Editor Pick
Southern Cuisine in Central America
- August 31, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
RoBoNC from Indianapolis, Indiana
As someone who has grown up in the South most of my life, there are a few things that I am accustomed to when it comes to food. And after five days in Nicaragua, we have feasted on rice and beans, carne asada (very cheap), plantains and fried cheese. But sometimes eating the local fare is not enough, and you grave those foods that remind you of home. Granada is one of those cities that cater to all tourists from all over the world. They have pizza restaurants, Irish pubs, some French bistros and the occasional Chinese restaurant. Granada is filled with tourists and it seemed like most of them were all Europeans so it is understandable that the city would have a wide array of different restaurants.
I was flipping through a Granada city tourist pamphlet that I picked up in the hotel. Craving something to eat other than rice and beans, I got excited when I saw restaurant called Jimmy 3 Fingers Alabama Rib Shack. If there is anything the South knows, it is ribs and with a place called Jimmy 3 Fingers, it sounded just like the place to get some good comfort food. I asked the bellhop at the hotel how to get to Jimmy 3 Fingers. He had never heard of it and even when I showed him the tourist pamphlet, he still didn’t know. He asked someone else and eventually we found out that the locals know the restaurant by another name, Nuestra Casa. Nuestra Casa is actually a hotel and the restaurant just happens to be below it.
We got a taxi ride to the restaurant which only cost us 25 cents. We could have walked to the restaurant because it only a few blocks away from the Plaza Central, but we wanted to experience a taxi ride in Nicaragua. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with plants and trees giving the place a relaxed almost romantic atmosphere. We grabbed a table near the rear of the restaurant. The waiter arrived at our table with a huge menu board of today’s specials. I ordered the Ribs and Chicken while my wife ordered the Portobello Stuffed Chicken.
While we waited for our meal to arrive, the waiter brought us fresh baked bread and a salad. We were greeted briefly by Jimmy 3 Fingers himself. He apologized that he didn’t have any highchairs, but luckily he can sit in a chair by himself. Since our son was acting out a little in the restaurant, Jimmy brought him some mashed potatoes to calm him down. He told us that these were his famous Alabama mashed potatoes.
It appeared that Jimmy was a busy person practically running the restaurant himself. I had wanted to ask him how he came to end up in Nicaragua or how he came about having the nickname Jimmy 3 Fingers. I tried to look closely at his hands, but it appeared that he had all ten fingers. I didn’t disturb him, but rather let him service his customers with that old Southern charm. Our food arrived and it was fabulous. The meat fell off of the bone and the chicken was tender and juicy. Our entrees were each served with those famous Alabama mashed potatoes and sweet corn.
If you are looking for a little variety in your cuisine and you have had about all the rice and beans you can eat, then try a little Alabama cuisine. After dinner, grab a drink at the bar, but just make sure to order an Alabama Slammer.
From journal Granada, Nicaragua - The Great Sultan of the Great Lake