Puerto Rico, the small island in the Caribbean, might be best known for its civic pride. So it’s not surprising that that same pride is found in our food. Puerto Rican food is a fusion of Caribbean and Latin American flavors with use of garlic and spices that make it uniquely “Boricua.” Growing up around Puerto Rican food has given me an astute ability to judge our food. For that reason I have always been skeptical of Puerto Rican food restaurants. Nobody makes better “comida de la isla” then my dad, I thought.
Sol Food opened in 2004, owner Sol Hernandez started out successfully selling her food at the San Rafael Farmers’ Market. A year later, long lunch lines and enthusiasm about their food allowed the Hernandez family to expand with a second location, The Big Place, on the same city block at 3rd and Lincoln in San Rafael. This year, they added a third, to-go only, location called “La Bodega”, around the corner form their second site.
The drive to San Rafael didn’t disappoint, because I was immediately impressed with the atmosphere of the Big Place and the hospitality of their servers.
Their menu is full of moderately priced classic dishes, and I was drawn to their Puerto Rican-style hot sandwiches of ham, chorizo, and steak, among others. I was torn between the Habichuelas Rosadas, pink beans stewed with herbs and olives served with plantain and avocado, and the Camarones Empanizados, fried prawns marinated and breaded with green plantains, served with lime and dipping sauce.
The Chuleta Fritas, thin cut pan-fried pork chops, may have stolen the show, but I was still very impressed by my fried prawns. Sol Food’s plantains came in both green fried and yellow sweet styles, which are both vital parts of any Puerto Rican dish.
The flavors jumped off my plate, as I made sure to get a taste off each of my tablemate’s plates. A big glass of limeade served in an old jar, and as much of their sweet hot sauce over all your food is very important. Sol Food is hands down the best Puerto Rican food restaurant I’ve had away from the island and certainly will recommend it to my family.
