La Isla

• Cuisine(s): Caribbean, Latin American
  Hours: Sun 11:30am-9pm, Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm
  Price: $ $
• Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards, cash, ATM/Debit
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Private Party, Catering, Wheelchair Accessible
  Serving: Dinner, Late Night, Lunch
• Alcohol: Full bar
  Reservations: Not Accepted
  Parking: Street

Description

Formerly known as Sofrito Rico, this storefront restaurant highlights the best of Puerto Rican cooking, a homey cuisine that doesn't pack the spicy heat often associated with Latin kitchens. Hearty mains from chef Martin Perez include roast chicken, steak, pork chop, and a grilled salmon. A side of home-stewed rice and beans offers a chance to sample sofrito, the cilantro and garlic-based puree that is the foundation of many Puerto Rican dishes. The appetizer menu offers an array of fried morsels, including several tasty variations on the starchy banana relative, plantain. Be sure to save room for the flan, which goes heavy on the vanilla and has just the right hint of bitterness to its caramel. Ask bartender Ben Capdeviellek any question about gin and its distilling process, and you'll be entertained for an hour.