Run This Town

Caracas Arepa Bar in Brooklyn caught my eye every time I ran past it for months now. Though I’d never eaten there, I like the logo, so I continued to notice it, and day after day I told myself, “I should try that,” a repeatedly fleeting thought lost by the time I was home untying my running shoes.

So when a visiting friend-of-a-friend, and former-NYC-resident suggested “Caracas” for brunch, I knew my time had come. It turns out there are two locations and we headed for the spot in the East Village, as opposed to on my block in Brooklyn.

NYC is a brunch town. People love it and you will see New Yorkers at four in the afternoon on the weekends still enjoying eggs and coffee on an outdoor patio. I, too, love brunch. Breakfast, really, at any time of day. But for some reason (well, many reasons), I have not synced up with NYC brunch life since I landed here. 

Caracas broke the seal.

Caracas has been around, serving authentic Venezuelan food in New York City, since 2003. The East Village location, on 7th between 1st and Avenue A, is a tiny spot with big personality, lovely, friendly staff and delicious, tasty wonders. 

Caracas is known for its arepas, a round tortilla-meets-pita pocket-meets-cornbread made from corn flour.

They are at the center of every Venezuelan meal, can be stuffed or eaten as is, and are far more dense and filling than they look. 

However, rather than take the route of the celebrated arepa, I took to the brunch menu (see aforementioned and yet-unexplored passion for “brunch”) and ordered the Amazonian. That should have been my first clue. 

My plate did come with a plain arepa to use as I pleased alongside the other abounding tasty tools at hand. Fresh tomatoes and avocado provided a cool refreshment and counter-taste to the warm salty black beans and sweet fried plantains. Eggs with red and green peppers rounded it all out, making my brunch complete. And my need to eat anything else non-existent for the next 8 hours. 

Next step on the Caracas train: try the Brooklyn location and a stuffed arepa. The jury is still out on which one. Another highlight of Caracas Brooklyn? Roneria Caracas, a rum bar within that serves over 30 sipping rums from the Caribbean Islands and Central and South America. 

If the Roneria Menu= Rum+Arepa+Love, then I’m sold. 

Arepa!