Joe's Secret Garden - Saturday Oct. 20th

I'm not sure that Joe's Secret Garden is really a secret anymore.  First, for anyone not living in Cuenca, Joe's is only open one night a  week and they only serve one entree that evening.  On every Tuesday, Joe's will post their menu on their web site for the following Saturday.  Every Expat in Cuenca waits for this post.  You then rush to send in your name in order to make a reservation, in hopes that you are fast enough.  Last night's dinner was a total sell out and there was a waiting list.

*We have already made and have our confirmed reservations at Joe's for their full Thanksgiving dinner.  We sure didn't want to miss that event.

The cocktail hour begins at 5:00 and goes until 6:00PM.  Then, dinner is served.  The cocktail hour is a great time to meet other Expats in Cuenca.  There are any where between 75 to 100 people at these dinner events.  Two weeks ago, I was introduced to a couple that had come from Sacramento but I didn't really chat with them.  Last night I got to really spend some time with this very interesting couple, Bob &  Joyce.  We even joined their table and continued our talks.  They have also lived over on the west coast of Ecuador and it was very interesting to hear about that part of the country and why they moved to Cuenca. 

Unlike two weeks ago, there were only a couple of reserved tables for the groups that made reservations.  It was open seating.  So, last night we sat at a table with a lovely young Australian couple, Will & lovely wife (I'm sorry I don't remember her name) and Bob & Joyce.  Will and his wife are young, in their early 30's and just on a long trip through South America.  Will and I got to chat about Cambodia and his trip through there.  It was a fascinating evening of lively conversation and a great learning time for Ed & me. 

Now, down to the real reason you go to Joe's Secret Garden - the food.....

We started with a Roasted Beet, Walnut & Baby Spinach Salad

 

Our entree last night was Slow Cooked Duckling L'Orange served with Maple glazed Brussels sprouts and roasted garlic.  The rice included brown butter pecans and small pieces of apricot.

 

When they refer to slow cooked, we were told the ducklings were cooked for 14 hours.  But, they were very moist and full of flavor with just a hint of orange flavor on the glaze.

 

Yes, we still had room for a wonderful dessert, warm apple pie.  You don't just leave Joe's Secret Garden, you kinda of waddle out.  You're full of good friendships, wonderful conversations and great food.  Just maybe Joe's Secret is how he combines the three to make a perfect evening.

 

Another wonderful evening in Cuenca,

 

Peggy