Latin Eating In Syracuse
As a true cholandes, “cholo” being a colloquial word for Peruvian creoles and holandes meaning Dutchie in Spanish, I’m mad about the Peruvian kitchen. Peruvians live and die for food; where your typical American likes to discuss how their favorite baseball/football/basketball team is performing, a true Peruvian would start any conversations with friends, family or strangers with a story about a new restaurant in town that the other person just has to try.
Not for nothing, there are two restaurants in Lima, Peru’s capital, in the top-ten of the world’s best restaurants. Don’t believe me? See for yourself:
Studying at Newhouse means wining and dining in Syracuse. The culinarian scene in Syracuse isn’t all that famous, I know. Truth be told, it’s rather bad. However, if one is willing to search, one will find. Yours truly stumbled upon Las Delicias, a Puerto Rican/Dominican restaurant. Truth be told, Peru is the absolute star of the Latin American kitchen (sorry guys), but the kitchens from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic both tie for second place.
On a cold but shiny Sunday, I enter Las Delicias (deliciousness), and popular Latin beats are blasting throughout the establishment. The interior is sparse: some chairs and tables, the odd poster about Puerto Rico and the menu is all there is to see. Not for nothing, the majority of the customers here order their food as “to go”. What the place lacks in interior design is totally made up by its delicious dishes.
Emil Rojas, a charming girl and a fellow Peruvian is ready to take my order. Her husband studies at Maxwell and she is preparing for her GRE exams. According to Emil, oxtail is one of the most favorite dishes here. If you like a strong, herby dish with a pungent bite, you should definitely try this one.
While I’m chatting with Emil about Peru, we are joined by cook Leonel, whose nickname is “Pollo”, and according to Leonel he earned that nickname because he won a contest on the Dominican Republic about who could make the best pollo a la brasa (roasted chicken). I’m willing to believe so; the roasted chickens of Delicias are straight up, well, delicious. The skin is crispy and the meat is soft and juicy. It’s the best comfort food you can find for miles. Combine this with their arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans) and you have yourself a meal for two. Good thing is that this won’t cost you more than twelve bucks, so you have to break the bank either.
Niko, the other cook, joins us. He has been with Delicias for almost 13 years now and learnt the trade in a restaurant of New York, as tough a learning school as any. Although I’m rather stuffed from the chicken and the oxtail already, Niko insists that I at least try his Camerones al Aji (shrimps in garlic sauce). The shrimps have a nice buttery taste which combines nicely with the slightly spice garlic sauce.
If you look for a well-peppered dish that won’t break your bank, Las Delicias got you covered. They’re also on Grubhub by the way, so you don’t even have to leave the house.
