ESPERANTO

REVIEW

February 18, 2009


CUISINE: Brazilian, South American, Tapas
NEIGHBORHOOD: East Village

 

145 Avenue C at 9th street

(p) 212-505-6559

 

The vibe is upbeat and the drinks are strong which explains the crowds at Esperanto.  The mojitos are not overly sweet, and the mint: sugar: rum ratio is expertly done.  To start your meal off, the tapas plate offers a variety of salty, fried goods that are easily shared among two or three.  All entrees are generously portioned and include complimentary sides.  Our favorite is the grilled salmon with cilantro rice, sautéed spinach and mango salsa, a sweet, cohesive plate. Esperanto stays open late, so consider swapping 3am pizza for plantain chips and salsa.

 


Posted in FOOD on February 18, 2009 8:39pm by Jena Steinbach | 24 comments





Macondo

REVIEW

February 11, 2009


CUISINE: Latin American, Tapas

 

157 E Houston St, New York 10002

Between Allen and Eldridge 

(p) 212-473-9900

 

Macondo’s mission statement is “to bring Latin street food to the gourmet level.” We ordered the Quisqueya ensalada with manchengo, asparagus, and toasted almonds.  The toasted nuts made the dish, and this light, refreshing bite was probably our favorite.  Next up was the De Berenjena bocadillo, a glorified title for what is quite simply an eggplant panini. The sandwich was tasty, though the accompanying fries were nearly gray in color due to an excess of grease. The steak on the Buenos Aires flatbread was chewy, and the Cabrales overpowered the entire dish.  

 


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Posted in FOOD on February 11, 2009 2:45pm by Seth | 7 comments