After a long trip of good eats, we had to end our night with something really good, despite the fact that we already had an amazing dinner! Glutinous much? I think very much so, but I decided to live a little. We found out about Caracas Arepas Bar by watching Bobby Flay's Throwdown. I love that show, merely for the fact that they always find the best of something, and in this case: arepas.
Since we were already pretty stuffed, my friends and I just decided to get one arepa and share. Arepas are a Venezuelan bread made of corn and are hearty and toothsome. For my first experience with the bread, I'm sure it couldn't have gone any smoother. We got the 'La del Gato' with guayanés cheese, fried sweet plantain and avocado slices and it was AMAZING! The cheese was the best part because I've never had that kind before. The texture of the cheese was delicious, and of course how could you go wrong with plantains and avocado?! The arepa itself was the tiniest bit chewy and had a nice crispiness to it.
The wait here is pretty long but as explained by the sign in the restaurant, all the arepas are handmade, so just be patient! It really is worth it. We also tried the fresh passionfruit juice which was really, really delicious. Fresh, tangy and perfectly sweet.
The arepas are pretty pricey, ranging from 6 - 8 for just one, but though they look small, they are stuffed to the brim making them more filling then you'd expect them to be.
Agree with everything you say but one: "Pretty pricey, ranging from $6-$8 for one"? PRICEY? A closer look at the menu would show you most arepas are $6-7, with one below $5 and that the most expensive empanada is only $6. Find me another restaurant in NYC where you can sit in so stunning a setting and get out with a check for less than $30 for two. Maybe that's why Caracas usually ends up high on the Zagat's "best buys" list.
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