THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Las Croabas

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Las Croabas Restaurant Review:

Las Croabas has the look of a party house waiting for a party---which it is, in large part. There's little décor to speak of except for a large, Puerto Rican flag and some faux foliage with tiny lights. This should not stop you from having a good time, however; there are some items on the menu that will set your toes a tappin' despite the lack of salsa sounds, regularly scheduled only the last weekend of the month. Begin with the deceptively simple rellenos de papa, fried balls of mashed potato filled with a sprightly beef mixture. Or perhaps the piononos, a combination of fried plantain with savory beef in a nacho-like jumble. The luxurious platano loco, a sort of sandwich with fried plantain trapping a filling of grilled ham and melted Swiss cheese continues the pervasive plantain theme. Other entrées of more than passing interest include the traditional mofongo (plantain again, with pork skin and garlic) served with chunks of addictive fried pork, the classic ropa vieja (old clothes) of shredded beef flavored with aromatic vegetables, and a garlicky costa azul fish filet with lemon. There being no bar, the offbeat but curiously effective Malta India soft drink will have to do---that or one flavored with tamarind or coconut. Try the inventive flancocho for dessert; it's a combination of a sturdy flan with yellow cake and helps banish at least a bit of the garlic you will have consumed.