Tuesday night, Broad Ripple’s newest addition, Delicia, opened up at 52nd and College. I always love finding new spots in my neighborhood and surrounding areas, so I was itching to get over there to try what this Latin American spot had to offer.

Walking in the doors, you would never be able to guess that this chic, airy and sexy interior used to be a video store. Exposed wood beams line the ceiling while the sounds of Latin music drift into your ears as you walk into the front door. The inside has a contemporary look with bench seating along one wall complete with pillows for your comfort, white brick walls back-lit with yellow lights, candles on all of the tables and dim lighting. Delicia hit the mark with the perfect date-night setting.

We had a drink at the bar and I opted for a Michelada while my friend Gabby tried the Sangria. We saw our favorite bartender from Village Cigar, who told us he helped design the bar menu, so I knew it was going to be good. The Michelada (pictured above) was made with Dos Equis Amber, house Sangria, spices and clam juice. It’s the perfect drink for anyone who loves a good Bloody Mary but wants to try something different. Gabby’s Sangria was made with a Tempranillo, brandy, triple sec, honey and citrus fruit. When I think of Sangria, I always think of a fruity, sweet drink but this one wasn’t sweet. Instead, it was the perfect mix of wine with a refreshing flavor.

We moved to a table for dinner when our third in the party showed up and we were seated against the brick wall on the cozy pillow-lined bench. Out waiter was extremely knowledgeable about all of the dishes on the menu, which was nice because to be honest, I needed help picking out a dish! All of the dishes looked delicious yet a bit foreign to me, so it was good to have a guide. We were brought out an amuse bouche of Sancocho, which is a traditional stew served in many Latin American cuisines. It was warm and in a tiny shot glass to start out the meal. I love the concept of a restaurant serving an amuse bouche and wish more places did this.

We started with the guacamole, which was made with avocados, garlic, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime and pistachios. I could have sworn there was jalepenos in there, but I could be wrong. It came out fairly quickly and tasted as good as it looked on the menu.

When it came time to choose the main course, all three of us went in different directions. Our waiter said his favorite dish was the Chile En Nogada, which I plan on going back to try. It is a stuffed roasted poblano pepper with ground pork, beef, apricots, cinnamon, raisins, walnuts, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds and more. He said it’s sweet but not overwhelming and has great flavor. Gabby went with the Tapou, which was red snapper, coconut milk stew, white rice and roasted steamed vegetables. I chose the Tamal Corn Cakes, made of tamal cakes, barbacoa beef, pico de gallo, cilantro-lime crema and queso-fresco.

Our friend Kristy had a bit of trouble ordering being as she’s a vegetarian. Delicia tries to stick to an authentic menu, which means that things are cooked with lard or have chicken stock in them. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll have to stick to the salads or sides unless you’re willing to cheat and eat an entree made with a tortilla cooked with lard. She mentioned this to the manager, and later in the evening she came up to our table and thanked Kristy for the suggestion because she told the chef and they might be adding some vegetarian options to the menu in the near future. You’ve gotta love a restaurant that aims to please everyone!

Our food arrived and I can’t say enough good things about it. Gabby said she could eat the Tapou every day, and my Tamal Corn Cake was so flavorful and filling. I think our meal was worth every penny that we spent, and the great part is that the entrees aren’t too pricey. You can expect to pay betweetn $16-$21 for entrees on the menu, which is very reasonable considering the quality of the food.

Next time I go in, I’m saving room for dessert because I’m sure it doesn’t disappoint. After all is said and done, I’ll definitely be back to Delicia. They have an original restaurant in the heart of SoBro that serves flavorful and authentic Latin dishes. If you haven’t been by yet, I highly suggest it, you won’t be sorry. If you need a dining buddy, send me a message, because I can’t wait to go back!