In the right context, it's a magical phrase.
Costa Rican food has something of a bad reputation. Among all the various guidebooks I read before flying down here, about the nicest thing anybody could come up with was that it's 'unpretentious'.
And that it certainly is. Chicken, fish, and beef fried or grilled. Tropical fruits. Stews. Juice drinks of fruit pulp mixed with ice and sugar. The national dish is gallo pinto (painted rooster) which is a confounding name for a simple plate of rice and black beans.
Also, food in CR is not as cheap as you'd think. Especially when it comes to exotic (that is, non-western) cuisine prices can rival those in the United States.
When it comes to the local fare, however, there is hardly a better bargain to be found than the soda. These informal diner-type things serve the classic casado lunch. A typical casado ('married person') will contain:
-meat
-some sort of potato dish (mashed or sauteed)
-rice
-beans
-green salad
-plantains
You certainly won't leave hungry, and all for about $4. Not a diet for the Atkins-lovers, but no matter.
Costa Rican food has something of a bad reputation. Among all the various guidebooks I read before flying down here, about the nicest thing anybody could come up with was that it's 'unpretentious'.
And that it certainly is. Chicken, fish, and beef fried or grilled. Tropical fruits. Stews. Juice drinks of fruit pulp mixed with ice and sugar. The national dish is gallo pinto (painted rooster) which is a confounding name for a simple plate of rice and black beans.
Also, food in CR is not as cheap as you'd think. Especially when it comes to exotic (that is, non-western) cuisine prices can rival those in the United States.
When it comes to the local fare, however, there is hardly a better bargain to be found than the soda. These informal diner-type things serve the classic casado lunch. A typical casado ('married person') will contain:
-meat
-some sort of potato dish (mashed or sauteed)
-rice
-beans
-green salad
-plantains
You certainly won't leave hungry, and all for about $4. Not a diet for the Atkins-lovers, but no matter. 
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