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| - Ok owners of Sol Caribe. You are here by a miracle of G-d because the 3 prior restaurants in this location have gone defunct--meaning out-of-business. It seems that this locale is an unlucky spot but as I always say, People will flock to good food.
Well, here is the first thing you don't do in your restaurant. You don't tell a Puertorican patron raised in NYC, partially in the Bronx, that you don't have hot sauce because "Puertoricans don't eat hot sauce". Really? Even Applebees has a bottle of hot sauce. I am not saying carry 12 different kinds of hot sauces. I am saying one bottle. 99 cents in Food City. Of course Puertoricans eat hot sauce!! Ever heard of homemade "Pique"? Come on now.
Ordered the mofongo with Carne Frita. When I asked about the sauce that comes with it , Maria, the very polite and sweet waitress (5 stars for her) said: "mayo-ketchup". I said Mayo-Ketchup?????? and then Sweet Maria was going to explain. No need to explain. Ketchup and Mayonnaise mixed together. They call that French dressing. I don't remember Ponce De Leon (explorer and first Governor of Puerto Rico) putting that on his mofongo. Let's keep a Puertorican dish like Mofongo authentic. You can have either chicken broth or gravy from stewed chicken or the gravy from "carne guisada" on it. But not Mayo-Ketchup. That is an American invention and this is not an American restaurant. Remember... "Puerto Rican Cuisine".
The mofongo which was served with a few pieces of carne frita and a lettuce and tomato salad, was ok--not dry. The meat was a tad salty. Hubby ventured into the grilled chicken breast with arroz con gandules. I discouraged him from having the grilled chicken because I knew they were going to overcook it as most latin restaurants tend to do with their beef, chicken or any other protein. But stubbornness found its way into his head again (I thought I had vacated "stubbornness along with selfishness but stubbornness found its way back) and ordered it anyway. Well, not only was it overdone but no taste to it. You have to MARINATE meat folks, especially chicken breast. A little extra virgin olive oil with fresh chopped garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and a twist of lime and you will have a piece of grilled chicken breast that will make you spin on your head. So simple. The dish had rice and lettuce and tomatoes. Rice was ok. Nothing to write home about.
Here is my advice to new owners:
1. Never say you don't have hot sauce, it sounds stupid.
2. Hold back on the salt on the fried pork.
3. Serve your mofongos with chicken broth on the side or gravy from one of your stewed meats. Save the mayo-ketchup for hamburger if you serve any.
4. Marinate your meats before grilling. They will taste better.
5. Keep Sweet Maria working there. She was the highlight of our visit.
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