Best Food & Drink 2012 Panama Costa Rica Nicaragua Chifrijo Sibu

Welcome to Part 2 in our Best Of the Trans-Americas Journey 2012 series of posts. Part 2 is all about the Best Food & Beverages from the past year on the road from a gourmet surprise on a volcanic island in Nicaragua to the best chifrijo in Costa Rica. Part 1 covers the Best Adventures & Activities of 2012?and Part 3 covers the Best Hotels of the year.

Yes, end of year round-ups can be lame. On the other hand, they can also be a valuable chance for us to look back on the year that was and remember just how damn lucky we are.?Done right, an end of year round-up can also be a quick and easy way for you to get ?the best tips, tricks and truths that made our Trans-Americas Journey travels so special in 2012. Maybe, just maybe, you?ll hit the road yourself in 2013 (or 2014, no pressure).

First, a few relevant stats:

In 2012 the Trans-Americas Journey?

?thoroughly explored Nicaragua, Costa Rica and northern Panama

?drove 8,349 miles?

?spent $2,608 on fuel?

?made seven overland border crossings

We?ve also eaten nearly all of our meals in restaurants of one description or another from street food stalls to bustling markets to multi-star restaurants. In no particular order, here are some of the best bites and top tipples that made all that time on the road even tastier.

Best iced coffee: The talented baristas at the?Caf? Las Flores?coffee shops around Managua, Nicaragua turn the organic coffee grown and roasted by Caf? Las Flores into rich, satisfying coffee drinks of all descriptions including hard-to-find properly made iced coffee (US$2).?No hot coffee watered down with ice cubes here!?

Best pizza: The kitchen at?Al Cielo Hotel & Restaurant?is run by Xavier, a young French chef-slash-surfer who ditched the bustle of Paris in favor of the views and vibe at the ridge top place he helped create minutes from super surf in the town of?Aposentillo in northern?Nicaragua. Before he left Paris, a mentor gave him his pizza dough recipe as a going away present. Xavier has perfected it to suit the water and the oven in his new kitchen and, among other tasty dishes, he now offers authentic gourmet pizzas for 180 cordobas (US$7.50).?

?

Best cinnamon roll: They bake a lot of things at?La Casa de Don Colacho in Jinotega, Nicaragua but stay focused on the cinnamon rolls which have the sticky sweetness to rich pastry ratio dialed in.?

Best casual gourmet surprise: Caf? Campestre in the village of Balgue on Ometepe Island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua is owned by chef Ben Slow. He turns local, organic ingredients (much grown on his own nearby permaculture farm) into delights including homemade tagliatelle (seen drying, below), chicken curry, real chilli, humus (made with locally sourced jackfruit seeds instead of imported chickpeas?you?ll never know the difference) and much more all for less than many of the run-of-the-mill eateries on the island. His lovely and well-trained local staff and rustic/chic d?cor are also welcome surprises.?

?

Best ice cream:?It?s best to think of the frozen treat that?s been sold at La Sorbetera de Lolo Mora in San Jos??s 130 year old Central Market for more than 100 years as frozen egg nog with all the nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and rich, custardy goodness that entails. It?s even the same color as egg nog. Locals like it even more with cubes of red Jell-O in it. We liked it so much (sans Jell-O) that we made it one of our 17 Reasons Not to Blow Off the Capital.

?

Best chifrijo in Costa Rica: Pull into a road side stand just a few miles after you exit the new pay highway from San Jose onto the Costanera highway on Costa Rica?s Pacific Coast and get ready for the best example of Costa Rica?s national dish that we had during our 5+ months in the country. The chifrijo here (shown below), made with white rice and whole red beans topped with chopped tender pork then crumbled with chopped chicharon (fried pork skin) then doused with pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime juice, is sublime.?

Best restaurant name: Claro Que Seafood Grill, the formal restaurant for the iconic Si Como No hotel near Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica, wins this one hands down with its clever play on the common Spanish phrase claro que si (which means ?clearly? or ?of course?).

Best French fries: 9 Degrees Restaurant & Lounge in Bocas Town on Isla Colon in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of northern Panama serves up thick cut, freshly made fries dusted in chunky salt and served on a chic waterfront outdoor deck.

Best chocolate: Sibu Chocolate?near San Jose, Costa Rica is heaven for chocolate lovers and lovers of the environment. Innovative owners Julio Fernandez Amon and George Soriano?not only produce top drawer organic hand-made chocolates they do it with local ingredients from small-scale farmers, they offset their carbon emissions and their elegant packaging is made from recycled materials.?

Source: http://trans-americas.com/blog/2013/01/best-food-beverages-2012/

toyota recall northern lights sign of the times keystone pipeline purim acc tournament big ten tournament