The family of Elvi’s Kitchen celebrated the restaurant’s 40th Anniversary the best way it knows how to, with lots of love and exquisite food. The intimate gathering with family and friends was highlighted with amazing dishes that ranged from old favorites to new and exciting appetizers and a surf and turf Lobster & Steak combo that cannot be beat.
Needless to say, Elvi’s Kitchen is synonymous to amazing food and great service. Throughout its four decades of operation, the restaurant has managed to stay on top of the game receiving international recognition for its outstanding cuisine.
It is the food that has kept on evolving in taste and presentation that keeps people coming back to Elvi’s Kitchen. People re-visit the restaurant to find out that their favorite dishes are still on the menu and some have been transformed into something even more delicious, but still preserving the essence of a traditional Belizean meal.
From a small hole in the wall burger isle to the large, warm and inviting restaurant of today, Elvi’s Kitchen has thrived under the stronghold of Mrs. Elvia Staines who to this day prepares food for the kitchen. It is under the leadership of her daughter and head chef Jennie Staines that Elvi’s cuisine blossomed into a superb gastronomical experience. They have managed fuse local Mayan, Mestizo and Caribbean dishes with modern flavors to perfection.
“All the food we’ve prepared tonight was inspired by my mother,” commented Jennie Staines. “You will taste many of her favorites things tonight.”
The evening was also dedicated to the recollection of all the hard work that has brought Elvi’s Kitchen from humble beginnings to outstanding achievements. Guest speakers that included San Pedro Mayor Daniel Guerrero, Minister of Tourism Hon. Manuel Heredia, Chairman of the Belize Tourism Board Einer Gomez gave accolade to a strong and united family under the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Elvia Staines.
Family members, including her grandchildren, shared their memories of growing up with an amazing grandmother and skilled cook and congratulated Mrs. Elvia on her success story of 40 years of making people happy through food.
“On behalf of the Elvi’s Kitchen family, the management and staff, and especially on behalf of my mom (Elvia), who’s dream we celebrate today, I would like to thank each and everyone of you for being a part of the 40th anniversary celebration,” commented Iraida Gonzalez Staines. “Elvi’s Kitchen was never an overnight success. It has taken us 40 years to build the restaurant we have today. My mom is a remarkable woman and it only takes a peek inside her kitchen to see how this Sanpedrana works. At 84 she has earned the right to retire and let others carry on the work she started. But anyone who knows her will tell you that she can’t simply walk away from Elvi’s Kitchen because it is as much a part of her as she is a part of it.”
It is indeed a labor of love that has brought Elvi’s Kitchen to the levels of high standards, and amazing flavors. Elvi’s Kitchen is not just a building, but an institution on the island of Ambergris Caye and the country of Belize. It will always be a place where people can enjoy a meal and warm Belizean hospitality.
Glazed and tender ribs with pomegranate
Lamb tostada with arugula and greens
Fried shrimp with a spicy watermelon reduction
Socculent lobster tail and filet mignon on vegetables and sweet potato
