NEW FAVORITE RESTAURANT ALERT, I REPEAT, NEW FAVE. Soooo good.
High expectations were met. Mike has been begging me to go there for months, but I wasn’t convinced that I would enjoy arepas, or what seemed to me like a greasy, meaty Venezuelan sandwich. I continued on in my stubbornness until I saw Caracas featured on Bobby Flay’s Throwdown (in which the featured chefs for once won), and the little snacks looked so irresistible on TV that I couldn’t wait any longer to try them. There is almost always a line or a wait at this place, so we decided to go 15 minutes before it opened at noon on Sunday. The menu is amazing – there are a TON of options – two delicious salads, a selection of empanadas, different Venezuelan combination plates, side dishes, desserts, milk shakes, and of course, arepas. Being a beginner, I ordered “La Popular” which featured 3 different arepas – one with stewed shredded beef, plantains, beans, and white cheese, one with chunks of chicken and avocado, and one with white manchego cheese, peppers, beans, and jalapenos. Holy crap they were all so delicious! The arepa itself is a circular shaped, crispy yet tender dough – slightly similar to a hybrid of an english muffin and a small tortilla, and is absolutely perfect as a pocket for the fresh, bright, and flavorful ingredients stuffed into it. I imagined the arepa to be a fried, greasy bread, but instead it is light, crispy and not greasy at all.
I also ordered a fourth arepa to try with perico (Venezuelan eggs), avocado, and cheese. All four arepas I tasted were phenomenal and delicious in their own right, but I’d have to say my favorite was the chicken and avocado. Two arepas are sufficient to feed one person, but I would advise to do what I did and get four different ones to share. I also highly recommend the Venezuelan taro chips and guac – probably the crispiest, lightest, and most flavorful chips I have ever tasted.
I know I sound overzealous, but I am being honest when I say that this place is one of the greatest NYC finds. In addition to a diverse, cheap menu, Caracas has a vibrant, laid back atmosphere with friendly, efficient (and beautiful) waitstaff, fun yet unobtrusive music, and happy and overly satisfied customers. I also ordered a banana milkshake with cinnamon to go which was also delicious – refreshing and cold with small chunks of fresh banana and just enough sweetness to hit the spot.
I can’t wait to go back to this little gem in the East Village, and I look forward to trying one of the Venezuelan plates that I had to resist this time around.
Address: 91 East 7th street between 1st and Avenue A
Website: www.caracasarepabar.com
**no reservations accepted!
I am going to New York just to have an arepas. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. It will be difficult choosing from the many options. I guess the answer is to bring people who are willing to share.
THIS SOUNDS INCREDIBLE. Let’s go…like tomorrow.
Anybody fortunate enough to accompany you to this great find is surely blessed, and would be honor bound to pay for your and your friend’s meals. Kudos to Mike for steering you in this direction. Perhaps you should listen to him more often. I can’t wait to try it when I’m next in the City. Do they have an outpost in Vegas?