• By JUDY BERGERON
• Restaurant reviewer
• Published: Nov 13, 2009

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If she were a bit older, she’d be called a hostess. But for now, the pretty little girl with the round face, dark hair and dark eyes can only be called La Reyna’s unofficial welcoming party. She peered at us through the glass front door as we approached the restaurant for lunch. Once inside the small eatery, we watched the pint-sized ambassador go from table to table, making herself at home. The owner’s child, I guess this is her home away from home.

And to be sure, La Reyna is homey, with cheery red and white walls, plants, and artwork and photos. The latter two depict the scenery and landscapes of Central America. Back in the kitchen, traditional dishes from that area of the world are in the works.

The menu is lengthy, with lunch specials, dinner specialties, a kids menu, sides, beverages, including tropical fruit drinks; and desserts.

Under lunch specials, we tried the Honduran enchilada ($5.99). This was a different presentation of an enchilada than that we’re used to seeing in Mexican restaurants. Rather than rolled, the crisp and light corn tortilla was flat and  topped with ground beef, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, cheese and sliced boiled egg. Quite delicious and filling, it was almost like a moist meat dressing, a guest said. The dish was served with refried beans and rice, both with mild, appealing seasonings.

The pollo con papas (chicken with potatoes, $8.50), also a lunch offering, featured a delicious tomato-based stew with mild seasonings. The chicken was so tender it fell off the bone and the chunks of potatoes were cooked to just the right tenderness. The stew also included onions and peppers and was served with creamy beans and rice on the side. The dish stood out because of its homemade flavor.

The paella, a traditional Spanish rice, is $8.99 on the dinner menu. The generous amount of rice filled a plate surrounded around the edge by thin sections of fried plantains. The light and fluffy rice, tinged with tomato sauce, was mixed with small shrimp, shredded seasoned chicken, and small sections of thin beef, carrots, green beans, corn and English peas. All the flavors worked well together in this generous, also mildly-flavored selection.

La Reyna also serves breakfast. One morning, we sampled the  baleadas ($4.99). Two large flour tortillas folded over contained a mixture of scrambled egg, refried beans, avocado and cheese. Quite tasty and filling, these were much larger than a fast-food breakfast burrito, and could easily be split among two diners.

At lunch, we also tried one of the desserts, the tres leches cake. Whole milk, condensed milk and heavy cream made for a very moist and delicious yellow cake, covered with a thin layer of whipped cream and a cherry.

Our lunch trip to LaReyna was a flavorful one, and we made a new little friend as well.