This picture was taken yesterday.  And yes, that is fresh snow falling – on top of the several feet of snow that has been on the ground since November. I am so done with this winter. Enough already!

So to help me think happy (and warm) thoughts, I’ll return to our Panama trip.

When people ask what we do when we travel, our stock answer is that we wander around trying to figure out where we will eat dinner. We say this only partly in jest. It’s actually a great way to see a city – and to find great food. That was how we ended up at Navaja on our second night in Panama.

It is fairly small and unassuming, but with wonderful food. Apparently it’s not the kind of place that tourists discover. That led to a conversation with the people at the next table, and before long we had a recommendation for an even more out-of-the-way restaurant. If you didn’t already know about Donde Jose, there is no way you would even guess it was a restaurant.

See what I mean? Even with reservations and the exact address, we had a difficult time finding the entrance (it is the doors on the far right). But oh my, was it worth it.  The restaurant has only 16 seats, with a fixed multi-course tasting menu and wine pairing. The dishes focus on local flavors and ingredients, and it is just amazing. You can probably tell that we loved it, and would highly recommend it.  But you absolutely must make reservations well in advance.  We barely managed to get a table before the end of our trip.

That’s all I can write tonight.  My mind is distracted by thoughts of wonderful food…