For @getonding RE: BELIZE

Twitter be damned there is a time and place for the verbose culinarian. And that is why I have a blog!

This is for my friends at @getondining. If you have the good fortune to travel to Belize, you will no doubt be looking for the best food around. I could direct you to a hundred small family owned places which would undoubtedly do the job for a few bucks. Belize can be a tough place to get really great food and especially service as the culinary scene is fairly young. However, there are a few places that do it well and I thought I could consolidate it for you.

Meat Pies: This delicious delicacy is an even tie between two vendors(any local can direct you) Pao and Dario. These two drive up vendors have slightly different recipes but essentially the same design. Both sell out by around 11 AM each day so come early and with an appetite. With the recent introduction of the Chicken Curry eat Pie you can hardly go wrong, but you need to try them for yourself. Trust me.

Riverside Tavern: By and far the nicest restaurant in Belize City with the most consistant food quality. Owned by the son of Barry Bowen, the Beer and Soft Drink mogul, this tavern barely qualifies as Indy in Belize terms, but in this case it is run with the same care and precision. The owner is kind, the beer is fresh and cold, the bar is fully stocked(for non beer drinkers) and the Burgers are absolutely delicious. Try the Blue Cheese burger. They tell me the fresh fish is amazing as well.

Other Belizean Dishes to try: Saturday Morning Roadside BBQ Chicken, Duckanoo(steamed cornmeal patty), Grilled corn w/chili and lime salt, Tamales, a sweet bread called"BUN", grilled rock lobster or curried lobster, etc etc etc.

Belikin: In a category of its own. This delicious beverage officially is my second favorite Beer, right behind my trusty Yeungling. Barry Bowen has lovingly crafted the fine line of choices including, Belikin Mayan Temple(Longneck or regular) Lighthouse(light), Stout, Septemberfest, and Premium. All are unique, all are German Style beers with plenty of flavor. All of them will satisfy the itch.....
Bowen and Bowen also carry Bottled Water, Fanta, Guiness, Coca Cola and a line of fruit beverages and malt beverages for any occasion. Truly the beverage purveyor of choice in Belize.

Grab a Fromers or Lonely Planet Guide, catch a flight and revel in the unique geographic and culinary destination that is the lovely Belize.....