Lee la historia en español aquí.

Villalba.- Just when the emergency caused by the coronavirus broke out in the country in 2020, chef Edgardo Maldonado-Cruz decided to begin and prepare different dishes from the comfort of his home.

He sold his culinary creations on Sundays, a business that eventually became his main source of income. However, the intake and acceptance of customers was such that he decided to take a risk and invest his savings in a restaurant that same year. For some the idea was crazy, but that was how Mesa y Campo emerged, in his native Villalba.

“I was unemployed, so was my wife, and the opportunity arose. We had some savings and some chavitos that we got, as they say. Right now I sometimes don’t even believe the support we’ve received from people. Because they’d tell me, ‘You’re crazy, how are you going to open a restaurant in the middle of a pandemic?’” said the 33-year-old man.

Luck was in his favor and in August of that year he had opened the establishment.

“I always wanted to have a restaurant and the opportunity with this location came up. The person who was there before didn’t want to stay during the pandemic, so I spoke with the owner and rented it, and we opened,” said the merchant.

Under the concept that fuses criollo food with modern elements, Edgardo takes advantage of local crops from Puerto Rican farmers and merchants, and takes them from the field to the table.

“Here is where I stand out a lot because every week I make different dishes. I make dishes outside of the menu with what I get. For example, [I get told] ‘Look, I got you a lilac yam.’ They bring it to me and I make brined lilac yam or something like that,” he explained.

Root vegetables, plantains, coriander, recao, sprouts, natural juices and pumpkin are part of the variety of products he receives from the local businesses he supports.

According to Edgardo, Mesa y Campo is distinguished by “the quality of the products, the variety in the menu and the weekly innovation of its dishes.” The reception it has had over the past year and nine months confirms the quality of its service and gastronomy.

Its menu has fixed dishes and irregular dishes that depend on the day’s harvest. He recommends people ask beforehand about the new offerings done with fresh products.

The appetizers on the menu include queso fundido with sweet potato chips, and mushrooms stuffed with prosciutto and Manchego cheese with tamarind sauce.

Customers’ favorite main dishes are the Churrasco Mesa, a churrasco stuffed with chorizo risotto in tamarind and red wine sauce; the Doña Elba Filet, beef filet mignon sautéed in French butter with tostones; Mar y Campo, ribeye and shrimp sautéed in parmesan and garlic cream; and the Mar y Tierra pasta, fettuccine pasta in a creamy garlic sauce with shrimp and steak.

As for drinks, the restaurant offers a variety of natural juices, mojitos, sangrias, margaritas, Tom Collins, Amaretto Sour and Palo Campo, the house drink. Their most famous dessert is the delicious and creamy cheesecake.

“What I like the most is bringing food to the customer. Making people happy with my food. I see people like it, show them the products, what I use, [and] help local businesses here,” said Edgardo, proud of having recently managed to buy the place where he started his restaurant.

Mesa y Campo is located on Highway 151, kilometer 2.3 of Barrio El Pino, Villalba. It operates Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm; Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm and the last Sundays of the month. You can reach them through social media as Mesa y Campo or by calling 787-519-0437.