San Salvador, El Salvador, has both art galleries and food trucks. Why not combine the two to create a lunch date that you’ll never forget?
It’s always fascinated me that when it comes to ordering food, there’s a distinction between eating in and taking it out to go. You have to specify if it’s “for here” or “to go”.
I’m a to-go girl myself
My ideal way of consuming anything is mobile. Put coffee in the thermos, wrap sandwiches, take lunch to park. For me, there’s nothing like leaving the coffee shop with a disposable cup and sipping it on the way to… wherever.
I often prefer casual self-service over waiter-service. Keep on reading, and you’ll see the perks of casual self-service when it comes to eating in San Salvador.
Sidestep the obvious staples of the food scene in San Salvador and find the best ways to eat according to your perceptions of time and money.
And what about art? Can you consume art like takeout food?
Experiences are always better when customized to fit the mold of your mood. What’s more, you can double up experiences. There are always new ways to pair things and substitute the classic date duo of “dinner and a movie”. Art and takeout food – two separate ways to get underneath a city’s skin – combined make a great little date.
Museo de Arte de El Salvador / Randal Sheppard / Flickr / Commercial Use Allowed
First, suggest that you try something different. Say that you know just the thing. Maybe you’ve both been already, maybe not that long ago, but try visiting MARTE (Museo de Arte de El Salvador), San Salvador’s Modern and Contemporary Art Museum during your lunch hour. Hold out on lunch, you’ll get there… After you take in a quick visit and say hello to the art collection and the temporary shows.
The museum is empty at lunchtime
There is more space for you to glide from one room to the other, down the ramp by the collection of the Rosa Mena Valenzuela’s colorful brush strokes and textured abstractions, and into the main room. You’ll find yourself ordering a little bit of everything: you’ll have some of the early realist and academic paintings, go through El Salvador’s cannon’s represented by 174 pieces of priceless art.
Soon enough, you’ll find yourself in the contemporary wing, confronted with names like Walterio Iraheta and Simon Vega. The varieties of concepts, shapes, formats, and materials will follow you past the temporary exhibits, and into the outside, where it’s hot.
You’re hungry, but more relaxed after having the art all to yourselves
The food trucks are close together, for your convenience, less than a block from the museum. You’re the only customers because you stopped to take out some art while others rushed and formed lines to eat.
You spread out between trucks, checking out what there is, because one of you is in the mood for a Cuban sandwich, while the other wants arepas. Yes, you can get it all outside MARTE.
And there’s a nice spot in the shade over there, where you can take your art and your street food to go.
Patricia Trigueros is a free spirit, writer, and translator from El Salvador. She has the habit of drinking too much coffee and writing in English, French, and Spanish. Check out her blog here and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
