Like most visitors to either location of routinely excellent Caracas Arepa Bar, I've always headed straight for their signature items: the delicious, griddled cornmeal cakes stuffed with all manner of savory, cheesy fillings. At this point, it's no secret that they're making some of—if not the—best arepas in the city. But recently my eyes wandered over to a different part of the menu as yet un-perused by yours truly. It was there I noticed a "Sidekick" called Tostones Mochimeros. A trip to Caracas will never be the same.
On the surface, these are just a riff on tostones, the twice fried plantain dish you'll find on menus of Puerto Rican, Dominican and other Latin persuasions. Here, the plantains are flattened and fried lengthwise, creating a little banana boat of sorts. Unlike some versions, the plantain doesn't get dried out and crumbly; there's a lovely balance of moisture and starchiness. The edges get wonderfully crisp and caramelized, too, adding a nice textural foil to the creamy interiors.
Then come the really decadent elements: a generous slathering of herby, "mojito mayo" gets topped with an even more generous heap of salty white cheese. As the plantains themselves aren't abundant with flavor, the mayo and cheese combo adds a needed dose of salinity, moisture and additional flavors. To really send the tostones over the edge, tear up a few of the accompanying cilantro leaves on top and then drizzle the whole thing with their fantastic on-table mustard sauce. You'll be forgiven for skipping that second arepa.
Caracas Arepa Bar has two locations: 291 Grand Street in Williamsburg and 93 1/2 East 7th Street in the East Village; website
