Nelson Porta’s Santa Lucía Steakhouse/Santa Lucía Steakhouse de Nelson Porta

We went to Nelson Porta’s Culinary Institute restaurant a few days ago…called Santa Lucía Steakhouse. It’s located at Km. 8, Carretera a Masaya, 1ra entrada de Las Colinas, 1 c. al este. He definitely has a nice idea going and if you combine it with the current special, it was tremendous. They offer 2×1 on their famous churrasco steaks (numbers 21 to 25 on the menu). Also 2×1 on Victoria Frost, nice and cold!

Let me try to break it down for you:

I assume that the personnel consists of actual students of the Institute. They do an acceptable job.

First of all we were served a nice salad with perhaps a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It was also garnished with crumbled Roquefort cheese, tomato and cucumber. It was good.

I ordered the churrasco with Argentinian sausages. It came with garlic bread and a vegetable medley along with a baked potato with chives and sour cream. Also the famous chimichurri sauce was there on the side. In retrospect, I ordered the steak 3/4 and it seemed a bit overcooked. Next time I will ask for it medium done. As you can see, the presentation of the plates is splendid and it is a wonderful plate for $14.

It gets even better when the second steak of equal or lesser value is courtesy of the house. Can you believe that?

Congratulations to Mr. Nelson Porta and his original and inspiring Culinary Institute and the Santa Lucía Steakhouse. I’ll be back!!!

Visitamos el restaurante del Instituto Culinario, llamado “Santa Lucía Steakhouse”. Se ubica en el km. 8 Carretera a Masaya, 1ra entrada de Las Colinas, 1 c. al este. Tiene buenas ideas y, al combinarlas con la oferta del momento, era tremendo. Te ofrece 2×1 en sus churrascos (del 21 a 25 del menú). También 2×1 en Victoria Frost, bien heladas!

Te explico:

Supongo que el personal del lugar consiste en estudiantes del mismo Instituto. Trabajan de manera satisfactoria.

Pedí el churrasco con chorizo argentino. Lo sirven con pan de ajo y un trio de verduras junto con una papa al horno con cebollinos y crema dulce. También se sirve con salsa chimichurri. Pedí mi carne a término 3/4. Viéndolo bien, sin embargo, me parecía un tanto seco. La próxima la pido término medio. Como mirás, la presentación es excelente y que oferta en $14.

Aún mejor ahora es la oferta que te dan otro churrasco y igual o menos valor cortesía de la casa. ¿Lo podés creer?

Felicidades al Señor Nelson Porta y su original e inspirador Instituto Culinario y el restaurante Santa Lucía Steakhouse. ¡¡¡Seguro vuelvo pronto!!!

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Reality shows on the Caribbean coast

Note the following article taken from the Reality Blurred web site:

Survivor Nicaragua next for CBS, official says; Italy now filming on Pearl Cays, Big Corn Island

Survivor will indeed produce its 21st and 22nd seasons in Nicaragua, as a tourism official told a newspaper there that the next season of the CBS series will be filmed there.

Both “the famous U.S. TV show ‘Survivor’ and the Spanish version ‘Superviviente’ are also in the process of confirming Nicaragua as the site for their next shows,” the Nica Times reported, citing Nicaragua Tourism Minister Mario Salinas. He said, “These shows will have a very important [promotional] effect for the country in the U.S. and European markets.”

Currently, the Italian celebrity version of the series, L’Isola dei Famosi (The Island of the Famous), is filming off on the Pearl Cays, “a small cluster of remote islands three miles off Nicaragua’s southern Caribbean coast,” according to the paper. (See photos here.) It’s not clear if CBS’ version will film there, too, but the remote location combined with facilities that can support a production makes it somewhat likely.

The crew is staying on Big Corn Island, which is located well off the eastern coast of Nicaragua but has facilities to support the production, as the paper reports that “Italian crew will be staying in hotels, eating at local restaurants and employing local transportation for two months.” But the paper also says that some locals think the production is “more of a bother than a benefit,” especially since crew members on the Italian production are making demands for discounts or free things.

Nica signage/Rótulos a la Nica

As you may know, it is common in Nicaragua to drop the ‘s’ in many words. For example, “¿Cómo está[s]? Bien, ¿y vo[s]?” Sometimes the spoken word influences the written word in this constantly evolving literary paradise. “Allí tá. La floritería.”

Como es sabido, es común en Nicaragua no pronunciar la ‘s’ en muchas palabras donde aparece. Por ejemplo, “¿Cómo está[s]? Bien, ¿y vo[s]?” Y muchas veces la palabra pronunciada influye en lo escrito en este paraíso literarios en constante evolución. “Allí tá. La floritería.”

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McDonald’s "Summer is in the air"/McDonalds "Llegó el verano"

McDonald’s in Managua, Nicaragua (nearMetroCentro) has summer fever.  That crazy clown has added three new delicious items to the menu: Mango McFlurry’s, raspberry pies and banana sundaes.  Umm umm!!!  They go for C$31 ($1.45), C$23 ($1.05) and C$21 ($1.00) respectively.  Run and get them before rainy season!

En Managua, Nicaragua, McDonald’s (por MetroCentro) tiene fiebre de verano.  Aquel payaso loco ha agregado tres deliciosas opciones al menú: McFlurry de mango, pay de mora y sundae de banano.  Umm umm!!!  ¿Cuanto cuestan?  C$31 ($1.45), C$23 ($1.05) y C$21 ($1.00) respetivamente.  Corré y alcanzá algo antes que llegue la lluvia!

El Güegüense o Macho Ratón

[Fernando Fernández Bolaños]

El Güegüense or Macho Ratón is a Nicaraguan indigenous play that came to life in the city of Diriamba, Carazo.  Its author is unknown but it was originally presented in the Nahuatl language.  Essentially it was a political statement made by locals who rejected the Spanish imposition.  Today these characters have come to be representative of Nicaraguan folklore.  The UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) declared this work “Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.

El Güegüense o Macho Ratón es una obra de teatro que nació en la ciudad de Diriamba, Carazo.  Se desconoce su autor pero fue representado originalmente en la Nahuatl lengua.  Básicamente consistía en un ensayo político por los locales indicando su rechazo del dominio de los Españoles.  Hoy los personajes son representativos del folclor Nicaragüense.   La obra fue declarada “Patrimonio Vivo, Oral e Intangible de la Humanidad” por la UNESCO (La Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura por sus signos en inglés).

Hotel Xalteva

Hotel Xalteva in Granada, Nicaragua is a really beautiful, high quality place with the typical colonial construction that Granada has become famous for.  You have great views of the Mombacho volcano and the city of Granada.  During the off season (May 1-Nov 30) a 1 bedroom suite with kitchen and living/dining room goes for $95 per night rack rate.  The same room without the kitchen, living/dining room goes for $65 per night.  However, it’s a fact that a much better per night rate on a week-long stay can be negotiated (less than $40 per night).  There’s complementary fruit and coffee in the morning.  There are even grapes growing by the pool!  Recommended!

Hotel Xalteva en Granada, Nicaragua es una construcción de buen gusto y buena calidad en harmonía con el estilo colonial de la ciudad de Granada, Nicaragua.  Hay un buen vistazo del volcán Mombacho y vistas de la ciudad de Granada.  En la temporada baja (1 de Mayo – 30 de Noviembre) un suite de una recámera con cocina y comedor/sala cuesta $95 por noche.  El mismo cuarto sin la cocina y comedor/sala cuesta $65 por noche.  Sin embargo, es de saber que una tarifa mucha más barata se consigue negociando una semana (menos de $40 por noche).  Por las mañanas hay fruta y café cortesía de la casa.  Hasta hay uvas, creciendo en viñas al lado de la piscina.  Recomendado!

www.nicacondos.com
de Trillo Santa Rosa 1/2 c. Norte
Calle Obispo Ulloa

Barge bridge/Balsa vehicular in Malacatoya, Granada

The barge bridge to Malacatoya, Granada has a new cable!!! You might remember the old one that was constantly breaking. Now, the engine is also running and pulling everything across. Rumors in the air say that a bridge is in the works….when? Only heaven knows…but as they say in Nicaragua: Hope doesn’t fill your stomach but it can fool it….

La balsa camino a Malacatoya, Granada tiene un cable nuevo!!! Quizá te acordás del viejo que siempre se reventaba. Ahora, hasta el motor está corriendo y jalando todo através del río. Hay rumores que se va a construir un puente….¿Cuando? Quien sabe…pero como dicen en Nicaragua: “La esperanza no llena pero mantiene….”

Barge bridge/Balsa vehicular

Post Office/Oficina de Correos

Post Office/Oficina de Correos

The mail service in Nicaragua has improved greatly in the past few years. To send a letter to the U.S.A. from Nicaragua, the current cost is C$10 ($0.50). Generally it will arrive within 7-10 days. Likewise, if you send a letter from the U.S.A. to Nicaragua, it will generally arrive in 7 days (DO NOT SEND CASH IN THE MAIL). It won’t ever arrive. For domestic mail, a letter costs C$4 (about $0.20) and will arrive in 2 or 3 days. Other services include a personal post office box, which provides you with your own key and own little box. This service costs C$240 ($12) per year. You get an address like the following:

Your name
Apartado 201 (your box number)
Granada (town)
NICARAGUA (country)

The post office in Granada has the friendliest and service minded personal I have encountered in Nicaragua. Not all are the same….

El servicio de correos en Nicaragua ha mejorado mucho en los últimos años. Si vas a enviar una carta a EEUU desde Nicaragua, el costo actual es C$10 ($0.50). Por lo general llega en 7-10 días. De forma parecida, si enviás una carta de EEUU a Nicaragua, por lo general llega en 7 días (NO ENVIES EFECTIVO O BILLETE EN EL SOBRE). Quizá nunca llegue….Para el correo doméstico, una carta cuesta C$4 ($0.20) y llegará a su destino en 2 o 3 días. Otros servicios que se ofrecen son tu propio apartado postal o buzón, que incluye tu propia casilla y una llave. Este servicio cuesta C$240 ($12) por año. Te dan una dirección así:

Tu nombre
Apartado 201 (tu número)
Granada
NICARAGUA

Correos de Nicaragua, sucursal Granada tiene el personal más amigable y servicial que yo he encontrado en Nicaragua. No todos son iguales….