant.com.