Still have the taste of turkey, stuffing and fixins lingering in your mouth? Good. I hope you have plenty of leftovers.

But for this FFF we’re veering away from a traditional American meal to a traditional Latin American one — arroz con pollo, which, translated from Spanish, means “rice with chicken.”

I chose it, in part, because arroz con pollo is one of the few terms I remember from my 7th-grade Spanish class. (I never could get the hang of rolling the r‘s.)

We found two Cuban restaurants that serve the dish: La Teresita, which has a flagship location in Tampa and one in Pinellas Park, and Habana Café in Gulfport. We hit both places with our friends Don and Linda.

LA TERESITA

It was another ho-hum autumn day in Pinellas Park — sunny, about 75 degrees — when we arrived at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday. The large dining area featured a kind of pergola in the middle, but we had our choice of spots so opted for a four-top next to a window.

Our server was quick and efficient. We didn’t exchange introductions or pleasantries, which was fine by us. We hadn’t seen Don and Linda in a while, so we were too busy yappin’. I ordered my Arroz Con Pollo ($13.99) with black beans as a side, and got a Negro Modelo draft ($7.99).

Appearance

Wait — I ordered arroz con pollo. Where’s the chicken? … There it is, resting comfortably under a blanket of sides.

I’d never seen arroz con pollo served with the bird on the bottom — not that I’m a connoisseur. The rice, a vibrant yellow, consisted of big, pulpy grains.

Taste and Texture

As I expected, it was a bone-in quarter chicken hidden under all that rice and beans. I had to do some digging to get my knife and fork in the right spot to extract some bites. In all, this presentation made for some tricky eating.

Because La Teresita cooks the chicken and rice together, the bird was moist, but, somewhat surprisingly, it wasn’t exactly popping with flavor. The rice — rich with turmeric and juices from the chicken — claimed the starring role. Delicioso. The beans provided solid support.

HABANA CAFE

Situated on the corner of Gulfport Boulevard and 54th Street South, Habana Cafe cuts a fine figure from street view, especially at night. The place was moderately busy at 6:30 on a Friday. Our group of five, with Vicki joining, commandeered a table in the middle of the dining room. It was a bit cramped, but our quintet of old college friends didn’t care.

A man sat on a stool in the corner crooning ballads in Spanish to backing tracks. He had a pleasing voice, but because the volume was running a little hot and the ceiling was high, we had to use our outside voices.

I ordered Arroz Con Pollo a la Chorrera ($25.95), which, according to the AI machine, means, “brothy rice with chicken,” and is a specifically Cuban version of the dish. According the menu, the recipe includes beer, which was A-okay with me.

It’s a weekly special, usually served on Fridays. (Still, it’s best to call in advance to make sure it’s available).

Appearance

I could fully see the quarter chicken — with a charred crust, it looked gorgeous. The side dish was congrí, a mixture of beans and rice, cooked together, presumably with broth.

Taste and Texture

The chicken was a marvel. The bone-in quarter surrendered to my fork. All I had to do was poke into any spot and pull out luscious pieces. The bones fell apart, making it remarkably easy to eat. I don’t know how the kitchen did the skin, but it made for a delightfully crispy addition.

I like my beans and rice to come separately rather than constellated. This congrí was tasty enough but clung together more than I prefer.

And the Winner of the Arroz Con Pollo Altercation Is …

Habana Cafe.

The chicken, which I won’t soon forget, won the day. La Teresita took the side-dish prize. Its rice-and-beans was a cut above.

I usually don’t consider price in Friday Food Fight, but in this case it’s worth noting that Habana Cafe’s dish cost 85% more than La Teresita’s. So if you’re ballin’ on a budget …