It doesn't cost much to visit Puerto Rico. All you need to do is walk into ME Casa and choose a travel plan—or more accurately, an entree from the restaurant's menu. For their tour de Latin cuisine, Chefs Laura Melendez and Eddie Cotto Jr. cook house specialties such as rotisserie chicken (pollo a la brasa) and traditional marinated roast pork (pernil asado). They don't stop there, of course. The menu's deeper tracks dive into the likes of traditional Latino beef stew (carne guisada) and seared tilapia in spicy mango salsa. Whatever the chosen meal, it's best to start with an appetizer: perhaps a sampler of chicken, beef, and shrimp empanadas.

The restaurant's tagline, su casa, characterizes the dining room. Chef Eddie often comes out to visit with his patrons and prove that the kitchen isn't just a magic door leading into Puerto Rico. As for decor, white tablecloths and brick accent walls sit alongside a flat-screen TV, striking a balance between class and comfort.