Baliadas

[DonRocks]

A couple of times, I've ordered Baliadas (also spelled Baleadas) at Sofia Pupuseria (purveyors of Atol de Chuco) which, bizarrely, has an awesome and enormous dollar-a-pound laundromat attached to it in the rear, complete with children's play area and mini-market kiosks. Baliadas (this is how they spell them at Sofia's) are a Honduran hybrid between a Burrito and a Taco, with a thicker, tougher tortilla than you generally see in the U.S.

The last time I ordered one, the crumbled cheese they used was brutal - it was like a pungent feta, but to an extreme level of saltiness, or acerbity, or something of that sort. I'm guessing this was Cotija, but I've had Cotija many times, and this seemed particularly severe, which may have been because some of it was delivered in grape-sized clumps, rather than being completely powdery, but I'm wondering if this might have been something like Queso Seco Nicaraguense, or some other Latin American cheese used primarily as a salting agent (imagine getting a grape-sized clump of tangy salt).

These things are so close to being delicious, but between the invariably overcooked nuggets of meat, and the impossibly aggressive cheese, they're also close to being unpleasant.

Incidentally, if you've ever had a queso fresco that has turned and become ammoniated, it's arguably the worst thing in the world, and the taste stays with you for days. This only happened to me once, in Little Mexico, and just thinking about it makes me wretch.

On a more general note, I'm curious what people would consider to be the best Central American restaurant in the area - considering how many there are, I can't think of a single one that I could say is great. Bonus points if you can name (without looking) the two countries in Central America that don't span the entire width of the isthmus (answer here). PS - Anytime you want to trip someone up, ask them how many countries there are in North America: They'll always say three.

[dracisk]

I couldn't possibly name the best Central American restaurant in the area, but Tim Carman has written flattering things about El Catrachito, which is Honduran and was also a Washingtonian Cheap Eats selection for 2015. They apparently have baleadas. Despite living close by I haven't been there yet!

I've also read positive things about La Casita, which bills itself as Salvadoran. I haven't been there yet, either.