Salsa Latina Delivers Authentic Latin American Cuisine

On a recent snowy night, I braved a wintry storm to get a little heat at Salsa Latina. The new Latin American and Mexican grill on Central had come highly recommended--and not just by the locals, but by other Mexican food enthusiasts. These are people like me, who came from the southwest, and now find themselves stranded in a land of ice storms and ketchup parading as salsa. This little group of expats is always on the lookout for a spicy fix, and they said they found it at Salsa Latina, so my expectations were high when I went in that night--and I wasn't disappointed.

We started with chips, salsa, and queso. The queso wasn't any of that cheez whiz goop that you find other places--this was homemade, a thick white sauce in the true Mexican tradition. And the salsa was...well, fresh homemade salsa, and that's a high compliment.

We ordered Carne Asada, which came with two big steaks, pounded thin and seasoned just right. They had that fresh-off-the-grill flavor, and were served with avocado, pico de gallo, beans and rice and warm tortillas, so I could eat them with a knife and fork, or roll 'em up. We also ordered the combination platter with beef enchilada and tamale. The enchilada was smothered with the cheese the way it's supposed to be, and the tamale had a nice crumbly masa shell with a flavorful filling. The service was great with plenty of soda refills, and a couple of trips back to the kitchen for more salsa. Our bill for dinner two came to about $28.

Owner Luis Uzhca caters to a range of tastes here, with authentic dishes from Central America as well as Mexico, including Bistec Salteado and Pollo al Limon. This isn't your average Tex-Mex experience, and fresh-baked breads and import sodas only reinforce that fact. The interior is warm and inviting--lots of dark wood booths, Spanish tile, and rounded arcades. They offer dine-in and delivery, and a Sunday breakfast, which now tops my to-do list. If their huevos rancheros or breakfast burritos are anything like their dinner entrees, I may have found a new home.

Salsa Latina is located at 315 Central Avenue. Call 426-7050 for more information, or visit their website at www.misalsalatina.com