Sunday, September 4, 2022

Market - The Best Kept Secret in Panama City

Market and Allen Brothers 

ALLE 48 # 27

URBANIZACIÓN MARBELLA, BELLA VISTA

PANAMÁ, PANAMÁ

  +507 6678-4052

  INFO@LAFAPA.COm

Once in a great while you run across a restaurant that speaks to you like an old friend. Like you've always been together and an you always will. Time may pass, but you can pick up right where you left off. Market in Panama City is a restaurant that makes you feel that way about it.
I'm embarrassed to say I've lived within walking distance of this restaurant for almost exactly a year but never even knew it was there. It never showed up on my radar and no one one the expat groups talks about it. Crazy. It is actually probably a good thing as I wouldn't have found so many other good restaurants in the city if I'd hit this one sooner. 
The only reason I found myself dining there two days in a row is that my friend Mark who I walk with every day mentioned it and got me to go with him for lunch as a goodbye celebration. I'm leaving Panama City in a couple of days and will certainly miss his company as well as this restaurant.
It's a block off Avenida Balboa. You'll see this sign about a block past Gaucho Steak House. 
This is the actual entrance to the restaurant. You walk through this market door. There is a lot of retail including sauces, truffled products, chocolates, wines, that type of thing. I'm hoping to chat with the owner a bit to hear the story of this concept and the connection to Chicago.
The retail section.
They have a full raw bar with clams and oysters from North America. I've missed cold Atlantic oysters dearly.
They're pricey, but they're a slice of home.
The space itself is reminiscent of a lot of North American restaurants. Subway tiles, big industrial ceilings a central bar, and very, very loud (acoustic absorption is zero). 
The wine list is big and the walls are adorned with numerous choices including out-sized bottles

The big draw for me was the steak. Finding steaks I've liked here has been difficult. They're either extremely expensive or not very good, and unfortunately sometimes they're both extremely expensive AND not very good. This place has extremely good steaks on both ends of the price spectrum. The day I was there for lunch I had twin tournedos of domestic beef and they were outstanding at $16. I was really shocked at how good they were. They're served with a head of roasted garlic and a popover as well as a roasted tomato. Great value.  
Then you can step up from there. I'm sure the dry-aged beef can get well over $100 for a big tomahawk or a ribeye. I went with an American Wagyu mid-rare. Great piece of meat and perfectly prepared.


For dessert we split a Coconut Pavlova. The center was filled with a passion fruit creme. Nice way to wrap it up.
If you go, note that there is parking on site but it fills up fast. There is also a paid parking lot across the street. 
Be sure to get some beef. Tell 'em the gringo from MD sent you. 
Cheers.

Monday, June 20, 2022

Onde El Gringo - Texas BBQ In Panama City

 Onde El Gringo

Plaza 69, San Francisco Panama https://www.ondeelgringobbq.com

Hi all. I know you've missed me. Well, frankly, I've missed you too! Panama is a wonderful country and I've been enjoying myself tremendously. What I haven't been doing is writing or taking an obnoxious amount of pictures of what I'm eating. Well, it's time to stop that nonsense and start all that up again.

First stop: Onde el Gringo. It's a Texas-style bbq joint that sits right next to a couple of other good restaurants including TaiSei Ramen and La Rana Dorado. Both of those deserve separate posts and will get them.

The owner of Onde el Gringo trained in the US in Texas and his brisket is second to none. Mine included. It's not cheap at $15 per 1/2lb, but it's worth it.

When going by Uber you'll note, much to your driver's dismay, that the location reads dead center in the block so they will generally take you to the middle of the next street over and look around. You need to continue to the next street and take two rights to get you to Plaza 69. It's towards the back. There is ample indoor and outdoor seating.

You can request fatty or lean. Everything is sold by the pound. They offer brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs (sometimes) and pulled pork. Sides are minimal and also sold by the pound. Cole slaw, Mac'n'cheese (seemed pretty much like Velveeta, not that that's a bad thing) and a few others.
Menu pricing is below.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1X3yUONJe5jCIIDL3SbgixHvpKg4AdVsz
Below is what we got for Father's Day. 
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ghiBYNrn39LjjgVFBRason4i7JL4D4_R

I managed to score some burnt ends once and they always throw in some pickled onions and pickles with a couple of buns. 
Expats, rejoice. There are other BBQ joints in the city, but so far this one has my heart.
As always, questions/comments are welcome.
Cheers.