Delicia

With all the chef-driven restaurants popping up around SoBro, we nearly forgot about neighborhood stunner Delicia, a local destination since opening in 2013. Spend the evening sipping jalapeño-infused margaritas in the adobe-style dining room for a delicious reminder of the restaurant’s ability to execute a melting pot of Latin flavors. The vibe practically whisks you away to a poolside cabana at a South American resort, while the menu provides a sample of the region’s cultures, starting with a wee cup of the traditional welcoming chicken-and-beef broth,sancocho, warm and salty enough to fire up your taste buds for the myriad of native dishes on offer. You can’t go wrong with the tostones con longaniza—yucca fries dotted with hunks of fried Dominican sausage. The mains take you on a tour of celebrated recipes, like the Peruvian aji de gallina, a dome of shredded chicken and rice in spicy walnut sauce. If you’d prefer to stay on the familiar side of the border, order the house-favorite tamal corn cakes, crowned with smoky barbacoa beef, or short ribs atop a puddle of sweet-potato mash—an entree that left us saying, “Mas, por favor.”

TIP: Delicia pours half-priced bottles of wine on Monday nights.

DON’T MISS: The airy, moist tres-leches cake, topped with a scoop of tangy lime meringue and a dollop of guava compote.

PREVIOUS MENTION: Best Restaurants 2013, 2014

5215 N. College Ave., 925-0677, deliciaindy.com 

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