Author Topic: Puerto Rico Master Thread (Read 270088 times)

David B · « **Reply #40 on:** December 12, 2012, 12:35:49 PM »

Quote from: David B on December 08, 2012, 06:43:09 PM

Can anyone comment on what Kosher bread is available in the supermarkets there (San Juan or Rio Grande area)? Any other DDFers going to be in the SJU area between 12/20 and 12/31?

Anyone with a comment/suggestion?

aussiebochur · « **Reply #41 on:** December 12, 2012, 03:54:35 PM »

Quote from: David B on December 08, 2012, 06:43:09 PM

Can anyone comment on what Kosher bread is available in the supermarkets there (San Juan or Rio Grande area)? Any other DDFers going to be in the SJU area between 12/20 and 12/31?

Staying at the St Regis?

Theres a Ralphs and Walmart right nearby which have kosher products, not sure about bread.

You can order kosher food and get more info from chabad, http://www.chabadpuertorico.com/

Just to note, St Regis will charge to store and heat up food for you. Surprising at such an upscale hotel but thats what it is.

David B · « **Reply #42 on:** December 12, 2012, 04:12:10 PM »

Quote from: aussiebochur on December 12, 2012, 03:54:35 PM

Staying at the St Regis?

Just to note, St Regis will charge to store and heat up food for you. Surprising at such an upscale hotel but thats what it is.

Thanks for the reply. Staying at Rio Mar in a rented golf Villa -- food would be too much of a hassle with three kids over 11 nights -- need the kitchen.

Doesn't surprise me at all that St. Regis charges for heating food -- same concept as WiFi being expensive in expensive hotels, and free in limited service hotels (Hampton Inn, etc.)

We planned on hitting the Ralphs and WalMart....I'll report back on what kind of bread we find.

Chabad says we can find bagels and pita (that they see in supermarkets near them) -- but they're not the best ones to ask, as they probably don't buy that bread (I think - but if I'm wrong, suspect one of the Chabadnick DDFers will jump down my throat

Last time I was in Cancun, I even found some brand of brown n' serve rolls that were kosher (but staying in a Westin, so no way to bake them), in addition to bagels and pita. Assuming there will be more to find in PR.

dvol · « **Reply #43 on:** December 13, 2012, 10:18:43 AM »

IIRC there was zero to no kosher breads to be found. I think we did find some kind of pita or something at the end that was kosher but I can't remember exactly. We stayed in the St. Regis and went to the Ralph's and Walmart several times. No kosher milk either, not even chalav stam.

Ergel · « **Reply #44 on:** December 13, 2012, 11:07:12 AM »

What do you mean no chalav stam

dvol · « **Reply #45 on:** December 13, 2012, 12:02:16 PM »

PlatinumGuy · « **Reply #46 on:** December 13, 2012, 02:06:32 PM »

All plain milk manufactured in the USA is cholov stam.
If it was supervised it wouldn't be 'stam' anymore.

Ergel · « **Reply #47 on:** December 13, 2012, 02:43:27 PM »

Quote from: dvol on December 13, 2012, 12:02:16 PM

ou-d

Not necessary
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=8154.msg95299#msg95299

http://www.oukosher.org/index.php/common/article/10386

David B · « **Reply #48 on:** December 14, 2012, 10:39:52 AM »

Quote from: dvol on December 13, 2012, 10:18:43 AM

IIRC there was zero to no kosher breads to be found. I think we did find some kind of pita or something at the end that was kosher but I can't remember exactly. We stayed in the St. Regis and went to the Ralph's and Walmart several times. No kosher milk either, not even chalav stam.

dvol - thanks for the first-hand info. I'll report back what I'm able to find. Amigo is supposed to be a big, decent supermarket in that area, as well as ECONO in the same shopping center as WalMart (unless that is Ralph's)

David B · « **Reply #49 on:** December 22, 2012, 06:13:36 PM »

Posting from Rio Grande, PR. Shavua Tov...

AMIGO supermarket is owned by WalMart -- lots of packaged kosher products you would find in the US (and many Great Value products with Hashgacha), cookies, crackers, pasta, pasta sauce, etc., etc.

In the Econo supermarket (same shopping center as WalMart), there were Toufayan kosher bagels, as well as several varieties of Pita from Toufayan -- whole wheat, regular, pocketless. There was also Kontos Pocketless Pita, as well as 'pizza crusts'

All the supermarkets also have a decent selection of Morningstar Farms and other manufacturers' vegetarian frozen products -- veggie burgers, chicken cutlets, hot dogs, sausages, etc.

A different kind of bagels were available in the AMIGO supermarket. ALL the supermarkets have soft tortillas from several manufacturers with a Hechsher -- almost all the soft tortillas (and there is a huge selection of them) are kosher, imported form the US, CRC, OU, and others.

Chalav Stam is available everywhere -- if you won't drink the local brands, there is lactaid and Skim Plus with OU

I'll update more as I find more....but so far, plenty to buy here at prices pretty similar to back home (if not cheaper in certain cases).

K · « **Reply #50 on:** December 23, 2012, 08:01:11 AM »

Hands down, the best thing to do in PR ia BIO BAY. (http://www.kayakingpuertorico.com/pages/biobay.html)

There is not much to do besides casinos and golfing....but BIO BAY was awesome. If you dont know what it is, read up on it and try to book for a night when the moon will not be out. the darker, the better.

worth the drive if you have a rental car and its only a few minutes from the el conquistador.

David B · « **Reply #51 on:** December 23, 2012, 09:47:57 AM »

Quote from: K on December 23, 2012, 08:01:11 AM

Hands down, the best thing to do in PR ia BIO BAY. (http://www.kayakingpuertorico.com/pages/biobay.html)

There is not much to do besides casinos and golfing....but BIO BAY was awesome. If you dont know what it is, read up on it and try to book for a night when the moon will not be out. the darker, the better.

worth the drive if you have a rental car and its only a few minutes from the el conquistador.

Thanks for the tip....we're already at a half moon now...heading toward mid-month and full moon so may not be the best time to go.

mow · « **Reply #52 on:** December 23, 2012, 11:28:12 AM »

Quote from: David B on December 23, 2012, 09:47:57 AM

Thanks for the tip....we're already at a half moon now...heading toward mid-month and full moon so may not be the best time to go.

still worth it it is amazing

also buy the $100 bottle of bacardi you can only get it there by the bacardi factory

David B · « **Reply #53 on:** December 23, 2012, 06:30:39 PM »

Quote from: mow on December 23, 2012, 11:28:12 AM

also buy the $100 bottle of bacardi you can only get it there by the bacardi factory

Regular Bacardi is literally $10.50 in the supermarket or WalMart....

Please let me know what makes the $100 bottle so special??

smart brit · « **Reply #54 on:** January 12, 2013, 10:53:28 PM »

Quote from: aussiebochur on December 12, 2012, 03:54:35 PM

Staying at the St Regis?

Theres a Ralphs and Walmart right nearby which have kosher products, not sure about bread.

You can order kosher food and get more info from chabad, http://www.chabadpuertorico.com/

Just to note, St Regis will charge to store and heat up food for you. Surprising at such an upscale hotel but thats what it is.

I spoke to the hotel and asked if i can have a microwave in the room and they said np

smart brit · « **Reply #55 on:** January 12, 2013, 10:56:33 PM »

Quote from: Mocha on April 02, 2012, 02:35:13 PM

Aight a $50 it is.

Did it work? What are my chances as a platinum for a upgrade?

smart brit · « **Reply #56 on:** January 16, 2013, 05:49:15 PM »

Quote from: smart brit on January 12, 2013, 10:56:33 PM

Did it work? What are my chances as a platinum for a upgrade?

Update!
I did get a upgrade but not the one I was looking for!
Will bln write a trip report at a later date

smart brit · « **Reply #57 on:** January 21, 2013, 02:04:03 AM »

I'm not very good at writing a trip report but will give it a shot.
We packed up food and left early morning to SJU where I rented a car from hertz at the airport and decided to drive down to the St regis.
As we where driving through the city of Rio grade it kinda reminded me of malga Spain anyway we finally arrived to the hotel and wow was i impressed with the staff, grounds and the cleanliness of the entire area.
I went to check in and asked for a suite upgrade and they checked and told me that the suite isn't available (to my bemusement the suite next to my room was available) So they upgraded me to the ocean view room and I asked for a microwave oven and they sent it right away. I left my luggage in the lobby and went for a walk on this beautiful 2 miles of beach that was empty (I asked later if there was a shark somewhere? As no one sat by the beach) then I went up to the room that was huge in nyc it would be a 2 bedroom apartment.
The bathroom was luxurious and spacious the bathtub was bigger than a mikva. And the beds where extremely comfortable.
The views and the hotel grounds are simply breathtaking.
But it's very pricey a can coke from the mini bar is 5$ and in the bar its even more a shot of Scotch was 16 pringles the small container was 8$
The must experience is the spa and the massages (male and female masseuse available) I would fly back just for the massage and the grounds of the spa is like a mini paradise.
All in all its a real luxurious retreat and really worth every penny
Anything I missed writing about?

alpicone · « **Reply #58 on:** March 12, 2013, 08:05:12 AM »

Has anyone stayed at the W in PR? How does it compare to the St. Regis?

David B · « **Reply #59 on:** March 12, 2013, 10:10:16 AM »

Quote from: alpicone on March 12, 2013, 08:05:12 AM

Has anyone stayed at the W in PR? How does it compare to the St. Regis?

For starters, the W is on Vieques Island, off the NE coast of PR. So you have to take a boat from Fajardo, or a small plane from SJU to get there. Beyond that, W is a W, and St. Regis is a St. Regis....consistent with the brands...both are resort settings

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Author Topic: Puerto Rico Master Thread (Read 270088 times)