In this city, restaurants come and go faster than you can say "locally-sourced pizza." And even though there are great new additions to the culinary landscape popping up every week, you've gotta give kudos to anyone who can stick it out for over a year. With that in mind, we bring you Still Got It, our tribute to establishments that continue to serve mouthwatering meals after the buzz has faded.
It's pretty much impossible to get a table for more than five people at the tiny Manhattan location of Caracas Arepa Bar, but a table of arepas is probably something you'd want to share with only your closest friends. The Venezuelan stuffed cornmeal patties are far from the mealy, greasy frisbees haphazardly smashed together for a dollar at your average street fair. These are sandwiches with crunch, flavor and sauce that will leave you filled after one but ignoring your expanding waistline in favor of more.
The East Village spot (with a Brooklyn outpost) has been pretty much packed since they opened in 2003, with a take-out option or an elbow-to-elbow dining room. Arepas are filled with everything from cheese to chorizo to eggplants; our favorite has to be the De Pabellón, a reduction of the Venezuelan national dish "Pabellón Criollo" with shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and sweet plantains. They've also got empanadas, yoyos (plantain balls filled with cheese), fresh salads and platters. And everything goes well with the Tinto de Verano, a red wine cocktail popular in Andalucia. You can check out the full menu here [pdf].
