Call it reuniting the palate with the palette. Vibrantly colorful food, once associated only with alchemical bottles of food coloring, has returned once again to being part of our expectation, when it comes to particular cuisine. While we can shop easily for the perfectly hued grapefruit, our incorrigible expectations round on us when we embrace home-styled food native to eminently colorful countries: To expect dazzling presentation of a traditional dish from Cuba, Mexico or the Caribbean is to dismiss the original recipe, in favor of our demands for food to approximate art.

So in the last dusky afternoon of 2002, as we were dying for a flash of green herbs or bright tomatoes, we sought out the corner of Chestnut Street that appealed to our most hue-hungry side: Tropico, erstwhile known as Sabooor!, is the latest bastion of authentic Afro-Caribbean fare, offering predominantly Dominican cuisine since its opening in April.

Ensconced in the bright dining room, our impressions were of coziness: brick walls trimmed with pared-down sandy wood, and sunny warmth pouring in from the high windows.

At the appetizer stage, Lori encountered some pretty down-to-earth presentation in the chicken soup: "Extra flavor was surely provided by the rather large bone floating in the broth, but it was still a little off-putting aesthetically." David's proved less skeletal, featuring "big chunks of chicken and potato (with shades of Donovan McNabb's mom's [cooking]!)." Still, both agreed the recipe was heavily salty. More delicate success was had by Patrick, who elected a "crisp" garden salad, graced with a dressing "so subtle, it might have been a gas."

The menu, meanwhile, was a breath of fresh air, flitting between cultures: from a hearty eggplant stew prepared in the traditional Dominican style, to Mexican-style chicken tacos. These surprised Debra: "Tacos might be a throwaway dish on a menu with so many more intricate ones, but these were excellent": juicy, really nicely seasoned chicken, cheese and fresh salsa in crunchy shells creating a bright swirl on the plate. Here, it was easy to wish some of that dynamic flavor and color could enliven the eggplant -- a nondescript serving that concealed the quality of the softly cooked main ingredient, while hinting at what more audacious spices could have done for it.

Of course, in all sorts of good ways, these traditional dishes are not glamorized: David chose the salmon fajita -- "a good alternative" to more common varieties, such as chicken or steak -- and declared reassuringly that "this is not your sizzling Chili's version of the fajita. The only thing I wished for in the food was a bit more spiciness, something to wake up the flavors," he added. Lori, meanwhile, went for the pionono, a whole sweet plantain fried and stuffed with ground beef, green peppers and topped with cheese. She found it "succulently sweet," noting the appearance of sweet jasmine rice and a side salad as "a welcome light touch" to what was otherwise a welter of richness. Patrick, eyeing the dish with glee, declared the pionono to be "some sort of heavenly Texas Tommy."

For his part, Patrick selected the pollo empanisado, a fried chicken filet, "very moist despite the thin cut," while Nancy picked a grilled chicken wrap, which she found to be fresh, delicately spiced and tangy. (In truth, her order had much to do with a fruitless quest for a baked potato: "The menu, boasting a BP with each wrap, was incorrect. This was sad, since that was why I wanted a wrap in the first place." However, its eventual excellence won her over.)

If it were any kind of contest -- a sort of popularity line-up for entrees -- it'd have to be a clear win for the simple tacos and the unassuming wrap. And that is rather extraordinary. Does Tropico up-play its exotic side while proffering food that's really far more familiar?

Old favorites surfaced once more when we finally reached dessert. Nancy was tempted to shout from the rooftops that the fried ice cream was the "best I've ever had." Scoops of vanilla encased in crispy coating, soaked through with the juice of maraschino cherries, had just the right counterbalance, according to Lori, and melted into a "fun, sugary, delicious mess." Other choices included the flan, which was smooth and caramely, and a similarly textured dish made with coconut milk that strayed into blandness.

Yet, most of all, the meal reawakened the idea that influences from far-flung lands have endured, incorporating themselves into what we consider comfort food: tacos, fajitas, fried ice cream. They don't feel exotic. They feel like home.

Tropico, 213 Chestnut St., 215-922-1232. Lunch: appetizers, $2-$4.95; entrees, $4.95-$6.95. Dinner: appetizers, $2.95-$9.95; entrees, $9.95-$21.95. Mon., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-9:30 p.m.; Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-10:30 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-11:30 p.m.; Sat., 5-11:30 p.m.; Sun., 2-9:30 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. No smoking. BYOB. Reservations accepted. All major credit cards.