Since we would like to experience the native food and beverage, any tips for special dishes to look out for in Chile. We will be traveling mainly to the Lakes District and Patagonia area, so our best option may be in Lakes District.

If you like marvelous trout or salmon, you are in for a treat. The little hotel at Peulla offers very good food, incidentally. Several excellent restaurants in Puerto Montt, by the way. But be sure to try the fish dishes if they are on the menu. The lakes produce excellent, fresh, and enormous fish.

There's an area in Puerto Montt called Angelmo. It has a fish market and a whole building overlooking water that serves sea food. You can eat in the market but you would probably feel more comfortable eating in the restaurants. We found one that was at the end of the corridor and was directly over the water. If you don't speak Spanish, ask them for the English menu which describes every dish that they offer. Their staff can understand English and speak a little which goes a long way. And unless you like mayonaise a lot, ask them not to include it with the fried food otherwise you'll find your food swimming in it. It was a great experience having fried eel and stewed barnacles. Also, at other restaurants that don't have menus in English, show you a post card that have the delicacies being offered subject to the season.

If you don't like seafood, look for a dish called bistec a lo pobre- it is usually a steak, fries or rice (in some places both), sauteed onions, and a fried egg. My favorite however is the pastel de choclo. This is an excellent dish, and it has roast chicken, hardboiled eggs, onions, raisins, and gound beef seasoned with cumin covered by what can best be described as a corn pudding. Excellent! I also think that you can't go wrong with empanadas (meat or cheese turnovers). As far as drinks go, ask for a Pisco sour or vaina- both cocktails made with the native liquor, Pisco. Enjoy your trip- wish I was going. Email me if you have more questions. <BR> <BR>By the way, Al, isn't the hotel in Peulla the greatest?! <BR> <BR>Carla

I know this is an old post, but it looked interesting. Any other suggestions?

Any recommendations on seafood to try? I know there is alot available that you don't see on menus in the U.S. Any tips on special dishes to try? Seafood or other.

Just a note of caution to be careful of what and where you eat. Got extremely ill from some sort of fish appetizer served in a little restuarant in Valparaiso. I would stick to fresh water fish otherwise the meat and fowl dishes should be fine.