The other day I treated myself to a manicure in a place where there is a small high def television at every nail drying station. In addition, the salon has a huge screen; all televisions are tuned to The Food Network.

There are a  dozen or so lovely ladies with wet nails drooling over Paula Dean’s presentations, or Bobby Flay’s. I happened to hit Bobby on a good day: he was challenging the owner of Caracas Arepa Bar to a “Throwdown” challenge. Who can make the better arepas?
Caracas won. Sorry, Mr. Bobby the Foodie Ego. You can’t beat this place! And so I made the journey the following day with gustatory visions swelling in my head.

Located at 91 East 7th Street in the East Village, not far from the Fillmore East and Tompkins Square Park, the 60’s hippie havens (and very close to where I grew up), the little store front devours lines of people who dutifully wait outside for a table. It’s worth the wait.

Arepas are a Venezuelan staple; a little white corn cake, with a crunch on the outside and a doughy cloud on the inside. They are stuffed with meat, beans, guacamole. The owner, Maribel Araujo, is lovely and so very personable. I believe the chef’s name is Ilse, and her creations are spactacular though simple. We ordered an assortment of arepas, (La Surena, La Popular, La Pernil, a plate of “yoyos” (stuffed fried plantains), and tostones, elegantly presented crispy plantains topped with cheese. We washed it all down with juice; make mine passion fruit.

There is now another branch of the Caracas Arepa Bar in Williamsburg Brooklyn.
Photography by the author~click to enlarge The quaint tin ceilings and primitive art make this a little haven in a big city.

reply rosiefielding2 wrote on Jan 17, ’10 very yummy pics too.x

reply greenwytch wrote on Jan 17, ’10 oh, wow!  looks like you really DID treat yourself!   glad you had such a good time.

reply davkal wrote on Jan 17, ’10 just find me a street vendor an send me a real hotdog i will be fine,,lol

reply sousonne wrote on Jan 17, ’10 SIgh….now I’m hungry….NY has such an amazing variety of really good food.

reply davkal wrote on Jan 17, ’10 yep if you know where to look, or know someone who lives there or has lived there other wise you could nearly starve there,lol had some friends make a trip up there some time back, i asked them where they were staying – oh a motel when we get there – oh okay. think the first night there they slept in the car.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Jan 17, ’10 Oh that’s sad! There is too much to choose form–like the title of the book, The Paradox of Choice. It is overwhelming. Neighborhood after neighborhood, restaurant after restaurant!

reply greenwytch wrote on Jan 17, ’10 i totally agree with you, souci.  variety is the ‘spice’ of Life!

reply davkal wrote on Jan 17, ’10 i think its just  that NYC can overwhelm someone who has never been in a city that huge not sure where to go or how to get there, i have been ,while i lived up there, in the Bronx,Queens an Brooklynn – only places i can remember right now

reply agnes128 wrote on Jan 17, ’10 Wow, are some of the donuts square?

reply davkal wrote on Jan 17, ’10 if i remember right , those are real doughnuts, not like those from krispy kreme.  so they come out in some odd shapes instaed of perfectly round

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Jan 17, ’10 They’ve won awards, best in the city blah blah, opening branches here and in Asia of all places. read it and drool! http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/12/the-dessert-files-holiday-flavors-at-doughnut-plant-lower-east-side-christmas-panettone-cranberry-gingerbread-marzipan.html http://askville.amazon.com/donut-plant-company-planning-open-branches/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=11835145

reply josfreshlybrewedmood wrote on Jan 17, ’10 Um, no hamburgers???  Or spaghettios???  😉  beautiful pics.

reply shoppingdreams wrote on Jan 17, ’10 Wish I’d known about this when I was there, it looks amazing!! Gotta love NYC cuisine, nothing like it!

reply recoveringteacher wrote on Jan 17, ’10 Nothing quite like having a local take you around to the places only they know about, or at least know best.

reply starfishred wrote on Jan 17, ’10 wow sue makes me hungry –:)

reply billatplay wrote on Jan 19, ’10 It is another World to me.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Jan 19, ’10 Bill, every “world” is represented here and not by just one restaurant. There are more than I can count. NYC is composed of 5 “boroughs” and each is filled with different neighborhoods that add a different flavor. Manhattan is thought of as THE New York City, but it is even beyond. The hugeness of the choice factor easily creates an inability to choose. “The Paradox of Choice.” This neighborhood near where I grew up, was the haven for Eastern European immigrants and the new wave of the Caribbean influx in the 1950s and 60s. Then it became the hippy haven. The Fillmore, The Hell’s Angels; the music scene and drugs. The area is so expensive to live in now it’s impossible. It is now considered one of the coolest spots despite the tenements that cost a fortune. Who knew? New York University is buying up so many buildings. Imagine having the city as your campus?

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Jan 19, ’10 .

reply gapeach7355 wrote on Jan 20, ’10 A city of culinary delights–from the simple to the sublime…  If only I had the money and the time… 🙂

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Jan 20, ’10 And a poet you is!

reply catfishred wrote on Jan 21, ’10 OMG, am I glad I don’t live by you!!! Well, excepting the FAB manicure, I would hate the adventure into food binging on such scrummy looking fare that I would have no willpower whatsoever to resist standing all day in long queues to devour!!! BTW, I got here via Yahoo via Twitter. Now, isn’t that some transport? 🙂 And I didn’t even have to pay bus, train, plane or taxi fare. Have a GRAND day, Suz!

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Jan 21, ’10 catfishred said OMG, am I glad I don’t live by you!!! Well, excepting the FAB manicure, I would hate the adventure into food binging on such scrummy looking fare that I would have no willpower whatsoever to resist standing all day in long queues to devour!!! BTW, I got here via Yahoo via Twitter. Now, isn’t that some transport? 🙂 And I didn’t even have to pay bus, train, plane or taxi fare. Have a GRAND day, Suz! Glad you can make it by whatever route. And when I ever get back to you, it’s Indonesian Riifstafel for me! (sp??)