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surprised by it. Not just the robustness of
the mushroom, though portobellos will
never cease to amaze me, but by the unexpected
sweetness of the thing. Elements of
General Tso’s chicken came off this ‘shroom
along with savory notes of mustard. I didn’t
see it coming, but I didn’t say no to it when
it arrived, either. It paired great
with the white arepa.
Next was the ropa vieja, a
pulled beef arepa that was easily
my favorite of the night. Savory
beef marinated for hours mixed
with sweet plantains over garlic
spinach topped with pico de
gallo, and the green sauce from
the chicarron really stood out here.
Finally, we rounded out our night with
sweet potato croquettes, lovely little fried
potato balls that were soft and filling, a refreshingly
different take on fried potatoes.
Thought La Vecina has been open since
July 15, Mendez is only getting started.
He’s spent weeks getting every single one
of his recipes right and claims to have recipes
for 15 more arepas ready to go. When I
asked him what’s next, he said he envisions
a La Vecina in every borough in the city.
When I asked why, he just shrugged.
“She’s the neighbor. She moves in wherever
she can.”
Photos: Bridget Kenny/BORO