The popular Latin deli and bakery Panadería las Villas in the Clark Fulton neighborhood has a shiny new home. As of last week, the rebranded
Las Villas Deli and Pastries (3216 W. 41 St., 216-651-9610) now occupies a bright and bustling double storefront down the street. As always, the shop features a bountiful selection of savory and sweet Puerto Rican foods, but now there’s an expanded dining room in which to enjoy it.
The quick-serve-style deli offers a combination of prepared foods, foods cooked to order, pastries and coffee. A glass-fronted steam table is brimming with items like roast pork, fried chicken, roast chicken, mofongo relleno (stuffed mofongo) and tostones, many of which are paired with pigeon pea-studded rice. Hot pressed sandwiches like Cubanos, Tripletas and Medianoches are made to order. Diners pay and wait until their name is called to retrieve if from the counter.
A clear
frituras kiosk is loaded with hot, crisp and ready-to-go finger foods like alcapurrias, empanadillas and rellenos de papa, various fried pastries stuffed with ground beef and other fillings. Meaty skin-on chicharron (pork) are also ready and waiting.
In the adjoining dining room, a large display case is filled with colorful sweets and pastries, shrewdly situated near the check-out area. Deli meats and cheeses are sold by the pound, and espresso is prepared at the counter.
Las Villas Deli and Pastries is open every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
