Since we arrived in Nicaragua, we have been in search of authentic Nicaraguan cuisine.  A number of the restaurants in the area seem to attempt to produce food the tourists want but it results in bland imitations.  When I was here a little more than a year ago, I recall some very tasty food.  Looking back on my stay the last time, I tended to eat more in local restaurants and less in the chains and commercialized places.  When Heide and I first arrived on this trip, the commercialized places were SOOOO convenient but the food was totally unremarkable–downright awful in many cases.   Yesterday, that changed.  We are now focusing on local cuisine prepared by local folks.  As I posted last year, eat where the locals are lined up and you’ll find good, authentic, local fare at extremely reasonable prices.

We went to a little place around the corner from where we are staying that appears to have just opened for business in the last week or so (Sal y Pimienta–Salt and Pepper). Already it has a robust breakfast and lunch “crowd” even though it only has four tables.  People lined up to order take-out.  It is a small, family run place that only serves breakfast and lunch, is immaculately clean, and looks like someone’s front porch with plastic tables. In Costa Rica a place such as this is called a “soda” but here in Nicaragua it is simply a “comedor” or dining room/restaurant.  The proprietors seemed genuinely glad to see us and the fact that they spoke no English did not deter.  Our Spanish is improving daily and we are both working hard at building vocabulary, improving syntax, and learning local idioms.  Our efforts are bearing fruit.

The food at the local comedor was among the tastiest we’ve had since arriving in Nicaragua, Heide loved it (finally) and you can’t beat the price.  Heide and I both had the same lunch of rice, Bar-B-Q pork ribs, and steamed vegetables for C$230–the equivalent of US$ 8.22 for both of our meals together including a drink!  It’s the drink that is noteworthy though. The gentleman running the place asked what I would like to drink and I said, “Coca-Cola Zero” (Diet Coke isn’t available in Nicaragua), a pretty common beverage here.  He had a somewhat panic-stricken look on his face but told me he would bring it to the table.  The next thing I knew he disappeared.  I caught a glimpse of him slipping down the side street and he returned just minutes later with a cold can of Coca-Cola Zero and a smile. He had walked down the street to another restaurant and bought one to bring back to me so I’d have what I asked for. Now THAT’s customer service.

You know the pork was delicious when I gnaw on a rib bone–I have an aversion to gnawing in general but particularly on animal bones.  If I start sniffing at the closest fire hydrant, stand back !