The owners of La Isla, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Ballard, will open a second location in Redmond, near the Matador at 16505 Redmond Way in the space that formerly housed Issho restaurant. A firm opening date has not yet been set, but they are aiming for April.
The food will closely mirror that of the Ballard location, and the aesthetic will be similar but there will be more space at the Redmond restaurant.
La Isla started as a food stand at the Fremont Sunday Market. Owners Jason Mikos and Alfonso Gonzalez opened La Isla in 2005 in Ballard and eventually expanded into the neighboring space in the summer of 2009, which tripled the square footage and gave them room to build a beautiful bar where they have created a name for themselves as Seattle’s purveyors of rum.
“When I look at Redmond I see a growing market in need of more diversity in ethnic cuisine," Mikos said. "On top of that, there aren’t many full service restaurants that allow families to dine together with their kids and share an experience. Bringing La Isla Redmond to the community will offer a very unique cuisine that has made us a staple in Seattle. It will also furnish Redmond with a place where friends and family are welcome to sit down over a great meal and drinks and build memories – that’s how we feel about food with our families – an experience.”
“I am really looking forward to this next step for the La Isla family, said Golzalez. "There is a small Puerto Rican community working for Microsoft and we have guests who regularly come from Bellevue, Kirkland, Renton as well as other parts of Eastern King County. I know the Redmond location will be a welcome site since they can travel less and enjoy our food more often. We are excited to be able to bring a piece of Puerto Rico closer to them as well the opportunity to teach even more people about the history of Rum and what it brings to the world of spirits. Downtown Redmond seems poised for a population boom and to be part of that growth, we feel very fortunate.”
The restaurant offers a wide menu which includes their best seller called Pernil Special. It's pork shoulder, marinated for days and slow-roasted until it falls apart, complimented with homemade mojito flamboyan (a roasted red pepper, garlic and rice vinegar sauce). They also have wine, beer and cocktails from mojitos to rum runners.
