Chef-owner Manu Alfau–mystified by the lack of what he calls “real Latin food” in Seattle—opened La Bodega to celebrate the eats of his home country, the Dominican Republic. In the tiny storefront, with a welcoming, street-facing bar, he’s re-created the neighborhood convenience stores (bodegas) of his childhood, where aunties cooked family favorites and uncles argued/debated out front. While diners may dispute which sandwich is best—the puerco asado (slow-roasted pork with chimichurri) or tomate verde (green tomato with gouda)—there’s no disagreement about his chayote-queso beet salad with guava dressing. Even the beet-averse succumb to its perfection alongside the crisp empanadas de yuca (sweet potato or beef in a hearty pastry made of house-ground cassava).