Gracias Restaurants

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When I read the Lonely Planet description, I was determined to dine authentic Lenca style, rather than at the popular pizza place in the center of town. The initial problem though was in finding the place. Walking are poorly lit cobblestone streets, we passed the place twice until we came across a shop owner to showed us the door. At the time, the restaurant was closed, but she promised to open it for us in 30 minutes. So we walked around and returned, to find ourselves the sole patrons of a very usual restaurant.

The walls of the dining room were painted a dark red, and the lighting was very dim. We were welcomed to a table in the center of the room, and given handmade menus. The new-age, artsy Lenca owner of this place is a single mother with a darling and talent daughter, and a grandmother that hangs around. She was very careful to explain how proud she was to use natural ingredients, including lots of locally picked herbs, some of which had medicinal properties she claimed.

The menu was difficult to translate, but the items were must the same traditional food found on any Honduran restaurant menu, but she promised to make everything by hand. So I ordered homemade Orchata, which she served in a gourd bowl. For Belinda, she made a Hot Fruit Tisana, a sort of cooked tea that included fruits. I recall a special dip with tortilla chips. She made a salad of herbs and delicate greens finely chopped, which I found very good (she promised to wash the leaves with bottled water). Then after a considerable wait, we shared a plate of thinly sliced beef that had been carefully prepared with herbs and spices, along with handmade Honduran corn tortillas, and a small bit of white cheese.

Although the food was generally outstanding from a culinary point of view, it seems like the restauranteur was short of ingredients. The small cuts of beef were tough. Later, I ate a second meal at the hotel restaurant to fill my stomach.

Favorite Dish: What makes this place is the talent of the owner, who tells a great story about herself and her family. She is obviously a well educated person with artistic talent, proud of her Lenca backgrounI recommend that she be contacted a day in advance, and that special reservations be made, and menu items ordered, so that she can shop for a larger supply of ingredients for a full meal. This is a great place for vegetarians because that is to some extent the cooks orientation, though not exclusively. The price was reasonable even taking into account the modest portions. She claimed to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.