El Ciego wrote:
While I like an American-style breakfast (what exactly is that?), I think it's equally satisfying to eat as the locals do. I got used to rice and beans as part of a balanced breakfast early on, and now I enjoy some gallo pinto with a little sour cream on top along with my huevos revueltos, tocina and pan tostada.
The good thing is this: If you eat like a tico, you'll find numerous little sodas around the Gulch that offer inexpensive, filling breakfasts. Instead of dropping $10.00 at the del Mar, you could spend half of that and get filled up. Fresh fruit is cheap, coffee is cheap, tortillas and gallo pinto are cheap. Desfrute!
El C, I completely agree with you on this, except I normally skip the tocina and accompany mine with platanos maduras and sprinkle my Gallo with a little Lizano Hot Sauce. Cost is actually more like 1/3 or less of what an American Breakfast costs at the Del Mar
BTW, if you ever go to Thailand and want to eat like a local there you should really try their traditional brakfast meal called "Johk". Its a thick rice porridge cooked in chicken broth with a few chunks of chicken or other meat, some fresh shredded ginger and, if you pay a little extra the street vendor will crack an egg into the soup but that ends up being only partly cooked. It sounds a little scary, I skip the egg, but it is actually quite tasty and very filling. Its a great way to start the day, and at 50-60 baht costs you less than $2. I actually like it even more for when I go to Thailand than I like Gallo Pinto when I go to CR.