I've never been to Latin or South America so I'm definitely no aficionado on the food; however, regardless of authenticity, the combinations of ingredients created a flavor profile that was entirely new to me.
We arrived early and spent the better part of an hour at the cantina bar, chatting with a very friendly bartender who created a delicious lemon ginger margarita. We went during Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, which means we missed out of some of the "fan favorites" that bring return customers back to Alma. But the foods we tried were all expertly prepared with fresh ingredients. I had:
Platanos maduros
Ripe plantains, fried and tossed in sugar with a spicy black bean sauce
Ensalada de quinoa
Quinoa salad wrapped in thinly-sliced cucumber, with pickled vegetables
Pollo Adobo
Braised chicken in an ancho chili sauce, served with black beans, rice and tostones
Biscochito de chocolate
Warm chocolate cake with a sweet center, served with cinnamon ice cream
We plant to return to Alma to sample some of their regular menu items.