We were craving Cuban food this past Friday so we decided to check out Green Plantains, a newer restaurant located in the Shoppes of Williston Road at the corner of Williston and 34th St. While Green Plantains describes itself as more broadly defined "Nuevo Chino Latino Dining Experience," this was close enough for us. Our first and only experience with Latin food with an Asian twist had been at no-frills local spots in West Tampa.
Green Plantains is nicely done inside and has more of a modern feel than I expected. It almost felt like I was in a fast-casual chain like a Chipotle, but in a good way. You order up at the counter and your order is then brought out to your table. After taking in the menu, I ordered the ropa vieja with yellow rice and an extra side of red beans. Traci ordered the mojito chicken also with yellow rice and a side of red beans. We're more black beans and yellow rice fans, but the red beans were tasty and a nice change up.
Traci liked her chicken and also was a fan of the red beans and yellow rice. As for me, I had no trouble
cleaning my plate. By the end of my meal, I was already thinking about what I would order on our next visit, which is always a good sign. The chofan nuevo latino (latin style fried rice) and lo-mean caribeno (latin style stir fried noodles), various mofongo and locrio (Dominican style rice casserole) all sound interesting. For $18 for the two of us, for good, fresh-tasting food in an attractive setting, this place is a deal.
In some ways, Green Plantains reminded me of the set-up at Bento Cafe, only our meal at Bento was mediocre to be kind. I also thought Green Plaintains was a cut above our experience at Mi Apa Latin Cafe, although Mi Apa wasn't bad. The other Latin-style casual restaurants that I've heard about, Virtually Cuban and La Familia, appear to be open only for lunch and during the week. I'm sure we'll try out Emiliano's at some point. What other local Latin restaurants I should check out?
Bottom-line: If you're a fan of authentic, tasty Latin cuisine in a fast-casual setting, Green Plantains is worth a visit. We still miss Tampa-style Cuban food, but Green Plantains is a refreshing new find.
