Rice and beans are sacred to Puerto Ricans. They are our "daily bread," our comfort food. When you mess with someone's rich & beans, you mess with their mind. Rice & beans are soul food to a local, and McCoy is a heavenly find.

Ajili Mojili Restaurant, a local bistro named after a local garlicky herb sauce, serves the real McCoy. Specializing in the best of Puerto Rican cuisine, owners José and Rafael Benitez guide their menu through family recipes passed down through the generations of good cooks. Walk into their restaurant and walk into the past when grandmother made the best rice & beans in the neighborhood.

Open for lunch and dinner, Ajili Mojili brims with creature comforts. Enjoy the white tablecloths. Fresh floweres. Rocking chairs in the bar. Tables along the window to street watch. Tables in the corner to hide. Tables in smaller rooms you can take over if your party is larger than 12. Clean bathrooms. Trompe d'oeuil murals. Framed art posters. Wood floors. A thoughtful wine list. Top shelf spirits. A bustling ambiance louder than you'd expect, ripped often by laughter. A place where beautiful people feast on favorite local dishes. A place to go when you are really hungry and don't want to cook.

I was hungry and too tired to cook the other night and treated myself to an icy Presidente beer as I perused Ajili Mojili's specials. To my delight, they had Sopa de Calabaza, a thick soup of local pumpkin, and Empanadillas, flaky turnovers stuffed with shredded chicken, cubed potatoes and raisins as Starters. Asking for some Aranitas, spiky plantain fritters to nibble, I keep looking through the menu. Usually I order the chicken Arroz con Pollo for it reminds me of my grandmother, but I got distracted by the chicken Pinon, a funky topical lasagna made with plantain strips instead of noodles. The veal Chuleton braised in run sounded good too. I could also get rice & beans (Arroz y habichuelas) as my main plate - my perfect dinner, really, with a salad of sliced avocado on the side. In my opinion, nothing is finer than a perfectly ripe avocado -- unless it's a perfectly ripe mango.

A waiter dressed as a country Jibaro in his Sunday best white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, black suspenders and a Paso Fino straw smiled as he took our order. From the side dishes on the menu, I ordered Arroz con habichuelas and when they arrived, I poured the entire bowl of beans over the plate of rice and mixed them thoroughly to absord the gravy. I mention mixing because rice & beans are eaten together in the same bite and not, as I saw the uninitiated do, eaten separately in isolated mouthfuls. It's a synergistic dish and makes a deliciously healthy block of complete protein when combined together.

No matter what my Puerto Rican grandmother ate, she always saved a little room for dessert. I ordered the coconut Tembleque and it was the best I've ever eaten. Light, almost fluffy, dusted (not plastered) with cinnamon and positively creamy, it was heaven sent. Lulled by a rich Puerto Rican Café con Leche, my satisfied soul slept peacefully afterwards.

Ajili Mojili Restaurant
1052 Ashford Avenue., Condado
725-9195