With only a few more hours in Seattle until my Canadian friend flew back to his Northern home, I had just enough time to show him another piece of Seattle, wanting to highlight the fantastic regional cuisine. All he was craving was Spanish food. To fill his food fix, I had to bring him to La Isla – Ballard’s little slice of Puerto Rico.
After debating whether to sit inside or out (La Isla is one of the few restaurants with covered outdoor seating), the classic Ballard wind pushed us indoors, which I personally prefer, due to the Spanish-inspired interior of eye-popping blue, red and yellow walls. They also recently expanded, making the restaurant twice as big and with a new bar area.
The wait staff is slow but the happy hour menu makes up for it, especially the $2 empanadillas deal. They’re so good that I was willing to endure teasing and ridicule from my friend because I trip over the “-dillas” in empanadillas. Fortunately, the staff is much more forgiving and corrected me with a smile. The empanadillas came with a red sauce and a tasty garlic sauce that made me rethink taking my friend here – yay for mints at the end of the meal. We also tried the staff-recommended Carne Guisado bowl, which I absolutely love. The meat is juicy and its one of the few dishes that isn’t fried. Additionally, the cook is liberal with the lime juice, my favorite addition to ANY meal… and a great teeth whitener.
While I could have unlimited free chips and salsa at the Azteca across the street, I like La Isla more. The menu offers an alternative to Mexican food, its tastier and you don’t leave feeling bloated and in a bean and cheese-induced food coma. The ambiance is nicer with Latin salsa music playing softly in the background instead of overwhelming your ear drums like they do at some places. The kitsch is light and they do a nice job of blending Northwestern flavors into the dishes, such as blackened salmon with mango, pineapple and mint. La Isla is a more sophisticated, Seattle-like Caribbean restaurant. We left satisfied and relaxed, which quickly turned to the stereotypical panic of rushing someone to the airport.
