Another Latin-style Comida: Las Palmas

Since reporting on the closing of the Cuban Churros Cafe in December 2006, I've closely watched the property to see when another restaurant would take its place. The site's most recent iteration -- Las Palmas -- opened in April. My family and I stopped in recently for dinner.

The Latin-style comida is a burgeoning genre in Allentown -- not surprising given the growth of the Latino community. Similar restaurants include Jarabarcoa City, Tu Nueva Casa, Mambo (though the menu is more diverse) and Latin Flava (yet to visit). I've found these restaurants to feature a variety of simmering, stewed meats served with a mountain of rice and delectable beans. Las Palmas fit the mold. Overall, we found the food good, not great, but very reasonably priced.

My wife's chicken had a bit of Latin spice, but had a rather thick layer of chicken fat atop the stewing liquid. Meanwhile, my beef stew was lean, tender and tasty. My son ordered fried chicken pieces. These took a long time to arrive at the table; I think the cook needed to turn on and reheat the deep fryer. When they finally arrived, they were thickly breaded, crispy, hot and nicely seasoned. My daughter's Cuban sandwich was acceptable, but not nearly as good as The Rock or Las Palmas' predecessor, Churros Cafe. It lacked the interplay of meat, cheese and mustard that is the hallmark of the Cuban sandwich.

From a value standpoint, Las Palmas is tough to beat. We purchased the four meals mentioned above with a side of fried plantains and five drinks for $26. However, I must say that there was nothing overly impressive about Las Palmas. I guess I'd equate it to an American-style diner: you generally know what's in store the minute you walk in the door. While there's something to be said for predictability and comfort, I prefer culinary adventure.