Our local World Cup coverage continues with a visit to Casa Honduras, an authentic spot that serves up the best of Honduran cuisine.
I watched the Honduras vs. Ecuador game with proprietor José Alvarado, who opened his restaurant right off of Hwy. 10 and Crowder Blvd. in New Orleans East about a year ago after moving from Los Angeles.
Alvarado isn't messing around this World Cup. He has nine large TVs to show all the games, and he even pipes in live commentary from Honduras, so people can feel like they are watching with their friends and family back home.
He's also offering a special during this soccer extravaganza: the culinary staple baleada, a flour, bean and fresh cheese snack, are a dollar. They also have the Honduran specialty of conch and coconut soup, and tajadas, or fried plantains.
Translation:"The truth is, the Honduran community is huge here in New Orleans. Huge! We're watching all the World Cup games here at the restaurant. We're offering a few specials, lots of people come in for the baleadas — it's a flour tortilla with beans, cream, queso fresco. We have nine televisions at the restaurant, and we transmit the Honduras games live from home, it makes the game a little more emotional for the Honduran community. The history of Honduras in the World Cup is that we always qualify, but we've never won. One year we're going to win! When we score a goal we scream, GOOOOOOOOOOL, yes we can, yes we can, Catracho, Catracho (nickname for people from Honduras)."
Visit all of our World Cup postcards here.