What Spencer Tracy said of Katharine Hepburn in Pat and Mike--"Not much meat on her, but what's there is cherce"--could just as easily be said about Sol Food. The tiny eatery in San Rafael had a built-in fan club when it opened late last year, because owner Sol Hernandez developed a following at her booth in the San Rafael Farmers Market. Word spread and now the spot is registering on peoples' restaurant radar. Look for the little place at the corner of Fourth and Lincoln with palm fronds laid atop the eaves. That's Sol Food. The restaurant may be small but the kitchen turns out tons of food, judging by a couple of lunch visits. People place their orders at the counter (can't miss it since, although it's on the "far" side of the room, the room is so small that you can practically touch it from the front door) and wait either inside or outside. Inside gets cramped once three or four people stand around--it's that tiny--so most people wait outside. Seating is minimal, maybe half a dozen people inside and a dozen or so outside, hence the brisk takeout traffic.
Hernandez runs a cocina criolla, or Puerto Rican kitchen. I knew not hing about Puerto Rican food prior to visiting Sol Food, but was quickly won over. What distinguishes Puerto Rican cuisine? From the restaurant's menu: "The exotic ancestry of La Isla del Encantanto embodies African, Spanish and Ta'no roots which are distinctly present in the passion and sabor [literal translation = taste] of Puerto Rican cooking. We offer a simple menu featuring daily specials and authentic, traditional recipes shared with us by family and friends." I wouldn't call the menu "exotic," but "very good" certainly applies: it's mostly based on roasted chicken, rice and beans, plantains and salad greens.
This is a restaurant where choices are limited, but it doesn't matter because "what's there is cherce." The entire menu is pretty much two combination plates (or their components, ö la carte). Pollo al horno ($7.50 at lunch, $8.95 at dinner) plates a couple pieces of free range chicken, rice and beans, organic salad and two pieces of tostones or maduros. The vegetariano ($7 at lunch, $7.95 at dinner) includes rice and beans, salad, a wedge of avocado and two tostones or maduros. If a full meal is too much, go the ö la carte route. Ordering pollo (chicken, $6) will get you three boned thighs marinated with oregano and garlic, then roasted to a golden, juicy turn. Habichuelas rosadas (rice and beans, $3.50) teams a large mound of steamed white rice with a ladleful of pinto beans that have been stewed with potatoes, herbs and Spanish olives--if you're under the impression that "vegan" equals "boring," give the beans a try. Even Gourmando, who's lukewarm on the subject of beans, liked them, especially after a few dribbles of hot chili oil. And he thinks there's a cheap joke somewhere in the fact that beans are being dispensed in a building that, in the past, was a gas station. But back to the food: Ensalada organica (organic greens, $4.95) comes tossed with a lemon and garlic dressing that's so mild it's almost imperceptible. The greens are impeccable, but a little more oomph would be good.
Plantains are big here, accounting for four of the 10 items on the ö la carte menu. In tostones con mojo ($4.50), green plantain slices are fried, smashed and then fried again; they're a little like disc-shaped French fries, served drizzled with garlic and olive oil. Some people love them, and down one after another. I, however, can't get past their leathery texture and bland starchiness. Maduros ($4) are another story, though; wonderful fried sweet yellow plantains that resemble bananas with a sweet/tart flavor that pops on the tongue. There's also mofongo ($5), fried green plantains mashed with garlic and oil, and maranquitas ($4.50), green plantains sliced thin and crisply fried, with a tangy dipping sauce.
Every day brings at least one special. A whole tilapia (mild white-fleshed fish), for instance, or a couple of sandwiches. The Cuban sandwich ($7.25) is a cousin to the croque monsieur--both feature ham and cheese grilled on a press. But the Cuban version is lustier, with shredded pork, a thin slice of ham, Swiss cheese, a sliver of dill pickle and a liberal smear of yellow mustard. Not to complain--it is tasty--but less mustard would bring the pork flavor forward.
Intriguingly named agua de coco ($2.50), listed on the blackboard with about a half-dozen drinks (water and soft drinks, mostly), is a cold, tall can of sweetened coconut "water." Disappointingly, it tastes like sugar water, not coconut.
But, in truth, my quibbles are minor. The mainstays at Sol Food--chicken and veggies--are terrific, and it's worth making a trip to eat there. Only decision is, lunch or dinner? The cherce is yours.
