We’ve all heard of Seven’s fabulous sky bar, tried Chino Latino’s “Laughing Buddha Noodles,” and drooled over Fogo de Chao’s succulent selection of Brazilian meat, but I think it’s time to pay homage to those lesser-known eateries that I frequent. Take a look at my favorite “hole-in-the-wall” restaurants in the Twin Cities area.

Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine

If you’re craving flavorful Caribbean food with serious spice, look no further than this hidden treasure on Bloomington Avenue and 38th Street.

Owner Marla Jadoonanan grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to Minnesota at the age of 15. Her ethnic menu, as well as the décor, is inspired by Trinidadian, Indian, Creole, and Latin flavors. Lively Calypso music, seashells, murals and maps of Trinidad fill the room.

The restaurant may be unknown to St. Thomas students, but the television channel “Food Network” discovered this eatery not too long ago. Their show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” features the nation’s best diners, drive-in restaurants and dive bars (hence the name), and that rightfully includes Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine. The episode, appropriately titled “Big Time Flavor,” aired in April 2012, creating an inevitable spike in business for the restaurant.

Being a pescatarian (a vegetarian that eats seafood), I usually have very limited menu options when going out, but not at Marla’s.  

I always start out getting doubles as an appetizer (channa, or stewed garbanzo beans, between two pieces of bara, or fried bread). Trying this traditional Trinidadian dish is an absolute must. Then, I typically go for a stew brown down shrimp curry wrapped in a delicious dhalpuri, though my carnivorous boyfriend drools over the beef and chicken curries. Don’t forget to try the oxtail soup!

Guayaquil Restaurant

After studying abroad in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, I was in search of authentic Ecuadorian food. I found a few local places but this one, located at 1526 East Lake St., is my favorite.

The outside of the restaurant looks like your typical Mexican restaurant. Walk in, and you’re greeted by the country’s colors, karaoke posters, and an obsessive collection of Corona. Sit down, and the server swiftly brings chips and a spicy, golden-colored sauce for dipping.

Then the menu comes, and it’s an instant refresher of my high school Spanish classes. Every item is en Español (but don’t fret, there are English translations). You’ll notice numerous English misspellings (such as “hollidays” and “macarroni and chesse”), but take it as a sign of Mexican/Ecuadorian authenticity.

The name may seem like a slight misnomer since Guayaquil is the most populous city in Ecuador, and there are fewer than five dishes on the menu from the country, but those few dishes are nothing short of genuine Ecuadorian taste.

One of my favorites is the “Arroz con camarones,” or rice with shrimp. For a reasonable price of $12.99, you’re undoubtedly getting your money’s worth when you see the size of this dish. Topped with delectable fried bananas and sautéed fresh vegetables, you can’t go wrong with this order.

If you’re looking for more spice, don’t expect to find your typical Sriracha, Tabasco or even Cholula here. Guayaquil Restaurant only serves a specific hot sauce: Valentina.

T’s Place

Don’t be fooled by the name, because you’re not going to find this restaurant on the first floor of the Anderson Student Center. T’s Place is another “hole-in-the-wall” located at 2713 East Lake St.

Your olfactory senses are stimulated the second you open that door. The fragrant smells are courtesy of restaurant owner Tee Belachew. After partnering with Singaporean chef Kin Lee a decade ago, Belachew established T’s Place in 2006. The menu features Ethiopian and Asian fusion dishes, as well as an extensive vegetarian menu. The roti prata is a delicious appetizer that takes flatbread to new heights, and is served with a tasty curry sauce.

My favorite appetizer is the dumplings. Offered as both meat-filled and vegetarian, the dumplings are packed with spices that’ll make you salivate more than my late beagle Snoopy when he smelt pizza. The dish is topped with a generic sweet and sour sauce, but it definitely compliments the appetizing taste of the dumplings.

Grandview Grill

The first three restaurants are geared more toward the adventurous eaters, but for those who prefer to play it safe, check out Grandview Grill across from Whole Foods located on good ol’ Grand Avenue, of course. It’s not so much of a dingy diner that you’d consider a hole-in-the-wall to look like, but it’s definitely worth mentioning.

I love this diner for a number of reasons: its environmental stewardship is beyond what most restaurants can even picture, it serves more vegetarian options than your traditional breakfast hot spot (the veggie burger is to die for), and the menu is chock full of unique dishes.

I love all of Grandview Grill’s unusually colossal pancakes, but the pineapple upside down pancakes are out of this world. If you’re not looking for something that’s outrageously sugary, go for these pineapple ‘cakes; they’ll still satiate your sweet tooth. If you’re craving a pancake that’s sweeter than my grandma Grace (she’s ridiculously sweet), go for the latest addition to the menu: chocolate chip cookie dough pancakes.

Cancel this weekend’s reservation for your usual franchised favorites, and try out one (or all four!) of these local dining options. Don’t knock them ‘til you’ve tried them!

Geena Maharaj can be reached at maha8007@stthomas.edu.