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809
Sangria Bar & Grill
112 Dyckman Street
212-304-3800
Cross Street: Between Post and Nagle avenues
www.809restaurant.com
809 owner
Cirilo Moronta is banking that Inwood is ready for an upscale take on
Caribbean classics. The clubby restaurant, named for the DR´s area
code, borrows from more than Santo Domingo. Dainty arepas topped with
a trio of shredded chicken, pork picadillo and ropa vieja are among recommended
starters. The seafood-heavy menu includes the show stopping pargo relleno,
a whole red snapper stuffed with seafood risotto and a lightly spiced
coconut-tomato sauce. The mix and match churrascaria will appeal to carnivores
who want to choose their cut of meat, side and sauce. The pulsing upstairs
lounge going strong Thursday through Sunday draws crowds. If you´re
looking for a quieter meal, head downstairs—on a recent weeknight,
a prime ivory leather corner banquette was filled with a family, newborn
and toddlers in tow, proving that you don´t need to be famous to
get the VIP treatment.
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Alma
Grill
134 East 48th Street
212-593-8387
Cross Street: Between Lexington and Third Avenue
Alma Grill is the handiwork of music mogul Ralph Mercado yet isn't strictly
Latin American in style. Cream tones, rich brown accents and metal beaded
curtains give the impression of a tasteful hotel, which makes sense since
the stylish restaurant is attached to a Midtown Radisson and primarily serves
its guests. Luckily, the food rises above corporate blandness and should
attract a broader clientele. Guaranteed favorites like steak frites and
roast chicken are available but creative flair can be found in tuna glazed
with rum and served with citrus salsa and quinoa salad, as well as lobster
ceviche punched up with Thai chiles and passion fruit. Don't pass up the
Alma trio, showcasing of mini versions of crème brule, coconut flan
and buttermilk panna cotta. |
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Barzola
197 Meserole Avenue
718-381-4343
Cross Street: Between Humboldt Street and Bushwick Avenue
This mirrored
to the max Ecuadorian eatery on a residential Bushwick avenue bustles,
even in the traditionally Puerto Rican enclave. The seaport city of Guayaquil
is represented by a ceviche-heavy menu. Deep bowls of octopus, shrimp
or black clams (when they're available) swim in a blush-colored soup of
lime juice tangled with tomatoes, onions and cilantro. The broth is a
reputed hangover cure, though if you order Pilsener, the national beer,
the healthy properties might be counteracted. Humitas—sweet,
cornhusk wrapped cheese and corn tamale—are a welcome change from
also popular starches: rice and plantains.
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Bonita
338 Bedford Avenue
718-384-9500
Cross Street: Between South 2nd and 3rd streets
Bonita
has been given the Williamsburg treatment. By retaining the original retro
charm of a former Latin eatery, and keeping the subway tiles, counter
stools and glowing comida criollas sign intact, Mexican food
has been made hip. The menu is short and sweet, focusing on tacos and
burritos. Daily specials like guajillo roasted pork shouldn't
be ignored, though. Guacamole mashed in a molcajete the size
of a wash tub, and Baja-style fried fish tacos with chile mayonnaise have
won over locals. And the three table salsas: verde, chipotle and pico
de gallo, are all fresher and spicier than you might expect in this Brooklyn
enclave.
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Buenos
Aires
513 E. Sixth Street
212-228-2775
Cross Street: Between avenues A and B
Argentinean
beef is what´s for dinner at this often-packed East Village steakhouse.
Diners can choose from eight different cuts of grilled meat or make like
a hungry gaucho and order the parrillada teeming with sweetbreads,
short ribs, skirt steak, kidneys and two types of sausage. Vegetables
are offered in the form of perfectly crisped french fries, ensalada
rusa—a potato salad with green peas, carrots and mayonnaise—and
baked spinach and cheese empanadas. South American wine is an obvious
choice, though a bottle of Quilmes beer feels right when soccer matches
are being broadcast on overhead televisions.
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El
Castillo de Jagua
113 Rivington Street
212-982-6412
Cross Street: Between Essex and Ludlow streets
Savor a
rapidly disappearing segment of the Lower East Side at this Dominican
stalwart. Florescent lights, linoleum, big portions and low prices are
all part of the package. Old timers huddle over steaming bowls of hearty
sancocho at the counter while the occasional newcomer stops in
for a Cuban sandwich and a bottle of Presidente. Early birds can have
mangú for breakfast: the mashed plantains are served with
eggs, fried cheese and salami or a gut-busting combination of all three.
Just like an old-fashioned diner, coconut and chocolate cakes are displayed
on covered glass pedestals near the cash register.
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Chiles
& Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen
54 Seventh Avenue
718-230-7700
Cross Street: Between Lincoln and St. Johns places
This diminutive
Park Slope restaurant that opened in early 2007 boldly states, "We
are not a Mexican restaurant." Instead, they've declared their allegiance
to the regional cuisine of Oaxaca, which translates to rich, complex moles
in three styles: negro, verde and coloradito.
All can be applied to chicken breast, stewed pork or grilled vegetables.
The classic thick, burnished negro mole contains over twelve ingredients,
including chocolate, sesame seeds and plantains. In their effort to strive
for authenticity, ancient beverages like champurrado, a warm
corn and chocolate concoction, is offered, and guacamole is optionally
served topped with fried chapulin—yes, grasshoppers!
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Citrus
320 Amsterdam Avenue
212-595-0500
Cross Street: 75th Street
www.citrusnyc.com/citrus/citrus.html
Latin and
Japanese food smoothly co-exist at this cavernous Upper West Side restaurant
washed with orange accents. If it's too tough to choose between shrimp
fajitas or tempura, the ultimate roll combination is the perfect compromise.
Raw fish is paired with mango, avocados and bananas, wrapped in seaweed
and served with spicy dipping sauces like creamy wasabi, chipotle and
scallion soy. Dessert can be skipped in lieu of a key lime pie cocktail
composed of Absolut vanilla, pineapple and lime juice in a sugar-rimmed
glass.
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Flor's
Kitchen
170 Waverly Place
212-229-9926
Cross Street: Between Sixth and Seventh avenues
florskitchen.com
Venezuelan
food is scarce in the city, and fading fast—Flor's Kitchen shuttered
their East Village location in February 2007. The surviving cozy bi-level
West Village spot is a diverse and date-friendly nook. Start with quintessential
arepas or simply make a light meal out of the stuffed corn cakes. Substantial
dishes like pabellón criollo, saucy shredded meat served
with maduros and black beans, are also available. Cachapas, sweet,
gooey, corn-studded pancakes topped with melted paisa cheese are worth
the estimated 15-minute wait.
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Gonzalez
y Gonzalez
625 Broadway
212-473-8787
Cross Street: Between West Houston and Bleecker streets
Sure, this
impossible-to-miss cantina is cheesy figuratively and literally, but sometimes
you're in the mood for nachos, neon lights and a giant sombrero. Avoid
the pricey guacamole and stick to Mexican-American favorites like carne
asada burritos, enchiladas suizas or decadent drinking snacks like jalapeño
kisses, cheese and shrimp stuffed poppers wrapped in bacon. Gonzalez y
Gonzalez boasts NYC's longest bar—margaritas are almost standard
issue on every table. The festive décor and biweekly salsa lessons
draw crowds from nearby NYU, as well as the Angelika Film Center around
the corner.
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Itzocan
Bistro
1575 Lexington Avenue
212-423-0255
Cross Street: 101st Street
In
2004, brothers Anselmo and Fermin Bello parlayed their behind-the-scenes
cooking talent into their own ambitious Mexican-French restaurant, incongruously
placed in Spanish Harlem. The shoebox-sized corner bistro romances couples
with a candlelit vibe featuring folk art, Frida Kahlo paintings and, oddly,
an '80s greatest hits soundtrack. Unctuous goat cheese flan spiked with
jalapeño and epazote, spicy seafood pozole, rich with
oregano, hominy, mussels, firm snapper and jumbo shell-on shrimp, exemplifies
their Franco-Hispanic style. And their desserts, like the tequila chocolate
cake with brown sugar ice cream, are reason enough to squeeze your way
into this welcome addition to the neighborhood.
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Izalco
6405 Roosevelt Avenue
718-533-8373
Cross Street: Between 64th and 65th streets
Pupusas
are quintessentially Salvadoran, and this whimsically decorated Woodside
restaurant serves wonderful examples. Take in pictures of the namesake
volcano and clay-tiled indoor roof inhabited by fake iguanas and an armadillo
while trying the stuffed, grilled corn cakes. Choose from chicharron,
cheese, frijoles or revuelta, a mix of all three. Curtido,
a pickled cabbage slaw (sometimes available with papaya), thin, lightly
spiced tomato sauce and a bottle of Suprema beer are necessary accompaniments.
This isn't light fare; easily sharable meat-based entrees are served with
rice, beans, cheese, sweet plantains and corn tortillas. Simple and satisfying
res con salpicon, beef soup, is a weekend favorite.
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Malagueta
25-35 36th Avenue
718-937-4821
Cross Street: 28th Street
Show
up early for Malagueta´s Saturday-only feijoada, the Brazilian
national dish of stewed black beans, pork, sausage, ribs and bacon served
with collard greens and farofa (toasted manioc flour)—it
frequently sells out before dinner time. This candlelit white tablecloth
café on a quiet Astoria corner melds the tropical moqueca de
camarao, a Bahian-style shrimp stew with palm oil, peppers and coconut
milk, with dishes you wouldn´t expect on the streets of São
Paulo, like lombo de porco, pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes
and bacon vinaigrette. For a sweet finale, chocolate mousse is just as
popular as manjar, their coconut pudding.
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Margon
136 West 46th Street
212-354-5013
Cross Street: Between Sixth and Seventh avenues
www.margonrestaurant.com
Midtown's Cuban-style, Dominican-run holdout hasn't changed in years.
Three brown vinyl stools facing three foil-wrapped sandwich presses greet
you as you squeeze into the entryway. A long row of steam tables filled
with a changing roster of daily specials stretches out to the left. Lunchtime
hordes line up for aluminum containers of pernil or tripe with rice and
beans, but the star might be the toasty sandwiches Cubanos: roasted pork,
ham, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard are warmed and flattened into compact
torpedoes and the inclusion of unorthodox salami slices add extra oomph.
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Mojito
82 Washington Avenue
718-797-3100
Cross Street: Between Park and Flushing avenues
mojitocubancuisine.net
Housed
in the ground floor of luxury lofts on a gritty block near Brooklyn's
Navy Yard, Mojito seems deliciously out of place. A Cuban cigar box motif
blends with the exposed pipes, cement floor industrial-chic, and attracts
Clinton Hill denizens and Pratt students in droves. The freebie garlic
bread with three piquant dipping sauces promises good things to come.
Gently priced ropa vieja and chuletas don't disappoint,
though a less conventional entrée-sized mojito churrasco salad
overflowing with grilled chicken, mango, white cheese, avocados, tomatoes
and fried onions is a satisfying alternative for the rice and bean averse.
Tumbler-sized mojitos are powerful: you've got fifteen—yep, 15—different
rums to choose from!
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Palo
Santo
652 Union Street
718-636-6311
Cross Street: Between 4th and 5th avenues
www.palosanto.us
Occupying
the ground floor of a Park Slope brownstone, Palo Santo exudes folksy
chic. Chunky wooden furniture, colorful mosaics and Andean murals lend
a handcrafted touch, while the inventive food also carries a personal
imprint. Half-Haitian chef and owner Jacques Gautier melds Caribbean and
South American flavors into an ever-changing collection of dishes that
are prepared in an open kitchen flanked by bar seating (patrons in these
perches can order a $45 chef´s tasting menu). Expect things like
seafood asopado, a soupy rice, and obscure herbs that might give
a botanist pause. Duck medallions in mole sauce are accompanied with a
black bean-topped corn cake graced with fronds of Mexican papalo
and pepicha. Don´t forget a full wallet—the establishment
is cash only.
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Pardo's
92 Seventh Avenue South
212-488-3900
Cross Street: Between Grove and Barrow streets
Peruvian chicken chains are nothing new in NYC, but this
West Village poultry purveyor is the only one straight out of Lima. To
the delight of homesick South Americans, the first U.S. outpost opened
in December 2006 and has been doing brisk business with all nationalities.
Marinated in 14 secret ingredients (likely including indigenous huacatay),
pollo brasa is unquestionably the main attraction. Tacu tacu,
rice and bean croquettes, yuquitas, yucca fries and knobby Inca
corn on the cob are choice sides, and tiny ramekins of mayonnaise and
pale yellow aji sauce arrive as dips. Brave souls should investigate anticuchos,
grilled beef heart slices on skewers. A list of cocktails is worth a look,
from traditional frothy pisco sour to the thoroughly modern Piscopolitan.
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Pasita
47 Eighth Avenue
212-255-3900
Cross Street: Between Horatio and Jane Streets
www.pasitanyc.com
The glowing
wood-fired oven is a focal point in this welcoming West Village wine bar
decorated with dangling lamps and swank decades-old Spanish magazine ads.
Thin, charred-edge pizzas topped with ropa vieja and manchego
or shredded chicken and crema fresca might belie Pasita´s South
American roots, but Venezuelan tapas called pasapalos also complement
the reasonably priced list of South American and Spanish vino. Red pepper
and cumin-covered cheese puffs, tequeños or arepitas,
mini corn cakes with guasacaca (an avocado salsa) and nata cheese
pair up nicely with a glass of fruity Zolo Malbec from Argentina.
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Pio
Pio
264 Cypress Avenue
718-401-3300
Cross Street: Between East 138th and 139th streets
The Bronx branch of one of NYC's favorite Peruvian pollo
specialists is an airy Mott Haven escape. Lilting acoustic guitar and
saffron colored walls decorated with Incan glyphs attract extended families
that linger over the generous matador combo. The plates just keep on coming,
along with a whole rotisserie chicken and a delicious green mayo-based
chile dipping sauce. Expect a whirlwind of rice and beans, avocado salad,
tostones and salchipapas, a loco mix of french fries and
frankfurters. (Why didn't anyone think of that before?!) Earthenware pitchers
of fruit-laden sangria complete the well-rounded meal.
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Real
Azteca
1013 E. 163rd Street
718-860-1566
Cross Street: Between Simpson Street and Southern Boulevard
This tiny
Hunts Point taqueria could easily go unnoticed, and since it's
not in a particularly Mexican neighborhood, traditions aren't strictly
adhered to. Atypical items like shredded lettuce and tomato come default
on tacos and hamburgers are even on the menu. But the griddle filled to
capacity with quesadillas is a tip-off to their specialty: Tortillas are
crafted from fresh masa and pressed before your eyes. Fillings include
mushrooms, huitlacoche or chile strips and are held together
with melted muenster cheese. Real Azteca's owners hail from Michoacán
in southern Mexico, and their weekends-only birria, a spicy goat
stew, is a hallmark of the region.
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Sabrosura
1200 Castle Hill Avenue
718-597-1344
Cross Street: Gleason Avenue
www.sabrosurarestaurant.com
Bronx accents
mingle with Spanish and Chinese at this nautically themed Castle Hill
institution. As Chino-Latino joints dwindle, this crowd pleaser keeps
churning out old-school fusion like avocado adorned chofan, chicharron
and chicken studded fried rice. Plantains and yucca get equal billing
as lo mein and linguini on the laminated picture menu. Inventions such
as inside-out mofongo—formed into a bowl shape and filled
with creole-sauced meat or seafood—are the result of owner Nelson
Ng´s seven years in the Dominican Republic.
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Salud!
Restaurant & Bar
142 Beekman Street
212-566-2220
Cross Street: Front Street
Lazily whirling ceiling fans, plantation blinds, and congas in the corner
might make you forget that you´re steps away from the South Street
Seaport. This slice of Miami on the East River draws hungry shoppers and
an after work crowd seeking mojitos and Pan-Latino tapas. Artfully plated
tasting portions of maduros filled with spicy beef and Monterey jack, Ecuadorian
shrimp ceviche and lobster tacos are snacky options, while full-sized entrees
like seafood paella and grilled Argentinean skirt steak will satisfy larger
appetites. Live Cuban jazz fills the small, multi-tiered space on Tuesday
and Thursday nights.
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San
Antonio Bakery #2
36-20 Astoria Boulevard
718-777-8733
Cross Street: 37th Street
www.panaderiachilena.com
Owner Ruben
Guzman, is practically Astoria's ambassador to everything Chilean. Everyone
receives a warm welcome, even if there's not a South American bone in
their body. Substantial, baked empanadas filled with chopped beef, green
olives, raisins and hard boiled egg are a good starting point. Completos,
hot dogs topped with avocado, sauerkraut, mayonnaise and tomatoes are
presented on a little red plastic stand and can be found on nearly every
table. Lomitos and churrascos, pork and beef sandwiches
come with similar toppings on chewy freshly baked rolls. The front glass
case is lined with dulce de leche treats like alfajores, meringue
covered cookies. Don't forget to try a can of Pap, a Chilean papaya soda.
If you're curious where San Antonio #1 is—that's in Long Island,
where all of the baking is done.
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Sofrito
400 East 57th Street
212-754-5999
When you consider that in New York, finding Puerto Rican
fare that's not served from steam tables at a lunch counter is rare, you'll
soon realize that the moderately-priced sit-down restaurant Sofrito is
quite unique. When you consider that it's restaurateur Jimmy Rodriguez's
latest venture, it makes perfect sense. Jimmy brings glitz, punchy cocktails
and sweeping chic to an otherwise subdued Sutton Place street. Flaky pastelitos
are a great way to start, and since you can choose beef, chicken, shrimp
or vegetable fillings, no one's left out. Boricua delights have been prettied
up and the mariscos are irresistible. Try the creamy seafood
stew teeming with shrimp, crab legs and served with tostones
on the side or the crispy red snapper bulging with coconut rice stuffing.
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Sophie's
Cuban Cuisine
73 New Street
212-809-7755
Cross Street: Between Beaver Street and Exchange Place
www.sophiescuban.com
A Peruvian
family, the Lunas, have modernized the classic Latin lunch counter into
a successful chain—their fifth location opened March 2007 in midtown.
Sophie's filling and reasonably priced beans and rice combos appeal to
all strata of office workers, it's nearly impossible to snag a seat between
noon and 2 pm and the take-out line is consistently long. The unmistakable
scent of roasted pork wafts onto the sidewalk, and must be the reason
why the pernil is a menu mainstay, Monday through Friday. Other
specials like stewed goat and oxtails are only available select days of
the week. Cubanos are also a hit and a quick snack can be made of the
fried empanadas displayed in the window.
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Tacos
Matamoros
4503 Fifth Avenue
718-871-7627
Cross Street: Between 45th and 46th streets
Sunset Park is teeming with taquerias, and Tacos Matamoros
is a Fifth Avenue favorite. Jukebox ballads serenade families and couples
in the sparsely-furnished dining room. Pint-sized tacos are only a buck
a pop, so take advantage and experiment with fillings! Pork al pastor
sliced from the twirling spit is a stand out, but don't shy away from
tripa or lengua. Hearty tortas and cemitas
are safe bets and simple platters of grilled bistec with tomato-speckled
rice and cotija-sprinked beans are satisfying. You won´t find cervezas
on the menu, but sweet horchata and tangy tamarindo
are on tap.
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Tapeo
29
29 Clinton Street
212-979-0002
Cross Street: Stanton Street
www.tapeo29.com
What's
a wine bar without snacks? Tapeo 29, secluded behind a heavy unmarked
door on a Lower East Side corner, provides tasting flights of wine with
appropriate Spanish accompaniments. After choosing between red or white,
you'll be given three generous glasses and an equal amount of cheeses
or tapas. Your wedges might include murcia, a goat cheese with
a wine-soaked rind, smoky idiazabal and sharp cheddar-like
mahon. Tapas range from simple olives and grilled garlic shrimp to
bacon-wrapped dates and chorizo braised in cider. Diners can sit at the
prominent U-shaped bar or share tables against the brick walls of the
dimly-lit room.
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Tierras
Colombianas
8218 Roosevelt Avenue
718-426-8868
Cross Street: Between 82nd and 83rd streets
Jackson Heights has Colombian options galore, but this
roomy, booth-only diner can almost guarantee that no one leaves hungry:
its speciality, Bandeja campesina, is a quick introduction to
the cuisine and practically serves as breakfast, lunch and dinner in one!
An oval platter barely manages to contain layers of steak, sweet plantains,
soupy red beans, white rice, strip of chicharron, arepa, eggs sunny-side
up and avocado slices. Daintier options include soups of the day like
Saturday's chicken or Wednesday's ox tail served with an arepa. Frothy
fruit batidos are refreshing and lulo (similar to an
orange) is muy Colombiano.
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Ureña
37 East 28th Street
212-213-2328
Cross Street: Between Park and Madison avenues
urena-nyc.com
In early
2006 Dominican chef-owner Alex Ureña opened his avant-garde Spanish
namesake in the Flatiron district. The narrow room draped in hushed cream,
brown and burnt sienna tones attracts upscale clientele and foodies seeking
creative flavor pairings. Texturas de foie gras is a decadent
triple threat. Paté is presented wonton style with plum puree,
in a terrine with cocoa and chocolate and mixed with yogurt and currants
in a tiny cup. Cubes of glistening suckling pig crown wilted lettuce and
shiitakes and are surrounded by green apple puree and truffle sauce in
the cochinillo confitado. Sparkling cava makes perfect sense
with the elegantly quirky fare.
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La
Vuelta
10-43 44th Drive
718-361-1858
Cross Street: Between 10th and 11th streets
www.lavueltabistro.com
This Latino
bistro is literally a beacon on an otherwise desolate stretch in Long
Island City. Reasonably priced lunches appeal to nearby Citibank workers,
but at night things get more ambitious. Local art enhances the brick walls,
DJs play world beats and deep house on Friday nights and their garden
patio is a warm-weather option. Country-hop with Argentinean skirt steak
with mashed potatoes and chimichurri salsa or tropical grilled shrimp
with coconut rice and pineapple jalapeño mojo. Brazilian cahaça-laced
caipirinhas go along with nearly everything.
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The Chinese aren’t the most sentimental people. Mainlanders only recently started to fetishize the past with the creation of 
If you're like me, you pass by roadside beacons like Carrabba's, Bertucci's and Macaroni Grill and despite your indifference to Italian-American food (I hear the entire February issue of Gourmet is devoted to the cuisine though I've yet to receive my copy in the mail and am in no hurry to), wonder what they're like because you can't resist the allure of a chain, any chain. I mean, aren't they all kind of Olive Gardens at their core?
