(The establishment has no name, let alone a website) – Leon, Nicaragua

How I heard of this place: Our volcano-boarding guide, Raul recommended it as a cheap option for lunch when I asked him where he would eat.

Type of cuisine: Nicaraguan staples prepared and served by the women of the house.

Ambiance: We walked up to a nondescript builging

to find three empty tables, squashed except for one man enjoying lunch while watching the television set in the corner, to our right, a kitch, plastic tablecloth covering a table that seems to be where the cash is exchanged for food, and a buffet style display of available order options. As we make our way through the cramped space to the end of the line, reaching out into the small back room with plastic tables/chairs also available for seating,

we walk by the even more confined and meager kitchen. We glance at the CENA menu written in black ink on a whiteboard propped up against the wall,

though stationed on the floor, but decide to wing it by pointing at the enticing dishes through the glass.

What I ordered: A heaping scoop of vegetables: zucchini, carrots, onions, tomatoes, green beans, and squash, pickled slaw (cabbage and carrots), salad (including slices of cucumber, onion and tomato), half of a fried plantain, one slice of queso frito, one meatball in a rich tomato/onion/pepper stew, and a chow-mein-like dish of sauteed vegetables and crunchy noodles, all for about C$45-C$50.

What I loved: The meatball. That gravy/stew in which it was prepared had so much flavor, little spice but abundant in seasonings and freshly prepared, homemade goodness.

Why I loved it: A truly homemade meal at an extremely reasonable price,

Cost: Low to average (C$35 – $120 per plate, meat is most expensive)