Los Andes

I have been eating out a lot lately– we’ve been making plans with friends left and right! This past Saturday, we had the pleasure of going to Los Andes, a popular Bolivian restaurant in Providence. My husband has been to Los Andes quite a few times and raved about it, and many of our friends do consider this one of the best restaurants in Providence. I was so excited to try out whatever vegetarian options Los Andes had to offer, although I was unsure exactly how veggie-friendly Los Andes would actually be. Fortunately, I really had nothing to worry about.

The restaurant was packed, but we had a reservation and were seated immediately. One thing I noticed was how incredibly hard the waitstaff was working– they were moving at lightning speed in what seemed like a well-orchestrated dance!

I was eager to explore the enormous menu.

In the meantime, our waiter (who happened to be a former student of mine) brought us some fresh bread and olive oil to munch on. The oil was nice and garlicky.

I have to comment about the service at Los Andes– it is impeccable. My husband’s friend told the waiter I was vegetarian, and he said they could make me a great plate of food. Since Los Andes didn’t have too many vegetarian entrees on the menu but did have lots of vegetarian sides, I was happy to be getting a collection of their delicious-sounding side dishes. A few minutes later, the owner himself came to the table to ensure I would get a nice vegetarian platter, which was very thoughtful. Again, the service was beyond impressive.

I did find a few vegetarian apps on the menu, and the one that really stood out was the cheese empanadas. They were fantastic! Brushed in powdered sugar, they tasted like cheese-stuffed doughboys. I could have eaten these for dessert!

Soon enough, my dinner arrived. I was presented with a gorgeous plate of cheesy rice, a grilled veggie kabob, potato salad, roasted potatoes,and some regular salad. The cheesy rice is apparently one of their most popular sides and I see why– it tasted like mac n’ cheese, only made of rice! The owner came out to make sure I was satisfied with the selections, and I certainly was. Everything was delicious, but my favs were the potato salad and rice of course.

When it was time for dessert, they brought over a tray from which we should make our selections. I knew immediately I wanted to try their signature tres leches cake. Once again, it was perfect– it tasted like a vanilla tiramisu sans coffee flavor of course. The whipped cream topping was delightful, and the cake itself was moist and fluffy without being soggy.

All in all, Los Andes was one of my favorite restaurant experiences to date, which is pretty impressive since it is known primarily as a carnivore’s delight. I would return in a heartbeat, not only for the food, but for the excellent service as well.