Restaurant review: Smooth sailing at Knightdale’s Latitudes
Set back off the road a ways, fronted by an umbrella-shaded patio and a broad expanse of grassy lawn, the low-slung building that has been home to Latitudes since May of last year beckons like a tropical island cabana. The sign on the front of the building, aglow with the restaurant’s name and sun/moon logo, sets you to humming the Jimmy Buffet tune, “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.”
Then the water tower looming over the building reminds you that you’re not in Margaritaville. You’re in suburban Knightdale, and you’re navigating a sea of strip malls and commuter traffic along U.S. 64. If you’ve set sail from Raleigh or points west, you’ll have to come about with a U-turn at the next intersection before you can dock at Latitudes.
Once you’ve pulled into port, plenty of cold beer (10 taps, more than half of them local brews) await. A couple of pool tables set a forget-your-worries mood that’s reinforced by dart boards and a stage where karaoke draws crowds on Saturday nights. A half dozen flat screens in the bar serve the spectator sports crowd.
But Latitudes is by no means just an after-hours watering hole. It’s also a family-friendly restaurant that earns its name with a menu that takes you on a tour of the southern latitudes from Cuban ropa vieja to Argentinean churrasco steak.
Empanadas – crisp, blister-cratered half moons of fried pastry filled with a cilantro-spangled blend of beef and cheese – make a fine point of departure. So does Peruvian ceviche, authentically prepared to order (allow a few minutes for this one) with cubed fish loin in a bracing marinade of lime and aji peppers.
A recent addition to the appetizer list – and a most welcome one – is riguas, a dish that pairs lacy-crusted Salvadoran corn cakes with a slab of queso fresco. Attractively served on a banana leaf with a small bowl of crema fresca for dipping, it’s well-suited for sharing.
Exploring the entrees
The entree itinerary includes a number of worthy destinations, starting with the aforementioned ropa vieja and churrasco. The Latitudes kitchen does justice to both – one with succulent shreds of beef simmered with onions and green peppers, and the other with 10 ounces of grilled skirt steak and an accurate rendition of its traditional chimichurri sauce accompaniment.
Puerto Rican mofongo shrimp, which serves the shellfish in a tomato-based sauce over a dense mound of mashed plantains, is an acquired taste. But lomo saltado, a traditional Peruvian beef stir-fry served with rice and French fries – a combination that embraces that country’s multicultural history in a single dish – is worth a detour.
The menu makes an effort to cater to homebody palates, too, with side excursions into pub fare favorites such as wings, burgers and cheddar-filled beer pretzel bites. There’s also a handful of fusion entrees, including grilled chicken with a creamy chipotle sauce, and penne a la Latitudes, featuring your choice of chicken, shrimp or sausage in a tomato sauce subtly suggestive of Latin spices. You can even get that one with gluten-free pasta.
“Cuban pulled pork” turns out to be a ropa vieja-style treatment of North Carolina’s favorite meat. Like a number of dishes here, it’s served with rice, scratch-cooked black beans, and sweet plantains fried to a sugary, caramelized-crusted turn.
The kitchen doesn’t often lose its bearings – here a slightly overcooked flan, there a carne asada that’s chewier than you were led to expect when the server boasted that the beef is a premium Sterling Silver grade.
An unusual adventure
It’s smooth sailing for the most part, though, and an adventure unlike any other you’ll find in these parts. The eclectic menu and unlikely setting make more sense when you know that the owners are Imelda Castro, owner of the North Raleigh Salvadoran restaurant La Cocina de Mama Greta, and former food service distributor Sandy Delgado. The affable Delgado, who can be frequently found tending bar, will chat with you about any subject, from menu recommendations to ECU’s sports teams (Latitudes is becoming a popular haven for Pirates fans).
And if you can’t get those Buffett tunes out of your head, he’ll be happy to make you a margarita.
ggcox@bellsouth.net or newsobserver.com/mouthful
This story was originally published January 15, 2015 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Restaurant review: Smooth sailing at Knightdale’s Latitudes."