(No website found at time of publishing) – Leon, Nicaragua

How I heard of this place: The bride & groom treated their families and out of town guests to a lovely dinner and cultural experience with music, dancing and children dressed up in costumes with drums, wearing costumes of a very tall Spanish woman and a small Nicaraguan man with a giant head, telling a story in rhymes that had something to do with the Spanish settling in Nicaragua.

Type of cuisine: Based on the feast we were served, I believe the establishment serves a very North American menu alongside more typical Nicaraguan dishes. Our menu was preset, and we were happy to indulge!

Ambiance: We entered the dim space through an entryway with a lit Christmas tree in the corner, made our way under the tall, brick-arched doorway, through the first courtyard dining area and into a slightly smaller, more private courtyard in the back. The grass and trees unable to shield us from the beautiful white, with gold accent-ed seating area preset for our party of 30+ guests.

We proceeded to take an abundance of photographs on the nearly-black tiles with gold rims. Our entertainment led us from the tables, through a doorway, to an adjacent, uncovered courtyard, perfect for the children to run and play. The rest of us were entertained by the young story-tellers, as our servers continued to bring us beverages from the bar to our right.

What I ordered: To start, the couple treated us with skewers of seasoned tender chicken and juicy beef, gooey chicken wings, and toothpicks stabbing fried plantains & sliced chorizo.

After entertaining our salads

and small bowls of a tomato-based vegetable soup,

for dinner we were offered the choice of either pork

or fish, with a side of mashed potatoes and carrot-infused rice. Both Chris and I opted for the fish, breaded, and topped with a carrot glaze.

Our desserts were offered: Chocolate Mousse Cake,

Key Lime Pie

or Cheesecake. We split the first two.

What I loved: The chocolate mousse! The appetizers were also stellar. Surprised to love the chorizo-plantain combination, it was no further surprise that each bite of our appetizers was better than the last. So delicious, so satisfying and so filling, in fact, that most of our dinner was taken to go.

Why I loved it: Beautiful space with a natural aesthetic, excellent entertainment, fun with new friends and adopted families, delicious food that could be savored and enjoyed for lunch the next day.

Cost: It was the treat of our hosts