 |
 |
 |
|
Plantain
|
|
|
It was a little less than a year old when I had lunch there, but my first thought about Plantain was "How has this place survived?" The owners are obviously paying midtown Manhattan rent, but the food is plentiful and very reasonably priced. And, as a big bonus, it's good. Knowing that I had only five days in New York, choosing restaurants was tough. There were favorites that demanded a visit, but I always like to try at least one new place, and I relish finding something that isn't on every critic's "hot" list. I don't always pick right. This time I did. There was a moment of trepidation as I walked in. The decor is somehow reminiscent of the coffee shop of a late-1950s motel. Long and narrow, it's got mod furniture that calls out for formica tables, and the dining area beyond the bar has lots of green and peach accents. But the menu took my mind off the surroundings. It was one of those that really makes choice difficult. The food bounces around from Central America to South America to Cuba and the Caribbean. In fact, choosing from the $19.50 prix fixe lunch menu, I had a Brazilian drink, a Caribbean appetizer and Cuban entree and dessert. I had waited for years to try a Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil. And I regret that I waited so long. I must have looked too enthusiastic about my drink, because my waiter pointedly asked if I didn't find it too strong. No way! My appetizer was coconut lobster bisque. The flavors were perfectly balanced, with neither drowning the other out, and the attractive coral-colored (it fit the decor) bisque was carefully ladled around a mound of spicy shrimp salsa. Knowing that I couldn't go to a restaurant called Plantain without ordering some plantains, I had a dish of Cuban-style roast pork with roasted plantains on the side. The pork, which can turn dry in the hands of the wrong chef, was moist and flavorful. A pile of shredded meat was topped with pieces of skin, the whole construction resting in a pool of garlicky mojo sauce, with a wilted watercress salad on the side. Dessert was the Cuban specialty Tres Leches (the same dessert I had in our last restaurant review, La Fonda. This rendition was a bit closer to tradition, with the sponge cake soaked in the various milks until it could hold no more and then resting in a pool of more of them. Plantain passes the "repeat" test. Even as I was settling the bill, I was plotting how I could sneak back that night after seeing a performance of Gypsy. Next time your path takes you to Manhattan, pencil Plantain in. Plantain |
|
|