La Casa del Árbol

Wow!  Had a great dinner tonight at La Casa del Árbol, a Uruguayan restaurant in Managua, Nicaragua.  I am a fan of South American fare but, honestly, hadn't had anything from Uruguay.  We savored a sumptious feast called "A Fuego Lento": a rack of beef ribs with our choice of three side items (salad, grilled vegetales and a stuffed baked potato were our choice).  The meat literally fell off the ribs - all I had to use was my fork.   The ribs were served with an olive oil and herb dressing that was really good.  Anybody know what that is called?  Of course, before, it was preceded by a cup of Astica wine from Argentina and an excellent  variety of breads. And the grand finale was an excellent flan, served with dulce de leche, a caramel like sweet, washed down by that same great wine.

Jorge, our waiter, was very attentive but never over the top.  Great service, great food, great company...what more can you ask for?  This was the make-up dinner for a horrible anniversary dinner at ????? (click to read).  It more than made up for it...definitely a place to repeat in Managua.  Hats off to our friends from Uruguay.

On a scale of 1 to 10, La Casa del Árbol receives a very coveted 9.

How much will this set you back?  Click here to see prices at La Casa del Árbol.

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Posted by Editorial Team on 8:27 p.m. in La Casa del Árbol, Managua, Nicaragua, Olive oil, Restaurants/Restaurantes, Ur, Uruguay/Uruguaya

This little piggy went to market....in Managua

This little piggy went to market in Managua, Nicaragua.  Actually, somebody probably purchased them and will slaughter them Friday or Saturday to make great pork like chicharrones, nacatamales, pepena, frito, etc.  Good shtufff!

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Casa del Café - Panini de Churrasco

 

The Casa del Café coffee shop, a popular chain of restaurants in Nicaragua, has a recent creation called Panini de Churrasco.  Churrasco is the famous cut of steak, arguably the most popular in Nicaragua, that generally is garnished with chimichurri, a popular South American sauce that is widely used in Nicaragua as well.  A basic version uses fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, oil and vinegar and maybe a little bit of chili pepper.  Click here for a good recipe for chimichurri.  They nailed the flavor on the head with this steak sandwich.  It costs $6.00 and is served with either cream of broccoli, cream of tomato or a lettuce salad (and that little dish of delicious coleslaw).  I hope it becomes a regular on their menu cause it's a winner!  BTW, the other panini is turkey, pretty tasty as well.

Casa del Café has restaurants in the following locations in Managua: Altamira, Metrocentro (kiosk and restaurant), Galerías Santo Domingo (kiosk and restaurant), Multicentro Las Ámericas (kiosk)), La Unión Altamira (kiosk), Cobirsa (kiosk), Airport Augusto César Sandino (kiosk), Hiper La Colonia (kiosk), Centro Pellas (kiosk), León (kiosk), Plaza Mayor de Las Colinas (restaurant) y Plaza Occident Chinandega (kiosk).

You can see how much a meal of these new Panini cost here.

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Puerto Salvador Allende on Lake Managua (Xolatlán)

The Nicaraguan government has made admirable efforts to promote tourism in Managua.  The Salvador Allende Port is a good example.  In a newly renovated downtown area, you can board one of several boats for some quick trips out on the lake.

The "Isla del Amor" trip costs C$70 for adults and C$30 for children (10 years or under) for general seating.  If you want the preferential seating (outside, upper deck) it costs C$100 for adults and C$50 for children (10 years or under).  The quick trip lasts 50 minutes.

Schedule: Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. y 5:00 p.m.

There is a night trip that I am dying to take.  It also runs Tuesday to Sunday at 6:30 p.m.  Prices are C$100 for adults and C$50 for children (10 years or under).  Note: The boat only leaves with a minimum of 18 passengers.

Check it out!

Posted by Editorial Team on 8:34 p.m. in Lake Nicaragua, Managua, Nature/Naturaleza, Tourism/Turismo, Transportation/Transporte

Kathy's Waffle House - Granada

Address/Dirección:
Frente al Convento San Francisco. Granada

We had an excellent breakfast in Kathy's Waffle House. The eggs rancheros were snappy and spicy. The home fries were peppery and delicious. The bread was out of this world with the strawberry jam. The bottomless cup of coffee was good - and included with the purchase of breakfast ($C80 or about $4).

Check it out when you are in Granada!!! Tell Sandy you heard about his place at www.nicatourism.com!!

Posted by Editorial Team on 10:24 a.m. in American/Americana, Granada, Restaurants/Restaurantes

Bamboo

I was walking down a narrow road in La Reforma, Masaya in Nicaragua and heard an unusual noise. I looked around and saw this bamboo patch, moving in the wind and making it's typical and unusual noise. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth - it can grow 24 inches in 24 hours!! No kidding!! They are some of the largest members of the grass family.

Posted by Editorial Team on 7:58 p.m. in Curiosities/Curiosidades, Nature/Naturaleza

Huge ceiba tree

Check out this little girl in Nicaragua at the base of a huge ceiba tree.  This tree is 150+ years old according to the locals.  It can be found, majestically standing, in Pacaya near El Valle de la Laguna, Masaya Nicaragua.

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:12 p.m. in Curiosities/Curiosidades, Nature/Naturaleza