Caracas Arepas Bar

Straight from Venezuela, Caracas Arepas Bar has become the destination for those reminiscing on the summer days of the latin trucks at the Red Hook Ball Fields. Arepas, a staple in Venezuelan food, are fried or baked corn pancakes filled with various combinations of meats and sauces. At Caracas Arepas Bar, you can get them to go at the pick-up joint next door to the restaurant, similar to Cafe Habana's setup. The restaurant itself is tiny as well, but full of the hip, Latin flavor emanating from the streets of Caracas.

Restaurant: Caracas Arepas Bar
Rating: ♔♔♔



To start, we ordered the Guasacaca and Chips, which are essentially Venezuelan style guacamole with fried taro chips. As expected, the combination of the crisp taro chips, which have a thicker consistency, with the creamy guacamole tasted muy delicioso.

This next appetizer, the Tostones Mochimeros, is a must-order item for all. The green plantains are fried and topped with a mojito mayo sauce, a squeeze of lemon, and Venezuelan style fluffy white cheese. The crumbly rich cheese tasted wonderful with the zesty mayo and crisp plaintain chips.

Now to the arepas! The one below is La de Pernil, which consisted of roasted pork shoulder with tomato slices in a spicy mango sauce. The arepa was bursting with flavor, as the tender pork slices melted in my mouth. The mango sauce gave a nice kick to the dish.

Then there's La Mulata, with grilled white cheese, jalapenos (warning: ultra spicy), sauteed red peppers, fried sweet plantains, and black beans. This combination was very interesting. The creamy white cheese melted into the extremely hot jalapenos, but balanced by the sweetness of the fried plantains. I highly recommend La Mulata for the adventurous!

There are over a dozen flavors of arepas at Caracas Arepas Bar, so you might have to come a few more times to try them all. It certainly might be worth the trip, and it doesn't hurt that they are all under $7.50 each. Ole ole arepas!

Caracas Arepas Bar
93 1/2 E 7th St
New York, NY 10009
(212) 529-2314
www.caracasarepabar.com