Café Daniela

(Café Daniela)

Sunday, I went to my first Soda. A soda is a small restaraunt that serves plain homestyle food. The special that most Ticos eat is called the casado. It literally means the married man, in other words, the sort of meal a married man would eat for lunch.

My first foray into a soda was called Soda de la Parque. It was across from the city park. I ordered the casado with bistec(beef steak), the food was good enough, and there was plenty of it. There was beans, rice, steak and onions, fried platanos,(a more starchy relative of the banana), and a cold potato salad that I really liked. I had a large diet coke with lots of ice.

The problem with Soda de la Parque was they were not used to dealing with gringos. They were not friendly, did not even try to speak clearly, and when I did not hear them mumble dos mil colones, they shoved a calculator under my nose. I don´t think I´m going back.

My Lonely Planet Guide to Costa Rica recommended Cafe Daniela one street east of the park. There were a lot of people in there and I didn´t feel those unfriendly vibes. The waitress spoke slowly and smiled and was easy to deal with. I was feeling a little homesick and ordered the cheeseburger and french fries with a fruit batido,(a light fruit shake). The cheeseburger had lettuce and tomatoes and onion, and even thousand island dressing like McDonalds. The fries were hot and crispy. The owner is one of the many Asian people who live in Costa Rica, he was also friendly and even helped me with my Spanish.

I think I´ve found my home, at least for lunchtime.

On the MP3 player:"Who Cares?" by Gnarls Barkley

Juanito

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