Ballard's abuzz over La Isla's sweet, spicy pollo guisado

Early on Friday evenings, just before I head out to the bars, I get a powerful craving for pollo guisado. This fantastic dish -- "stewed chicken," literally translated -- is one of the star items at Ballard's cozy, welcoming Puerto Rican restaurant and premium rum bar, La Isla [1], and if you want a hearty base upon which to build a towering buzz, there's absolutely nothing better. The white-meat chicken, stewed in mildly sweet and spicy sauce with potatoes, green olives and capers, is impossibly tender and almost indescribably delicious. It's served with rice and beans, a wedge of avocado and a few fried plantains, which benefit nicely from a dip in the pureed garlic that's served with your meal.

What do you crave? Which local restaurant makes the chicken dish that drives you to distraction? Post a comment below and tell us about it.

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