Colombian cuisine is not what you are probably expecting. It is not fiery hot, nor replete with peppers and such. What you will find is beautifully seasoned beef and chicken, exotic vegetables and really substantive rice.
Las Tablas specializes in dishes mostly from the areas around the mountain capitol, Bogota. The presentation is very nice, a favorite selection, called Matrimonio (Marriage) is served on what appears to be a cutting board. The restaurant's name refers to these "planks", tablas, upon which many of the entres are served. Think of it as a literal "board of fare". The union consists of a baked potato, yucca, platano and seasoned, tender skirt steak along with a butterfly cut of equally seasoned full chicken breast. It is a generous meal, full of flavor, spicy and hearty at once. Trust me, you can't lose on this menu, the arroz con pollo is perfect (a less hearty option, being made up of lots of yummy saffron-flavored rice), and all the other options succeed as well.
For starters, you shouldn't omit either arepas or empanadas, nifty entries in the snack food categories that folks all over the world love, dough or grain (corn here) meal based stuff. Why does everyone love this type of food? Who cares! They're good to eat, satisfying and a little naughty at the same time.
The biggest problem here is that you still must leave room for their deserts. Any and all are more than worthwhile, however if you've never had flan this should be your introduction to one of the more sensual of flavorful confections around. Also of note is their (must be made in house, its too fresh) arequipe ice cream. Haagen Daz has something out called Dulce de Leche, a pale imitation of what Las Tablas offers. Arequipe is actually a sweet item unto itself, caramelized sugar with cream, but that doesn't do the flavor justice. If they run out of ice cream, don't worry, they often have berries or other in syrup spooned over a fine dollop of arequipe.
My best recommendation is come with friends, order a bit of this and that, and please, be sure to be very hungry! The friendly and relaxed staff will be sure that you are sated by the time you leave. Oh, by the way, they make a mean cup of coffee, but I guess that should go without saying. Prices are rather fair, considering the generosity of portions, I'd say most folks' share with dessert and appetiser (you simply must!) would be around $30. Specialty drinks (non-alcoholic) would push the number higher, by the way, their shakes are a delight!
Las Tablas: 2965 N. Lincoln Ave. (just below intersection with Southport &
Wellington) 773 871 2414
BYOB, parking can be challenging, so cab it or carpool to reduce frustration.