El Novillo Menu

El Novillo Restaurant Review:

This lively restaurant specializes in big plates of typical Nicaraguan food, plus some less interesting American and generalized Latin American fare. Stick with the Nicaraguan stuff, especially vigoron, pork cracklings and yuca with sweet-sour slaw (repollo) and tomato salad---a must-have. For grazers, not-so-small plates recommended for sharing with friends are repochetas (grilled cheese-stuffed corn tortillas and a platter of six tiny beef tenderloin tacos served with slaw). For those seeking full meals, steaks outshine seafood here, particularly the butterflied tenderloin, served with three sauces---parsley/garlic chimichurri, tomato and onion, and spicy pickled onions. Most entrées come with the sauces, plus a house salad and starches galore: garlic bread, rice and red pinto beans, and choice of plantain preparation (fried sweet plantains, pressed and fried savory tostones, or mariquita chips). À la carte orders of slightly hot, creamy jalapeño onion sauce go well with anything.