You often hear the expression “a home away from home” For those of us ex-pats living in the Atenas area of Costa Rica, we are lucky enough to have that “second home” – it’s called Kay’s Gringo Postres.

It’s known locally simply as “Kay’s” and is run by Tom & Kay Costello, originally from South Dakota, USA. Kay’s is a welcome fixture in Atenas and is frequented by both Gringos and Ticos. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from – you will get a warm welcome, excellent food and leave knowing that you can’t wait to come back.

Tom grew up as a cowboy and was a cattle rancher for many years before running a bar & steakhouse. Kay worked in the food service industry for 33 years showing the genuine love of people that she still has today.

Tom had a South Dakota friend who had grown up in Costa Rica. In 1995, that friend arranged a trip for a group of friends to visit & experience Costa Rica. Tom felt like it was home and knew that he’d be moving to Costa Rica.

In 2003, Tom brought Kay to Costa Rica on vacation. She fell in love with the country and cried when she left. They got as far as Florida, then decided to get right back on the plane and return to Costa Rica. They settled things in South Dakota and have called Atenas home ever since.

Kay’s Gringo Postres started out in a downtown location selling yummy homemade desserts to customers and supplying desserts to local restaurants. It has grown to provide so much more. Kay’s is open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday is strictly brunch buffet.

Everything is homemade and delicious! Familiar comfort food for ex-pats is the specialty, whether it’s bacon, eggs & pancakes for breakfast or a grilled cheese, BLT or burger and fries for lunch.

Sunday brunch is amazing – fruit, home fries, eggs, bacon, sausage, gallo pinto, homemade biscuits with sausage gravy (you can’t get that anywhere else in Costa Rica) and Kay’s famous cinnamon rolls… they are heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth good.

On occasion, Kay’s has special events such as “chicken-fried steak” lunches, Tex-Mex dinners and dances, complete with dee-jay.

Kay’s is much more than a restaurant. It has a huge “lending library” of English language books. This is free – the only requirement is to bring back what you borrow & donate your old books if you can. Kay’s is also where you can order top quality beef and pork from Brangus Meats.

An important part of Kay’s is hosting community group meetings for organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (English), Animales Atenas (pet rescue), Women’s Wednesdays (informal lunch) and a Writers Group.

Tom & Kay are the founders of the Atenas Annual Chili Cook Off. What started out as a bet over who made the best chili has, over the past 5 years, evolved into a big event with 30 teams, raffles, silent auction, entertainment and more.

The 2012 event had over a thousand attendees and raised five thousand dollars for the Hogar de Vida (Homes of Life) Orphanage in Atenas. It is a fun-filled family affair for a good cause… don’t miss it!

I guarantee that you will feel welcome as soon as you walk through the door of Kay’s…we certainly did. We know that we’ve got “family” in Atenas now. As long as the door is open, the coffee is on and the hugs and handshakes are free.

Written by VIP Member Peggy Stewart. Peggy Stewart and her husband Rick, both retirees, along with their German Shepherd Tonka, made the move from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada to live full-time in Costa Rica in September 2011.

Peggy has a long history as a trade Union leader and social activist, also working in group homes with troubled teens. Rick worked for almost 40 years as a forest officer with the Alberta government. After first exploring Costa Rica as a retirement destination in early 2009, they made three more trips to Costa Rica before settling in the Atenas area. They currently reside in Santa Eulalia.

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The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) ranks Atenas as one of “The Best Places to Retire Abroad.” For more information about homes and land for sale in the area please contact our Recommended Realtors in Atenas Dennis Easters and Gerardo Gonzalez-Porras using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.