Pura Vida

I photographed the Pura Vida restaurant for the Virginia Highlands Patch newspaper on Thursday, August 18, 2011. Pura Vida is owned by Hector Santiago, who opened the restaurant in 2001. Pura Vida is actually three concepts in one. Pura Vida itself is a tapas restaurant. Super Pan takes over the lunch aspect, making sandwiches during the week. Burro Pollo picks up on the weekends as a burrito stand. All three of the restaurants operate out of the same building. Santiago really want to push all Latin American products from food to drinks to the actual spirits themselves. Even the people that work at the restaurant are mostly latino. Hector’s attention to details when it comes to his restaurants and the food they serve is impeccable. These are my favorite images from the restaurant.

Pura Vida is located at 656 N. Highland Ave. and offers patrons three distinct concepts under one roof; the Latin American inspired tapas restaurant, Super Pan, a more casual sandwich sandwich shop and Burro Pollo, a burrito stand.

 

Pura Vida offers patrons table and booth seating with semi private dining areas in three distinct dining rooms, a full bar and Latin American inspired dishes, drinks, music and art.

 

Pura Vida serves up the tuna poke, porque no? with soy cassarep, marinated yellow fin tuna loin, coffee nibs, pickled garlic and ginger, scallions red habanero, sour orange caviar and tapioca flakes.

 

One of Pura Vida's three distinct dining rooms with table and booth seating and local Latin American artists works on the walls.

 

Pura Vida serves up the burro pollo, a shredded chicken burrito with fresh vegetable slaw and three sauces, tomatillo, crema and aji cobanero sambal all wrapped up in a flour tortilla.

 

One of Pura Vida's three distinct dining rooms with table and booth seating and local Latin American artists works on the walls.

 

Pura Vida serves up the shrimp coctel bolillo sandwich with diablo shrimp coctel, calabaza spread, pickled garlic, shallots and ginger, basil, and piquillo peppers agridulce on a bolillo roll.

 

One of Pura Vida's three distinct dining rooms with table and booth seating and local Latin American artists works on the walls.