Tired of the same old dishes? If you are, you’ll find true variety at Joe's Secret Garden in the west-side Puertas del Sol neighborhood, with weekly menu changes.
 
I went there for New Year’s Eve and was immediately taken with the welcoming, homey atmosphere. It’s like being invited to a friend’s house who just happens to be serving dinner to 50 to 60 guests. The next surprise was the food: it was fabulous and elegantly presented -- certainly nothing that I've found before in Cuenca. The following week’s menu was Southern Fried Chicken, something I never eat. For the sake of objectivity and adventure, I decided to give it a try anyway. The menu included the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy as well as yummy green beans with onions. For dessert we had a delicious cobbler a la mode. Every item was cooked to perfection, meaning I have definitely given up my aversion to fried chicken -- so long as it's Joe's.

The story of the owners is as interesting as the restaurant, and here's the lowdown on the father and son team of Joe and Joe. They met in Istanbul in 2009 and immediately started cooking together. They came to Ecuador for political reasons and found refuge in Cuenca. They are both “naturals” with lots of talent and creativity, always fine tuning their recipes and sharing the results with others. A year ago they began offering dinners to friends and acquaintances and the effort has morphed into a regular, public Saturday event, with a different menu every week. The menu is posted on their website, http://jardinsecreto.webs.com, under “This Saturday’s Menu”. The prices vary depending on what’s being offered. (Isn't it nice to find a place in Cuenca with some real menu creativity?) Wine and cocktails are available to purchase at reasonable prices. There is a $5 corkage fee for bringing your own wine.

Joe the Elder was brought up around good food and it shows. He only uses the best and freshest produce and has discovered a special bakery for his bread and a butcher for select cuts. He's considering adding another weekly meal, serving such popular dishes as Piri-Piri Chicken, Osso buco or Cabbage Rolls (that have a Middle Eastern twist). He’s also thinking of hosting a weekly “Game Day”, along the lines of cards, scrabble, bridge, etc., or bring your own game to share. Both Joes are enthusiastic about giving their customers what we want. Joe likes to quote Confucius: ”Find a job that you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”.

If you plan to go to Joe's, make a reservation (you can do it through the website or by phone). You really don’t want to go over there and be turned away!

J&J are also available to cater your party and it is also possible to hire out their lovely home for private functions.

The Secret Garden website contains a map with directions to the restaurant but I found it a little confusing. It's located at Calle Los Pinos 1 – 99, between Ordoñez Lasso and Tres de Noviembre, two blocks from the roundabout at Avenida de las Americas and Gran Colombia (which is now a gaping construction site).  It´s best to take Tres de Noviembre through the tunnel under Av. de las Americas, then turn right on Los Pinos. It's the second house from the corner on your right. 

Photo captions: The atmopshere at Joe's is both homey and elegant; the Secret Garden.