The Chicago Traveler

La Peña is a family-owned restaurant that is bright and colorful, in more ways than one. From the rich tablecloths to the lively atmosphere to the vivid live music, this place is a South American celebration.

Many Latin restaurants start you off with a free basket of tortilla chips and salsa. However, La Peña offers something delectably different: thinly-sliced plantain chips. I guarantee you: those won’t last long, so you should probably grab something from the appetizer menu. The empanadas are absolutely delicious, as are the humitas and the tortillas de papa (potato pancakes stuffed with cheese and topped with homemade peanut sauce). And sip on a fruit shake while waiting for your meal! I’d recommend the strawberry (fresa) or Andean raspberry (mora).

The restaurant specializes in ceviches (the shrimp cocktail is the most popular) and other seafood dishes, like the encocado de camaron—steamed shrimps with coconut sauce, served with rice and fried green plantains. There are also plenty of traditional South American platters of grilled steak, chicken, and lamb. Flavorful menestra de pollo (grilled chicken breast) comes with a mound of rice and a side of beans, and the churrasco is always tempting, served with a fried egg, French fries, avocado, and white rice. Dessert options include rice pudding, fried sweet plantains, and coconut flan.

The stage hosts traditional Latin-American folk music Thursdays through Saturdays. Don’t be surprised to see people dancing on the itty bitty dance floor. The celebratory air may even have you passing on the shake for something more potent, like a glass of sangria or the rave-worthy locura latina—tequila, brandy, Licor 43, and Bacardi 151.

Photo credit: La Peña

La Peña ($$): 4212 N Milwaukee Ave; 773-545-7022
Tues – Weds: 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Thurs – Fri: 4:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Sat: 4:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m.
Sun: 12 noon – 2:00 a.m.
Street parking difficult
Public trans: Bus # 54, X54, 56
http://www.lapenachicago.com/

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