Like Los Ranchos' owners, La Parrilla's owner Gustavo Medina had
close
ties dictator Anastasio Somoza, having been a major-general until 1979
when Somoza was ousted. Medina had had no restaurant experience when he
lived
in Managua, but he said he turned to grilling Nicaraguan food a year after
he arrived because, "like other Nicaraguans, I had to make a living."
"It was my idea that a restaurant was a good idea, anyway," he
explained. "Also, there were a lot of us here, enough to support a
restaurant."
The restaurant's name, which translate to "the grill," provides the
clue toLa Parrilla's popularity: the grilled beef. The house specialty
is churrasco, a tenderloin steak that melts in the mouth. The chef, Ricardo
Gonzalez, an Argentine who lived many years in Nicaragua, explained that
the
the secret of the churrasco is that the meat is marinated for 24 hours.
The steak, tender enough to give way to a butter knife, is invariably
served with three sauces: spicy onion, a slightly sweet tomato one and
garlicky herb. A half-churrasco ($10.25) is a hearty luncheon portion.
A similar, but smaller and less expensive steak for lunch is the
puntas jalapena ejecutivo ($6.95). The tenderloin tip is served with a
fiery white sauce, but the waiter also provides the savory three sauces.
Chilaquiles ($5.95), a Mexican-influenced dish of shredded chicken,
two cheeses, ranchero sauce and tortilla chips, provides a fine lunch for
those fond of Mexican food but not its traditional piquancy.
Portions on the beef entrees are large, while seafood portions are
moderate. The shrimp thermidor is creamy and delicious, but brings a mere
half-dozen shrimp swimming in the sauce. At $12.50, the portion is, well,
shrimpy.
All entrees are accompanied by gallo pinto, which is Nicaragua's
staple rice-and-red-bean dish, and fried ripe plantains and banana chips.
For light lunches,La Parrilla serves appetizers called antojitos,
"whims," which range from $1.95 to $4.50, and include deep-fried cheese,
fried beans with cream and a seafood cocktail. Unlike the food at Cuban
restaurants, some of the dishes, such as the pargo a la Tipitapa ($9.95),
snapper in a Creole sauce, are quite spicy, so it's safest to ask first.
On Monday, the restaurant seemed to be deserted until nearly 1 p.m.,
when late-eating Latins strolled in for a bite.La Parrilla might be a
good
alternative to other restaurants that are packed between noon and 1 p.m.
Despite the proximity of Fontainebleau Park, the apartment complex
that so reminds Nicaraguans of the Open Tres apartments in their native
Managua,La Parrilla customers are primarily Cuban, Medina said.
"The Cubans, our compatriots in exile, also are very fond of
Nicaraguan food," Medina said.
Like other Nicaraguan restaurants,La Parrilla lists tres leches,
a cake dessert drenched in evaporated, condensed and whole milk. Although
the
exquisitely light meringue topping makes tres leches look suspiciously like
it's rock-candy sweet, the traditional Nicaraguan dessert is only
moderately so.
The tres leches, the obligatory ending to a fine meal, costs $2.75.
La Parrilla, 9611 W. Flagler St.
Lunch hours: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday
All major credit cards accepted. Checks accepted from regular
customers.
