Cuban on Frankford

Even after years of friendship, pals can discover surprising new things they have in common, from sharing the same childhood street, to sharing the same childhood father. Discovering a shared passion for restaurateuring, the longtime friends behind Isla Mia Latin Cuisine.Just off an I-35E off-ramp, Isla Mia's helmed by Cuban & Puerto Rican natives who met 15 years ago as Sprint employees, but only this year realized they both had casual-eatery dreams; the realization's an airy dining room reached via a family photo-festooned entryway, and boasting a square central bar lit by layered red & smoked Plexiglas, plus a pair of hand-painted dominoes tables (shoot the moon, avoid the 'Noid). Face-stuffing starts with apps (fried plantains stuffed w/ beef or shrimp, chicken cracklings, Venezuelan cheese sticks, cream of pumpkin soup), then moves on to entrees like Cuban shredded beef and a trio of pan-fried meats (steak either breaded or w/ caramelized onions, and marinated/spiced chicken); rounding out you/your meal are sides like garlic-sauced fried yucca and ground beef-filled baked sweet plantains, who can't believe they just ate four plates of themselves. Meanwhile, sandwiches come w/ regular or sweet potato fries, and meatily range from the beef/onion/fried plantain El Jibarito to the pork/ham/cheese Cubanisimo, while desserts include vanilla/coconut flan and cheese-slathered papaya -- a fruit legendary for its contraceptive properties, though to really thwart conception, just slather all your meals in cheese.As for your most passionate pursuit, the bar slings Don Q'd mojitos & margaritas and a bevy of whiskeys, plus Latin-preferred beers like Tecate, Dos XX, and...Heineken (according to the supplier, it's beloved by "Latin Internationals"). Or, go for non-booze like Cuban espressos and the sweet-milk malt "La Morena", or "the brunette" -- just like you, and several other similarly featured kids who grew up down the block.