Day 219: When in Panama City...

We had just one night in Panama City and so you know we wanted to make the most of it by having a really good meal there. I had read about Manolo Caracol, supposedly one of the most well known restaurants in PC, and we had our hearts set on eating there but learned on our way out of the hotel that it is closed on Sundays.

Without a back-up plan, we asked the consierge for a recommendation. We said we wanted something local where we could enjoy true Panamanian cuisine. He recommended El Traphiche, but followed (several times) with a cautionary note that it was "nothing fancy". This was no problem at all for us, especially once he assured us that he eats there often.

We decided to order some sangria and the Panamanian Fiesta, a combination plate that promised a range of Panamanian delights.  It included fried yucca, fried plantains, a sweet corn cake, rice, shredded beef in El Trapiche's house sauce, a small bowl of something saucy with chicken, and for lack of a better description, a log of mashed potatoes that had been stuffed with ground meat of some kind.  The platter also came with a bowl of sancocho soup, which I had discovered and enjoyed in CR a day earlier. We also ordered a sandwich (the name escapes me at the moment) that came on something between bread and a tortilla, stuffed with different meats and cheese - it was delish!  We finished up with a giant bowl of ice cream and our entire bill, including tip, was less than $30!  Gotta love that!

I've done a couple of quick searches and it seems that El Trapiche isn't exactly a well guarded secret.  I found a NY Times review of the place and saw that it was listed on Wikitravel in the "Eat" section of the "Panama City" entry.

This was a great experience and we left totally stuffed.  Remember, when you travel, always ask the locals where to eat!