In these high tech times you might be surprised to hear that spam isn’t just for emails. Spam is a versatile ingredient that one can find served in many fine dishes like eggs, stir fry and just sliced and fried for example. I even saw a spam monkey bread recipe online.
For a breakfast change up I decided to use the spam in my kitchen cabinet. I looked up green eggs and spam but didn’t find anything that blew my stomach’s mind. Eventually I came up with the following delicious day starter, simple spam n eggs. I added a little white cheese on top to melt into the mix. If you are looking to try something new for breakfast, give spam ‘n eggs a try. Hawaiians do. Aloha.
Have you ever heard of a Turkey Devonshire sandwich? Well I hadn’t until Christmas 2024 when I found myself looking for a recipe for Turkey ala King and discovered the Devonshire sandwich recipe. The photos looked good and hearty and the sauce reminded me kind of eggs benedict, which I love.
The photos I saw featured layers of freshly sliced turkey, bacon and tons of cheese sauce delicately layered over some toasted sourdough bread. Some of the photos had sliced tomatoes jammed in the cheese sauce. None had onion which I think I’m gonna add as a side to my west coast version along with adding a couple of thin slices of ham. The traditional version is excellent but you are welcome to try my version and let me know what you think.
I’m still thinking about a name for my version of this classic as I tweak this recipe. (The Venician, a Cheesy Bird Sandwich, Turkey Lava, Cheezy P, the Gobbler, the Boardwalk, etc.) It’s possible I may even create a version served in a roll or over macaroni or one with eggs and/or potato’s on the side.
The Turkey Devonshire sandwich originated in 1934 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is typically served as a hot open-faced sandwich on toasted bread with hot turkey, bacon, tomatoes and a cheese sauce. The sandwich is similar to a Kentucky Hot Brown, which it will be compared with in a future post.
The Devonshire is credited as being created by Frank Blandi (1907-1999), a Sicilian American, who first served them at the Stratford Club located between Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield and Shadyside neighborhoods. The sandwich was named after Devonshire Street, located one block away. This sandwich was the local ‘go to’ in the 1960s and still remains a favorite 65 years later.
Some say this sandwich design was borrowed by the 21 Club’s popular chicken hash, which was a dish of diced chicken covered in Mornay sauce and then browned which leans towards the Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich.
Frank Blandi’s Original Devonshire Sandwich Recipe
Cheesy Cream Sauce
3/4 stick butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated
1 pint chicken broth
1 pint hot milk
1 tsp salt
a splash of Sauv Blanc (optional)
Melt butter in deep pan and add flour, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and then hot milk, stirring all the while. Add cheese and salt. Bring to boil, then cook slowly for 20 minutes, still stirring. Cool to lukewarm. Beat with wire whip until smooth before using. This makes enough sauce for 6 Devonshire sandwiches.
For each sandwich:
1 slice toast, crusts trimmed off
2 slices crisp bacon
4 thin slices cooked turkey breast
2 thin ham slices (optional)
thick tomato slice (optional)
thin white onion slice (optional)
sliced or shaved sharp cheddar
Cream Sauce
Melted butter
Parmesan cheese and paprika
Preheat oven to 450.
In an oven-proof casserole dish, place slices of toast and top with bacon slices. Add thin slices of cooked turkey breast. Cover completely with cream sauce. Sprinkle with a little melted butter, Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
An alternate version could be prepared as follows;
Layer slices of white toast at the bottom of a casserole pan. Layer Turkey, ham and/or crab meat. Cover that with tomato, bacon crumbles, diced white onion and slices of cheddar cheese and stick it in the broiler to melt together.
Have fun with this versatile and creative comfort food dish and don’t be afraid to experiment and make it your own creative feast.
Bon appetit.
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Directions;
Fry bacon and remove from pan.
Drain.
Set aside.
Melt ¾ stick butter and add flour while stirring.
Add chicken broth.
Stir.
Add hot milk.
Stir.
Add cheese and salt.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat.
Cook slowly for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
Cool to lukewarm.
Whip cheese sauce with wire beater until smooth.
Place 1 slice toast in a casserole dish and top with sliced bacon.
Add slices turkey.
Cover with the cheese sauce.
Sprinkle with a melted butter, Parmesan cheese and paprika.
Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown
Most writers who tried it with tomatoes recommended the addition, so I included them. I also took the liberty of adding sliced ham and onion and could possibly considering adding a few capers to this mix of flavors.
It wouldn’t be weird to prepare this dish on toasted English muffins or oven pop up rolls either.
Did you know that Portugal consumes 20% of all cod fish caught on the planet?! Oddly, cod is not found in the waters surrounding Portugal but the fish is so popular that the Portuguese people have more cod recipes than there are days in a year! Portugal has long had a love affair with cod, especially salted cod or bacalhau. This fish is more than just good food to the Portuguese, it is a part of their culture and everyday life.
Cod air drying.
Cod was introduced to the Portuguese people by Viking nomads. The Vikings captured abundant amounts of cod in the cold seas off the Nordic countries and tried to preserve the fish by letting it dry in the open air. During the Middle Ages the Vikings began preserving their cod with salt, which they learned from the Romans and the Basque. The Vikings obtained salt from Portugal and traded for cod for it. The Portuguese had plenty of salt to sell and cod fish became a solid source of food amongst the Portuguese people.
Meat was expensive in Portugal during these times and supplying fresh meats and fish to the interior of the country was a complicated task. Salted cod was an easy and inexpensive food alternative that was easier to transport and provide throughout Portugal. Salted cod also had a shelf life much longer than un-refrigerated fresh meat. This kind of exposure plus its nutritional value and likeable flavor made cod a popular thing to eat.
Dried Salted Cod
In the mid 1500’s a Portuguese expedition heading to India saw Newfoundland for the first time and a Portuguese cod fishing base began. The Portuguese fishermen were eventually driven away by the English and French corsairs that dominated the fishing activities in the region during these times.
Cod fishing was a hard and dangerous job. These fisherman led a life of sacrifice, as cod fishing was done the traditional way. Sailing from Belém, Lisbon, the cod fishing ships were luggers and sailing ships, which towed dories used for line fishing and had the capacity to carry between 900 and 950 tons of cod. The fishermen were forced to row away from the main ship, sometimes two or three miles, to manually fish with lines and hooks. Each man fished alone for hours until their small boat was full of cod. While fishing they encountered freezing winds, fog, strong waves and icebergs. Some didn’t make it back to the fishing ships and were lost at sea. If they did make it back to the ship they would then unload, scale and salt their catch making for even longer work days. After reaching land, the fish was washed to remove all the salt and dried until completely dehydrated. The codfish drying process took place outdoors on the South Bank of the Tagus, in Setúbal, Figueira da Foz, Aveiro and Viana do Castelo.
On the 9th of July 1920, the Portuguese Fishing Company was founded by four small shipowners. They set up headquarters in the old facilities of the Lisbon Company Cotton Factory in Olho de Boi, Almada. In an attempt to reduce foreign dependency and guarantee the country’s food supply Portugal’s leader, Antonio Salazar, made moves to centralize, organize and create cooperatives and cartels that handled the fish supplies which became the famous Codfish Campaign in 1934.
During World War II, Portugal maintained its fishing activity. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, two cod fishing ships, ‘Maria de Gloria’ and ‘Delães’ were sunk by Nazi submarines. An agreement with the Allies would state that these Portuguese cod fishing ships be painted white to signal Portugal’s neutrality in the conflict and allow them to safely sail the Atlantic, thus becoming known as the ‘White Fleet’.
White Fleet at sea
In 1957, Portugal was already the largest salt codfish producer in the world and peaking. By this time, wheat and codfish were the commodities with the greatest impact on both the country’s diet and its trade balance.
The last three large cod fishing ships set sail for Newfoundland for the last time in 1974, coinciding with the fall of the dictatorship and the peaceful revolution of April 25th which brought democracy to the country.
The Portuguese still love codfish today and it is now claimed they have 1001 ways of cooking it. Presently, 70% of codfish comes from Norway and the Portuguese are always taking sustainable consumption, climatic change and versatility into consideration.
SALT FACT: Portuguese salt (Flor de Sal) is internationally popular and is similar to French salt (Fluer de Sel). Portuguese salt is collected from evaporation pools of sea water like they do in Nicaragua. With an area of 360 hectares or just under 900 acres, the Samouco Salt Pans in Alcochete were the main source of salt farming near Lisbon.
Carbonara is a popular dish throughout the world. Luca Di Leo from Barilla pasta says, “One of the great traits of pasta is its extraordinary versatility. You can combine it with pretty much anything. A carbonara base allows one to create different variations from experimenting from a roasted artichoke to sautéed shrimp. You can also make a great variation of carbonara with spices different from black pepper. Carbonara is a truly global recipe which can help bring people together.”
Carbonara di mare or seafood carbonara is an Italian beach favorite. For instance, in place of cured pork, 3 star Michelin chef Mauro Uliassi substitutes virtually anything that swims; smoked trout, small raw clams and even canned tuna. Norbert Niederkofler, another 3 star Michelin chef famed for his “Cook the Mountain” concept, created Tyrolean Carbonara. His version features Italian Alp ingredients including leeks, Malga cheese, dehydrated speck powder and spelt flour fusilli. No beaten eggs appear in his version but he does put one whole yolk on top of the hot seasoned fusilli.
Italians might embrace variations but there are limits. A national food crisis arose when the French attempted to reinvent carbonara as a quick one-pot meal. This ordeal became “Carbonaragate” and sparked outrage and an international debate among Italian food writers, bloggers, chefs, home cooks and pasta makers. A video demonstrating the French style carbonara was viewed by more than a million Italians. They were appalled to witness bow tie pasta cooked in the same pan as diced bacon and onions, finished with crème fraiche and an unidentified cheese. Lastly this mix is topped with a raw egg and parsley.
2 star Michelin chef, Marco Sacco, says “In the kitchen, the protection and care of tradition must be able to coexist with the desire and the possibility to innovate and experiment. The original recipes must be defended and preserved, just as an artistic asset is protected in a museum or a UNESCO site. But this does not mean that maximum freedom should not be given to experiment, innovate or adapt to the territory with new ingredients. After all, it is just food. Various lands offer various cultures and preparation techniques can differ just like people do.”
Traditional Carbonara Recipe Ingredients
12 oz of spaghetti 7 oz of guanciale 4 whole medium eggs (1 egg per serving) 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of grated Pecorino Romano ground black pepper
Step 1 – Boil the water for the pasta while you prepare the carbonara sauce. Remember: 4 cups of water for every 3.50 oz of pasta and 1/2 tablespoon of coarse salt per 4 cups of water. Cut the guanciale into small pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir occasionally so that it cooks evenly. The more the guanciale cooks, the more its fat will melt and its meat will become crispy. The level of crisp is up to you. Some people like their guanciale well cooked and others prefer it soft. No need for oil: guanciale is already fatty, oily and fabulous on its own. If you want, you can add a tablespoon of cooking water and emulsify. This will create a great oily sauce to season the spaghetti nicely. When it’s ready, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and set aside.
Step 2 – Prepare the cream. In a bowl put the eggs and pecorino Romano cheese. Use the whole egg. Pecorino Romano, the only cheese that is recommended for making carbonara, is a very salty and flavorful Italian cheese so there is no need to add salt.
Step 3 – Add freshly ground black pepper and mix quickly until you have a creamy sauce.
Step 4 – This egg and pecorino cheese sauce should be quite thick. Set it aside for the moment. The water should now be boiling so add the salt and cook the spaghetti. If you chose a fairly large pot, the spaghetti should fit comfortably without breaking them. Whole, unbroken spaghetti is best, so you can more easily roll them around on your fork.
Step 5 – Drain the pasta when ready. Then place them in the skillet, over high heat, to season well with the guanciale. At this step, we have reached the crucial moment of spaghetti carbonara. Not to put tension on it, but this is the fleeting moment in which you can make an immortal dish or one that will be a real failure. So now you have to be quick, ready and dexterous. Here’s how:
Step 6 – When the spaghetti and guanciale sizzle in the pan, TURN OFF THE HEAT, otherwise the eggs will overcook and you’ll end up with scrambled eggs and pasta! Now quickly add the eggs and pecorino cream to the hot pasta and stir. The pan is not too hot, this way the eggs will cook without lumps. Pay attention to the consistency, which should be creamy, not runny. If you notice that your carbonara is too runny, add some grated pecorino cheese. On the other hand, if you see that it’s too sticky and dense, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of pasta water.
Step 7 – Carbonara is ready. With the help of a ladle and a fork, create a pasta nest and place it on a plate.
Step 8 – Top with what’s left of the guanciale, freshly ground black pepper and grated pecorino romano to taste.
There are many quality recipes online. Check these sites out to get started.
This form of eating called Tapas can be traced back many moons to when bar owners used salty meat strips to cover drinks to keep the flies from swimming. The salty meats promoted thirst amongst the patrons and drink sales thrived. Soon the drink covers became other salty creative snacks and a bar culture of food was born. Spain gets most of the credit for this type of nourishment as many of the ingredients used in creating these food gems are found abundantly in their region.
This salty sales theory is why in the 70’s and early 80’s many bar owners in the US offered free peanuts to bar patrons. Peanuts were cheap and salty and the President (Jimmy Carter) was a peanut farmer. Jimmy’s brother Billy was a famous beer drinker. See how these things go together!? The cool thing was back then that many places just let you throw the empty peanut shells on the floor like at a hockey game.
The Dude of Food was really impressed with the tapas in Donostia/San Sabastian. While visiting this beautiful Basque city many great items were discovered. I stumbled upon a place named Bar Desy that invited me to try tons of great foods including an extensive tapas menu. I went back to Bar Desy a bunch, sometimes 3 times a day, for the next week. The staff was really great and I even met the owners father.
The top photo is one I took after I created a few tapas for my Brazilian girlfriend to enjoy while listening to some Samba and sipping on wine. We would look deep into each others eyes and share moments that made the world outside go quiet. Love was in the air. I digress.
Anyways as stated, the Dude of Food created the above pictured tapas. On the various breads are oil, cheese, meats, tomato sauce, veggies, sardines, salt and herbs. Tapas are fun to make, great to share and super enjoyable to eat.
Below was my first pass by the home made tapas table.
Don’t be afraid to try this style of eating. Combine some of your favorite flavors and enjoy some tapas soon.
Body builders, fighters, athletes, nutritionists, historians, chefs, archivists and intelligent eaters everywhere all agree that eggs and chicken are good sources of protein and carbs are good for a body in motion. This group also would agree upon the fact that vegetables are good for folks. So when I mixed eggs, chicken, potatoes, celery and onions together, I made a super food. The recipe ingredients follow at the end of article.
Super Food photo: p3
I started by peeling, cubing and boiling 3 potatoes in salted water. I love my Oneida knife. I’m not endorsed by them but this knife and I have grown together in the kitchen and we both try to look good while staying sharp.
You can add steamed peas to the mix if you desire. If so now is the time to retrieve them from the freezer and steam a cup full of them. Once steamed, cover and let sit.
Celery and onion
Next, time to chop the onions and celery, while warming the potatoes in water. I like to leave the onion a little chunkier and dice the celery up pretty small as you can see in the photo.
Peel and chop up the hard boiled eggs.
Remove the meat from the precooked chicken thighs.
Love my Oneida knife
Once the potatoes are cooked you need to drain them and return them to the hot pan. Add the chopped onions, celery, eggs and chicken to the warm potatoes. If you are adding peas, drain and add them now. Stir in the mayo, mustard, vinegar, relish and spices. No need to stir hard or use mixer as the potatoes are soft and will become mashed if you mix vigorously. It’s not bad, as some may prefer the texture, but personally I like the potatoes to maintain some of the cube shape. The taste is the same.
Once mixed you can enjoy warm with crackers or cool in fridge and enjoy in lettuce bowls or between toasted sourdough slices in the morning with a slice of cheese. It’s a bit like tapas and goes great with wine, anti pasta salads, appetizer trays, breakfast, snacks and parties.
Now getting back to the nutritional status of being called a ‘Super Food’. I think it certainly qualifies for the title as it tastes ‘Super’. The Dude of Food fully approves and recommends trying this. This new super food group deserves an all stars available rating and a Golden Fork Award if there any are to be given.
3 large gold potatoes 4 hard boiled eggs 4 chicken cooked thighs 3 chopped celery sticks 2 chopped green onion stalks 1/4 chopped white onion 3 spoon fulls of mayonnaise 3 circle squirt of yellow mustard 1 spoon full of dill relish 2 cap fulls apple cider vinegar Add salt, pepper, paprika to your taste.
Additional options could include but certainly not limited to: avocado, peas, sour cream, ranch dressing or raisins. If you add grapes then we probably aren’t friends.
1 six pack of your favorite beer or 1 bottle of a favorite wine
1 cup rice
6 chicken thighs
8 oz tub of diced baby Portabella mushrooms
1/4 onion
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon minced garlic or 2 chopped garlic cloves
Olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream - optional
chopped parsley - optional
1 cup peas - optional
Salt and black pepper to preferred taste
Herbs (thyme, sage, tarragon, rosemary, paprika)
Preparation:
Pour your favorite beverage into a glass and collect your ingredients including pans and utensils. Remember to pick a pan large enough to hold everything at the end as we’re doing a 1 pot style.
Open the package of chicken and individually rinse each piece in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Season your chicken with salt, black pepper, herb mix. Some folks put everything in a bag and shake the dried chicken in the bag. Dealers choice here but if your chicken isn’t dry it just makes a mess. I prefer the sprinkle on both sides method. Also don’t neglect your drink. Your beer might be getting warm.
Pour a little olive oil to barely cover surface of pan and heat on low-medium heat. When oil is warm, carefully place the chicken thighs bone down in the hot oil, cover and leave to fry for roughly 8 minutes. As the chicken heats more oils will be released. Flip and continue to fry on the skin side for about another 8 minutes. Both sides should be slightly crisped. I watch the heat process and if it looks too low or high I make adjustments. You want your be sure your chicken is cooked to at least 160′. I keep the heat on the low side and ride it as to not dry out the chicken. Keeping the pan covered traps the heat and cooks the chicken more thoroughly.
Remove seared chicken from oil, letting the grease drip back in pan, and set chicken aside for now. Do not refrigerate the chicken. Now is a good time to sip your drink or refill if needed. I always keep my beer close so I am easily reminded.
Keep the heat low and in the still hot and now empty oiled chicken pan add garlic, butter, parsley and onions and low simmer for 8 minutes or so. If adding peas add them now too. Still frozen is OK but I prefer if the peas have sat out on the counter for a bit and thawed. Once the peas have simmered for a couple minutes you can add the onions until they are nearly clear. Then toss in mushrooms.
When the veggie mix looks ready place already steamed rice in the pan and add chicken stock. Now would be when you would add the heavy cream if choosing to do so. The thing to do is de-glaze the pan as you stir in the added stock to the rice by giving it a gentle stir. Remember not to scrape metal spoons on non-stick pan bottoms when stirring. Use a flat wooden stirrer and don’t heavy hand the drag. I try not to use plastic utensils although I have a few good ones just in case. Let the whole thing simmer together for 5 minutes before adding the cooked chicken. Cover and simmer another 15 – 20 minutes or until it looks ready. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top, cover and let sit for a couple more minutes while you top off your drinks.
One of the things I noticed about people returning from the island of Ometepe was that they all projected a relaxed vibe. Being on vacation at the beach I was already relaxed but I was curious about this vibe other folks were experiencing. They all said they had just returned from visiting Ometepe and the surrounding areas.
Taking the ferry from Rivas to cross to the island is easy, inexpensive and takes an hour. The boats run pretty frequently and make it easy to get back to the mainland if needed during daylight hours. The town of Moyogalpa is there like a patient friend waiting to greet the newly arriving ferry travelers. The town is a neat little arrangement of approximately 6 square blocks that you can find nearly everything you might need within. There are many places available to stay between the 2 volcanoes on this big island and everything can be arranged once arriving in Moyogalpa if a pick up hasn’t been arranged already. There are a bunch of places to choose from within steps to regroup, have a beer, get some food and/or contact folks for arrangements. Read on.
My arrangements were made for me. I needed to be 3 blocks up and 1 to the left of the port to a place known as Hospedaje Siero. The family that run this place are great. Lucy holds down the rentals while her husband Abraham is handling the remodeling that was going on. The photo below shows the old school material delivery happening one morning.
In the foreground you have the construction delivery going on and in the background you will see the orange canopy Krisdalia. I’d visit Krisdalia for instant mocha coffees in the early mornings. The mom and daughter team were nice people. Both the hostel and Krisdalia next door were easy to find and provided an excellent area to call home.
The island consists of 2 volcano cones that protrude through an enormous lake that feels like a wave less ocean. The island’s perimeter claims roughly a 60 mile figure eight. Renting a motorcycle from the crew at Green Expedition was easy. They are reputable, trustworthy and came with a good recommendation which I share here. https://www.instagram.com/greenexpedition/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D
Along the same main street from the ferry and steps from Green Expedition is El Picante Restaurant. They offer a knowing staff, pleasant atmosphere, good blended drinks and delicious food too. The owner Jan knows many things, is very helpful and a great host. Many hours were spent here. Visit here for sure. Even Kurt from Canada recommends El Picante as you can read below.
The next place up and on the same side of the street hosts a sign that says La Cocina de Mami and offers rooms to rent also. This is an awesome place to go for breakfast. The other thing I loved besides the sweet staff was the chicken pasta.
The last place you should seek out is up the main ferry exit road and when you get to the island circle road which is about 5 blocks up go right. About 2 blocks down on the volcano side is a small sign letting you know there is delicious food waiting to be created for you at Comedor Alma. We were always welcomed warmly there and treated like family. I love this place. Everything we had on the menu was good. It is as local as you can get when it comes to eating in Ometepe and added to a great experience while visiting the island. https://www.facebook.com/memitoelnica/videos/estamos-transmitiendo-desde-el-comedor-almamoyogalpa-isla-de-ometepe/376300624389041/
Thank you to all the wonderful locals for sharing your beautiful place and vibes with me. Muchas gracias. Sincerely, the Dude of Food
Once you arrive to Playas Del Coco and get situated you will end up back on main street for one reason or another. It is the center of everything you will need whether it’s the beach, food, information, transportation, bank, doctor or whatever. The photo above shows the main street looking east. You’ll have a couple blocks until you are at the end looking this direction. The other direction in the above photo will send you towards the beach and a few more blocks of interesting places like more shops, quick eats, sports bars, etc.
Housing was at a place found on Airbnb called ‘Maria and Marios’ and I was very happy to have stayed there. They couldn’t have been nicer people and treated me like family. The walk from their home to the main road would take me past 2 stores and a fruit stand. Whether needing a refreshing coconut water straight from a coconut soaking in ice water or a cold beer on the walk I had options.
There are many fun looking places to enjoy around town and unfortunately I didn’t get to experience all of the ones that appealed to me but the following spots are a couple of the cool places I discovered as I wandered around Playas del Coco.
In the morning I would ride my rented bicycle the few blocks to the beach and get a coffee at a cool place called Cafe Corazon. They are located close to the water (50 meters) and provide good coffee in a cool zen atmosphere. The guy behind the counter was always a welcoming host. https://www.instagram.com/cafe.corazon/?hl=en
Sal y Fuego can be found off the main road up the street from the sports bar and is a terrific find. If you love grilled meats and fish presented by a local trained in Argentina then you’ll love this place. The staff is friendly. I gave them a Venice Brand sticker. It’s worth the quick walk up the slight hill. https://www.instagram.com/salyfuegocr/?hl=en
At the corner where the sports bar and Mexican restaurant meet (the street you’ll walk up to find Sal y Fuego) is another new restaurant called Nakapasi. They are really new and I couldn’t find their social media but the man behind the bar, Abraham, was super cool. I gave him a Venice Brand sticker too. We tried to get the NHL Stanley Cup finals on which didn’t work but they did offer cold beers and really good ceviche. This would also be a good place to bring a date for dinner.
The Dude of Food really enjoyed the time chilling out around Playas Del Coco and thanks all the nice folks that shared with me and made this Costa Rican experience extra special. Thank you all. Pura Vida.
Recently, there was a 3 week period when my path stopped and all I did was hang out in the Popoyo Beach, Guasacate, Nicaragua area. The time was spent with a buddy either going to the beach, doing little things around the pad, eating or going to get some more beers before going out to eat again. It was pretty terrific and as much as the insects, reptiles, barking dogs and heat can be annoying it was far better than the traffic, homeless issues and silly political news games presented to US back home. My heart rate easily decreased by 15 beats a minute after a few days of adjustment.
As mentioned there are a number of really good places to eat in the area. They are all run by fine people who create quality foods of all kinds. Below are some of the places that stood out the most to me. They are listed in alphabetical order and show no preference by the place on the list. Read each listing to find out more about the places.
https://goo.gl/maps/aPEzYy5FLo8skJFi8 This link will take you to Guasacate’s main beach road on Google maps and will help guide to some mentioned eateries.
Amahula Hostel – This place is located on the south end of the main beach street. They have nice rooms, a cool staff, a big open bar/cafe/board stash-shower/hang out area and organize parties in the area. They can be found on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amahulahostel/
Amaros – Amaro is a really nice guy who just opened a new restaurant in town. Located in a central spot on the main road near the salt flats this is a great place to eat breakfast. The huevos rancheros is the best in town. The staff is sweet and I loved going here.
Amaros kitchen
Huevos rancheros at Amaros
Casitas Pacific – This place offers nice rooms and has a cafe you’ll be happy you discovered. If you want to enjoy lunch at a table looking out to the beach while sipping a cool drink in the shade, then you should find your way to this spot and enjoy. https://www.casitaspacific.com/cafe-restaurant
Casitas Pacific
Dutchy’s Entrance
Dutchy’s Deli – Always cheerful and welcoming, this is a place I like to see the doors open at. You can change your spirit simply by walking in, saying hello and having a refreshing smoothie in the patio area. The tuna sandwich, roast beef sandwich and hamburger are all winners. If they have the homemade lox you must try it. They also make good fresh bread and have menu items for those who choose not to eat meat. There might be a dog sleeping in the bathroom and chances are he’s not gonna move so aim carefully. Lastly, the place has a nice charm and is because the owners wife is a very talented designer with a great eye. Both are very cool people who host an excellent staff that helps them run an awesome establishment. They can be found on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/dutchysdeli/
$1 taco at La Loma
La Loma Lobster plate
La Loma Del Sabor Restaurante – This La Loma was the first place I ate in the Guasacate/Salinas area and was always happy to return. The banana con leches were so good I would ask for 2 every time. The menu offered many good options and were more of a locally known spot. They aren’t on the main beach road but on the main highway. They are on Instagram too. https://www.instagram.com/la_loma_del_sabor/
La Tica #2 – This place is located at the south end of the beach road and everyone knows Jessica. She is super cool and besides being the hostess that holds down the hostel she is the cook that manages the nightly BBQ on the grill outside that is a big hit for everyone in the neighborhood. They offer non meat, chicken, cow or fish options along with a plate full of salad and potato star things. The nights they offered Dorado as the fish option were my favorites. This place is just good all around. Not sure why Trip Advisor shows the ratings it does but you can be assured Jessica has got it handled. Eat, drink, surf, sleep and be happy here. https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1025477827/la-tica-playa-guasacate-popoyo-nicaragua/
Magnific Rock – This place is an awesome location perched on the point above the surf break and when the waves are firing this place would be the bar where the judges would be sitting. It is priced more on the higher end of the scale, as are a couple others on this list, but what you get in return is worth the extra couple dollars when you are enjoying the coffee in the am while taking in the view or a refreshing drink at sunset. https://magnificrock.com/drink-dine/magnific-rock-cafe/
Restaurant Kathere Abierto – This one you may have to keep an eye out for as I don’t remember seeing a sign and it looks like it’s part of something else. It is located on the main beach road right next to and on the north side of Vibra Guesthouse. The patio, which from the street you enter the center, runs sort of parallel to the road with the kitchen counter towards the back of the patio away from the street. This place can seem odd at first but be patient and enjoy the food. Trying to get fancy or act touristy will not help. The menu is typical Nicaraguan food and is done properly. We ate here on several occasions and one night I enjoyed the fish special which was called like citrus fish or primo fish or something like that and it was worth every penny.
PIZZA – There are a couple of pizza places in town and all are pretty good. On the main beach road you will hear about pizza night and just follow the crowd. It can get crowded and you can wait an hour or they could even run out as once happened to us.
Farther away from the beach is Mad Dog’s Pizza. They are kind of located in a spot by themselves but follow the sign and you’ll easily find it. The owner is a nice guy and they had a pretty cool set up where we watched 2 periods of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. The food was good, the beer was cold and the hospitality was genuine. https://www.facebook.com/maddognicaragua/
Well that is what I have to share. Muchas gracias to all the fine folks in the beach community of Guasacate y Las Salinas, Nicaragua.
