OPA OPA at Restaurante Costa Rica

It was nice on Sunday with Opa Opa playing at Restaurante Costa Rica in Anaheim.  Plenty of people showed up, and they had a busy dance floor throughout.

Opa Opa is quite versatile, they play Salsa, Cha-Cha-Cha, Merengue, Cumbias, Boleros, etc, - enough material to keep the crowd engaged and entertained.

One of the songs they played is in their new CD "Los Paisajes", and it also happens to be one of my favorites:  "Yo canto a Puerto Limon" [I sing to Puerto Limon].  Puerto Limon is in the Caribbean Coast in Costa Rica, and it is where Oswaldo Bernard, the band's leader, was born. 

Puerto Limon is also the place of my teenage "escapades".  The place where I learned to exchange the Imperial [beer] bottle's recycle value at the store for bread, cheese, and yet more Imperiales.  The place where I started, and stopped, eating turtle eggs, and the place where I realized that Chinese food and Reggae go together just fine.  "Yo Canto A Puerto Limon" takes me back a good 20 years!  I attempted to tape them while they played it.  Unfortunately, it was dark and a blessed disco ball and its lights were getting my camera all crazy, so rather than the full song, what you'll see below is the better frames put together.  It is not great, but it is fun. 

To hear more from Opa Opa, visit their website http://www.opaopa.biz .  The "Los Paisajes" CD is also available there. 

As far as the gig at Restaurante Costa Rica, I believe they will try to make it there once monthly. I'm sure they'll send the official word when the time comes. Restaurante CostaRica is located at 2500 W Lincoln Ave, in Anaheim.  The food is good, reminds me of my mommy actually.  When you go, order the "casado".  "Casado" means "married".  The story is that the dish is supposed to be the food that a wife would pack for her husband to take for his lunch at work.  The dish would always include: rice, black beans, meat, salad and an egg. And that is exactly what you'll get in your "casado".

The Imperiales are... well, a must-try, at $6 each. 

Between dinner and Opa Opa, I had a great time! I hardly ever get that treat on a Sunday.  That was fun!