Diversity is the name of the game for dining in Grand Island

Grand Island has a diverse population. The diversity flows over to its restaurants. We had the opportunity to travel to Latin America and Italy through our taste buds.

It was recommended to check out La Milagrosa near downtown. The Cuban restaurant has everything listed in Spanish. The staff speaks Spanish.

We ordered a pork dish. The pork was so succulent and moist. It fell off the bone with little effort. The pork was well-marinated. It was tasty with a nice spiciness. We had a side of black beans and rice.

We were told to try a cup of Cuban coffee. We were also warned that it was very strong. I’ve had my father-in-law’s version of coffee, so nothing can be that strong. We actually passed on the coffee, but maybe next time we’re in town.

La Milagrosa is a restaurant and store. It was interesting to see items being sold that I wasn’t familiar with. It gave us a preview of what traveling to Cuba would be like. And that trip is on my bucket list.

The restaurant is located in a section of town featuring a lot of Hispanic businesses. We enjoyed a walk around the area before continuing our tour of Grand Island.

After working off lunch with a walk around downtown Grand Island, a trip to the country to search for some Sandhill crane watching and a visit to the Conestoga Mall, we realized it was dinner time.

Napoli’s was our choice for a dining tour to Italy. The restaurant is located at Conestoga Mall. The restaurant has been in operation since 2011.

The restaurant offers a bread basket, along with oil for dipping. Our basket came with five nice sized rolls. It was very filling.

Our dinners each came with a choice of soup or salad. It was a warm day, so we each opted for the salad. Our choice of dressing was easy – Nebraska-made Dorothy Lynch. If you have never tried it, once you do, you’re hooked.

Lisa ordered a pasta sampler. It came with a small piece of lasagna, ravioli and manicotti (sans staples – family joke).

I had the chicken parmesan. A breaded chicken breast atop a bed on spaghetti, topped with cheese and marinara. Delicious!

The servings are huge. We had to leave a bit of our dinners. No dessert for us.

Later in the evening, after watching a movie at the classic Grand Theater, we stopped by the Chocolate Bar for dessert and a hot drink. The Chocolate Bar became our favorite place in Grand Island last summer when we stopped there on our way to North Platte. It is a coffee and wine bar.

Lisa had a slice of carrot cake and a Vanilla Bean latte. The carrot cake was outstanding.

I had a slice of multicolored cake – a rainbow. I also had the latte. My cake was awesome! The frosting was sweet and rich and amazing.

We agreed that the Vanilla Bean lattes we had may have been the best lattes ever! We will stop there when we visit again or just drive through.

The food scene in Grand Island is truly a gift. As a matter-of-fact, we stopped at The Wave Pizza and Beach Company last year. For more on that visit, check out the story – http://thewalkingtourists.com/wave-pizza/.

I know there are places we can try on our next visit to Grand Island. We loved our choices for this visit, and look forward to new opportunities. Enjoy the dining scene in Grand Island.

Disclaimer: Thank you to the Grand Island Visitors Bureau for the gift card to the Chocolate Bar. However, all opinions and views are ours.