Handmade pastas, fermented cheeses and mindful cocktails define this singular offering in the historic downtown.
Walking through Viejo San Juan, at the corner of Calle San Francisco and Calle del Cristo, you'll find a culinary project that stands apart in the area. It's Aliado Bar & Aperitivo, a space that brings together a connection with nature, a love of good food and high-end cocktail making.
Chef Jerome Valencia Buscaglia, with 20 years of culinary experience, and Jessica Cabrera Cappas, his partner and co-owner, have created at Aliado a cocktail kitchen where a plant-based cooking philosophy comes to life.
Their menu of aperitivos and tapas stands out for its depth of flavor, freshness and a strong emphasis on Italian cuisine.
"Over the years of developing my culinary craft, I've explored many directions and different forms of culinary art, but Italian has always been very present," Valencia Buscaglia says.
As part of their commitment, they have formed partnerships with several agroecological, pesticide-free farms, including Foodscapes Caribe in Luquillo, Quality Agricultural Farms in Aibonito, and Micofilia in Mayagüez, among others, to offer a creative menu of the highest possible quality.
"We want the local product to be the star. It matters to us not to settle for whatever is available, but to make sure it first meets our philosophy: that it be a clean, mindful and seasonal product. Because that makes for a more sustainable dish with better flavor," says the plant-based cooking expert with more than 15 years of experience.
For the two business partners, their offering is not about a vegan approach.
"We prefer to use the term 'plant-based,' because we want the offering to be as inclusive as possible."
– Jessica Cabrera Cappas
"Most of our regular clientele are not vegan. They are people with a curious or educated palate, interested in trying food that tastes good and nourishes," Valencia Buscaglia adds.
Their focus is on bringing freshness to every dish through sustainable, eco-conscious brands, as well as making their own artisanal products.
The art of the artisanal
The chef has extensive training in Italian cuisine, making pastas, pizza doughs, natural juices, cacao and orange bitters for his cocktails, and other preparations from scratch.
Their cheeses stand out among their preparations, as they go "through a fermentation process where a community of bacteria and yeasts is created, very similar to those found in dairy-based ferments," the co-owner explains.
By combining these elements, the chef and his team manage to create something special.
The result of this artisanal dedication shows in every dish on the menu. A perfect example is the caprese salad, made up of four elements for an aperitivo worth savoring: an aromatic, flavor-forward pesto sauce as the base, sweet and juicy tomatoes from the Aibonito farm, pieces of creamy cashew-based mozzarella with an almost imperceptible coconut profile, and a crispy yet tender focaccia.cashews)
As a featured dish, the tagliatelle pasta stands out, feeling fresh and cooked just right, light on the stomach without leaving you heavy.
Beyond the olive oil sauce with garlic and red pepper, which produces a slight tingle on the tongue, the pieces of cashew-based parmesan cheese (cashew) pair perfectly with the crunchy dehydrated tomatoes, onion, broccoli, zucchini and spinach.
Other popular dishes on the menu are artisanal Neapolitan-style pizzas, made "one Monday or so" a month. They incorporate fresh vegetables, hand-crafted cheeses and special sauces, depending on product availability and the cook's creativity.
A sweet temptation
The dining experience at Aliado would not be complete without its desserts, all made to order. The standout is the triple chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream from Vía Láctea.
The cake is light and rich in local cacao flavor, decorated with a chocolatey buttercream frosting that has a slight salty note for a perfect balance.
The caramelized hazelnuts add that crunchy touch every dessert deserves.
"You don't have to be vegan to eat well and healthfully; you just need a curious palate," the expert cook emphasizes.
Mindful cocktails
The cocktail program at Aliado deserves special mention, distinguished by its careful selection of products and brands that follow a philosophy free of chemicals and animal derivatives.
Along the way, they managed to curate the bar with a selection of wine, spirits and beer companies with conscious or biodiversity-minded practices.
"We like to make sure there are no animal products involved," says the mixologist.
Among their cocktails, the espresso martini stands out, made with coffee from Baraka and a house-made cacao bitters to give it a flavor similar to a mocha cappuccino.
But the star at the bar is, without a doubt, the Media Luna, a drink based on mezcal and hibiscus flower juice.
It also contains chile bitters, ginger syrup, lime and orange liqueur, and is rimmed with tajín (made in-house) for a spicy effect that complements the cocktail's refreshing, smoky flavor.
To enjoy an appetizer and a drink at Aliado, Valencia and Cabrera recommend making reservations through the Tock app.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
