Las Antillas (CLOSED)

About 8 months ago the Times Union ran an article about Las Antillas. They are a Puerto Rican restaurant on Southside Blvd across from Blue Bamboo. Apparently they have been open for 2 years and I never knew they were there!! How could I let this happen! Needless to say, we had to check them out as soon as we could. After our first visit, we knew that we had a keeper, so we were sad to see that they closed for renovations shortly after. After a few months, they reopened and we rejoiced! Last night was our first visit in months and we were not disappointed! Las Antillas is not your typical restaurant. You order at the counter (different items daily, no set menu), get your food, then sit down (or pay if you are doing take-out). We got ours to go because they were about to close for the night (7pm) and were take-out only.

I got the Beef Stew with Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and Yuca. I love beef stew but I only get it at soul food places because they are the only ones that can get it right. Well, I'm happy to report that Las Antillas also knows how to make some beef stew! The beef was so tender that it fell apart when I tried to stab some with my fork. There were also big chunks of potatoes that were just as tender. The sauce was perfectly seasoned and I kept dipping everything on my plate in there to soak up the flavor.
Arroz con Gandules has to be one of my favorite things in Latin cooking. There is something about the spices they use that makes it taste remarkable. The gandules are more of a bean than a pea. They don't have much taste, but I love them.
The yuca was tender and cooked nicely. There's not much you can say about a yuca :)

Ivan got one of my other favorite things, Bistec Encebollado with Arroz con Gandules and Yuca. Bistec Encebollado is basically steak and onions. They are cooked together in a pan along with other spices. If you have never had it, you are missing out! The steak was thin, juicy, and full of flavor. Cooked perfectly :)

If you are looking for authentic, inexpensive Puerto Rican food, give Las Antillas a shot. I have tried many different dishes and they are all wonderful. The menu rotates daily, but they usually have the Bistec and a pork dish. You can't go wrong with anything, but if you ever see the Pernil, grab it!! Yum!!