#82 Eat at a great restaurant from every country

Puerto Rico (yes, I am considering it its own country)

"Puerto Rican food is definitely worth the experience, but I won't be going back any time soon...maybe just for the plantains!"

My mother really wanted to go to a Puerto Rican restaurant for Mother's Day and I thought "how great is this, I can spend time with my mom and check one more thing off my bucket list". We had gotten a fantastic recommendation for a place in San Rafael, CA called Sol Food. It turns out that they have two locations just one block away from each other. Weird, right? I called to ask which one was better, the employee told me that the old one (on 4th Street) had more character and would be a great place to go for our first experience. Though, when we did a drive by we thought that the restaurant look too small, so we chose their alternate location on Lincoln. The decor was colorful and eclectic, they had one wall lined with different colored old doors. This is a "order at the counter" type of place. The counter gal was very helpful in explaining & suggesting items on the menu.

What I ate and how I liked it:

Let me preface this by saying I have no idea what Puerto Rican food should taste like, so really this is just a matter of opinion (but aren't all reviews anyway?).

Pollo al Horno (chicken thighs, marinated in oregano and garlic) C
I was told that this dish was their specialty and the most popular item on the menu. The chicken thighs said they were marinated in oregano and garlic, but I tasted neither. The piece of meat was on the dry side and I was happy that I opted for just the one piece meal.

Maduras (sweet plantains) A+

You could have just given me a plate of these sweet, fried plantains and I would have been a happy girl. I might go back and order just that!

Pastelon di Carne (beef and plantain lasagna) B
This dish was layered similar to a lasagna, but with plantains, beef & cheese. My mother really enjoyed this, though we had to search for the plantains at the bottom of the dish.

Templeque (coconut pudding with mango puree) A

This was a perfect way to end a filling meal. The pudding was light and the flavor of coconut wasn't overwhelming. The mango puree was delicious!

Coco Rico Soda (coconut soda) C

I love coconut, but I do not love coconut soda. I think I will just stick with Diet Coke.

Liminada Fresca (lime fresca) A+
This house-made fresca (lime, sweetener & water) was a house specialty and I definitely could see why. It had the perfect balance of lime & sugar with the water; not too tart or too sweet.

All in all, if you are looking for Puerto Rican Food in Northern California, Sol Food would be a great choice.