An Embarassment of Puerto Rican Riches in Des Plaines

I feel like I just cheated on my spouse.

Thirty one years, living in Des Plaines, and we never had a single Puerto Rican restaurant. And now we have two. First, Santiago’s, for which I and others have expressed great love and admiration, and now the 12-week-old El Bistro Latino.

They first hit my radar thanks to my daughter and fellow LTH poster abe_froeman. She sent me a link to a Yelp notification for newly opened spots in the neighborhood. I usually take Yelp reviews with a grain of salt, but the consistent five star ratings made me think we needed to check out this place sooner rather than later.

The problem was, I felt guilty about turning my back on Santiago’s. We’d built a loving, caring relationship with the little joint that could (they moved into a “cursed” space, occupied by a string of unsuccessful restaurants over the years, and now they’ve made it work). Visiting Santiago’s was an almost familial experience. Mrs. Santiago calls me “Papi” whenever she sees us walk in. And I’d like to feel at least partially responsible for the excellent Mofongo (which is absent from the menu at EBL) they recently added to the menu board. And now we were going to eat at their direct competitor.

I looked around furtively to make sure no one saw me as I walked from the packed parking lot to the front door. Once inside we were impressed with the bright, open surroundings. Right inside the front door sits what once must have been a full service wet bar and is now dedicated to soft drinks and the making of agua frescas.

Chips and two kinds of salsa hit the table almost immediately. Both were very good, but I preferred the salsa verde’s brighter, tangier flavor. As we tried make up our minds as to which flavor agua fresca to order, Gina, the owner offered us samples. Tamarindo and jamaica were both very good, but the lime/cucumber was the real stand out. In spite of the samples, Mrs. Roadhouse ordered the mango; I chose the watermelon. Both were good, but next time I’ll be getting the lime/cucumber for sure.

We decided to order a bunch of apps and a single dinner to split. Empanadas Hecho a Mano were up first. A pair of beautiful golden turnovers stuffed with shredded pork and potatoes were served with a small cup of chimichurri. The outer shell was crisp but not tough. The moist pork filling was delicious.

Other apps followed, including Platanos Maduro (maybe the best I’ve ever had. Sautéed to almost fall apart tenderness, magnificently caramelized with an appetizing, toothsome texture on the outside, they were served with a completely extraneous cinnamon dipping sauce—more on that later), Tostones Con Ajo Fresco (good but definitely my least favorite item of the night. Honestly though, I think I like the idea of Tostones more than I like their realization. I enjoyed them the first few times I tried them, but the bloom soon fell off the stinking rose), and a very good Guacamole. We wanted the Alas De Pollo Rostizado (described as “slow roasted, very tender, slightly spicy & sweet chicken wings”, sold by the pound), but they were out of them.

Our main course was a Lechon dinner. It was supposed to come with “sweet coleslaw and Gina’s potato salad, but instead arrived with Puerto Rican rice and beans. We didn’t challenge the discrepancy, because 1. We weren’t exactly sure if we remembered the menu listing correctly, and 2. The rice and beans were pretty darned good, so no harm no foul. The lechon was beautifully seasoned, fork tender, very moist and very rich.

Now, remember that unnecessary cinnamon dipping sauce from the maduros? After we’d finished dinner I gave it another taste and had a brainstorm. What if they served up those perfectly cooked, delightfully caramelized plaintains over vanilla ice cream, then drizzled the cinnamon sauce over the top? Voila! Puerto Rican Bananas Foster!

The next time Gina walked past our table we grabbed her and explained the idea. She loved it so much she had her chef/husband make up an order on the spot. She brought out a beautifully composed plate piled high with plantains sitting next to a generous dish of vanilla ice cream and nice sized portion of the cinnamon sauce. And three spoons. Holy moley it was damn good. So good in fact, the next time we visit, we expect to see Bananas ala BuddyRoadhouse on the menu.

After that I started to feel better about going behind Santiago’s back. While both restaurants serve exemplary Puerto Rican cuisine, they’re still quite different. Santiago’s is more rustic, while El Bistro Latino is more refined. Kind of like a city mouse/country mouse comparison. Both feature exceptionally friendly and helpful service, and although El Bistro is more full service and upscale, their prices are very competitive.

Since we’ll continue patronizing both places, we now have a polygamous Puerto Rican restaurant relationship and we couldn’t be happier about the whole thing.

Buddy

El Bistro Latino
1261 E Algonquin Rd
Des Plaines, IL 60016
(224) 422-2206
http://www.elbistrolatino.com/