Fritanga Nicaraguan Cuisine

If you've never tried plantains, this small Nicaraguan restaurant is a great place to start. Fritanga offers three plantain preparations: thin, crisp tajadas; slightly thicker and less crisp tostones; and soft, sweet maduros. Tajadas, especially, might give French fries a run for their side-dish money. All three pair well with the restaurant's meat-intensive entrées. Charbroiled beef tenderloin (churrasco nica) comes with a flavorful chimicurri sauce and a devilishly hot pico de gallo, while charbroiled pork tenderloin accents dusky achiote seasoning with a bracingly tart note of citrus. Carne desmenuzada, a very thick stew of beef and vegetables has the richness of sauerbraten; a dash of pico de gallo makes the flavor explode.