Rincon Nica

Hialeah has a small but bustling Nicaraguan community that finds the comforts of its homeland at Rincon Nica, a homey restaurant just minutes away from the Palmetto Expressway's NW 103rd Street exit. The place is not overly decorated with Nicaraguan artifacts and knickknacks, like other Nica eateries throughout Miami-Dade, except for the oil painting of national poet Ruben Dari­o that greets patrons walking through the front door. In business since 1996, Rincon Nica is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offering affordable and deliciously prepared food. For early risers, five bucks will score a plate with two eggs, choice of ham or bacon, and Nicaragua's signature dish: gallo pinto, a sauteed concoction of rice and red beans. Substitute a warm flour tortilla for toast and it's like you're waking up in Matagalpa, a city in the mountains of the country's continental divide between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Daily soups include typical broths such as black bean soup and mondongo (tripe soup). Other staples on the menu include nacatamal, repocheta, and vigoron. The meat entrées are absolutely delectable. We suggest the puntas de filete a la jalapeño, a traditional dish in which three pieces of steak are served in a white creamy sauce bursting with jalapeños and onions.