Panama is a developing nation. And as with most developing nations, its vestiges of culture, tradition, and history are often challenged by the magnetic bells and whistles of modern day globalization. Some of Panama’s institutions face extinction so it can be particularly satisfying to consume them, while we can, at an unusually high speed all in the name of preservation.

When I was about six, the thought of vegetables disgusted me. I remember one night sitting at the dinner table before a professional basketball game, when my father offered to reward me with one box of popcorn for every green bean I could throw down my hatch. I ended up finishing the entire plate and, true to his word, my dad bought me about twenty red and white boxes at the snack stand that sat lined up on our kitchen shelf like a series of unread novels.

We sat in the most enviable table of the night: a corner booth, rounded to afford views of the entire restaurant as the waiter refilled my glass with a Rioja that was, as he said, "as close as I've found to perfection". The meal was impressive, the service was spot on, and the ambiance like something out of a movie. But what I really wanted, was to tear off the blazer I was wearing and go buy a few kebabs from the street vendor outside.

The parties in most Latin American countries don't pick up until midnight or later. In Panama's Calle Uruguay, a conglomerate of trendy night venues that boast anything from salsa to techno to classic rock, the street is a veritable mixing bowl of drunk, wealthy Panamanians and visiting foreigners. A brand of gastronomic entrepreneurs saw this mix of inebriated souls with the beer munchies as a calling, and decided to take to the streets to burden themselves with the task of feeding these insatiable cravings.

My toilet recently broke and I learned embarrassingly first-hand, the bother of planning one's day around his bodily functions. I have never been a fan of using public restrooms in that they have all the privacy and discretion of a CB radio plus I don't have many friends who allow me in their apartments, much less their bathrooms. This toilet dilemma led me to lament over various activities which I would be restricted from, most relevantly, drinking various Panama beers at my apartment.

Would I go back again? Prob. not Location: El Cangrejo (Via Argentina) Food: xx SERVICE: xx AMBIENCE: x PRICE: $ OVERALL: x

Would I go back again? Hella (Location: Via Espana) FOOD: xxx SERVICE: xxx AMBIENCE: xx PRICE:$$ OVERALL:xxx

Would I go back again? Depends on how adventurous im feeling. (Location: El Carmen) FOOD: xx SERVICE: x AMBIENCE:xx PRICE:$ OVERALL:xxx

Would I go back again? Yes Location: San Miguelito) FOOD: xxx SERVICE: x AMBIENCE: does not exist PRICE:$ OVERALL:xxx

Would I go back again? Yes (Location: El Cangrejo) FOOD: xxx SERVICE: xxx AMBIENCE:xx PRICE:$ OVERALL:xxx