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93 ½ E 7th St. (East
Village) and 3 locations in Brooklyn
Here at New York Minute Magazine, we love a good story. Being a column about dating life, we are attracted to stories that show that love really does find peculiar ways to manifest itself here in the Big Apple.
Caracas Arepa Bar is the culmination of two global passions. The owners, Maribel and Aristides, met
in an arepas joint in Caracas, Venezuela (that is in South America… for those
of you geographically slow.) They decided the best way to share their love story
was to fill the bellies of many a young lover or distant wanderer of the
boroughs with the love potion they had come to know so well, arepas.
Now, what exactly are arepas? Besides unspeakably delicious and a cash cow (last year Caracas brought in over $1.5 million dollars collectively), arepas are a dish made of ground corn dough or cooked flour, similar to a gordita or pupusa. For our white readers, Caracas claims that it is a mix between a corn muffin and a pita-like-pocket. Crisp on the outside, steamy soft goodness on the inside… so quit asking questions already!
Now, what exactly are arepas? Besides unspeakably delicious and a cash cow (last year Caracas brought in over $1.5 million dollars collectively), arepas are a dish made of ground corn dough or cooked flour, similar to a gordita or pupusa. For our white readers, Caracas claims that it is a mix between a corn muffin and a pita-like-pocket. Crisp on the outside, steamy soft goodness on the inside… so quit asking questions already!
Note: Don’t come here if you are expecting artificial “cheese” smothered goodness with a Doritos Locos Tacos supreme shell. This is a cultural experience… not a drive-thru (For you New York Natives, a drive-thru allows customers to drive a car up to the window of a restaurant to pick up their order. Amazing, huh?)
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| Photography by Michelle |
For first timers, we recommend going the Curiaras route. Translating as “Canoe,” this
date-friendly sharable assortment of arepas gives you great combination options
ensuring that you get a healthy sample while leaving the headache of choosing
your own options behind… and it comes in a boat! We went for the La Popular, which means THE POPULAR
(come on, people.) Featuring three
well-loved traditional arepas, this plate comes with a chicken, beef, and
vegetarian option, highlighted by La De
Pernil, a spicy, salty shredded beef offset by sweet plantains.
Next time you can’t make up your mind on where to eat, step
out of your comfort zone and take a trip to Caracas… it’s definitely cheaper
than a flight to South America.
Ladies
First:
“The cuisine at Caracas definitely sends your taste buds to Venezuela with its assortment of spicy-meets-sweet combination. The shredded beef arepa was a definite favorite, but the vegetarian option had an amazing salty, fried cheese that actually had me thinking it was meat to begin with (A must try!) I recommend coming on a weeknight or grabbing lunch on the weekends. This place tends to get a pretty long line, due to its limited seating…unless you really wanna make a trip to Brooklyn.”
“The cuisine at Caracas definitely sends your taste buds to Venezuela with its assortment of spicy-meets-sweet combination. The shredded beef arepa was a definite favorite, but the vegetarian option had an amazing salty, fried cheese that actually had me thinking it was meat to begin with (A must try!) I recommend coming on a weeknight or grabbing lunch on the weekends. This place tends to get a pretty long line, due to its limited seating…unless you really wanna make a trip to Brooklyn.”
Gentleman’s
Disclosure:
“Great ambiance and great food is hard to come by in such a small place, but Caracas nails it on the head. With bartenders serving up refreshing cocktails or even milkshakes, this place really does have it all. I recommend occupying your time waiting for your meal with an order of fried plantain and taro root chips with some guacamole. Why are you still reading this… hurry up and grub up!”
La Popular: $22 for 6 Arepa halves, serves 2
Guasacaca and chips: $6.25
Texas Ratings
Phil:
“Great ambiance and great food is hard to come by in such a small place, but Caracas nails it on the head. With bartenders serving up refreshing cocktails or even milkshakes, this place really does have it all. I recommend occupying your time waiting for your meal with an order of fried plantain and taro root chips with some guacamole. Why are you still reading this… hurry up and grub up!”
La Popular: $22 for 6 Arepa halves, serves 2
Guasacaca and chips: $6.25
Texas Ratings
Lindsey:
Phil:
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