Frita Batidos — Quick Photo Tour

 

Last week, I went to Frita Batidos with some friends/co-workers for lunch. The space is casual, with white picnic tables and some bar-style seating at the window. The old Cafe du Jour space has been renovated from the tiny cozy lunch room into a contemporary casual white box. Really, it's quite casual, and really, quite white, and really, quite boxy (well, rectangle-y).

We must have hit a pause between rushes, because the tables were full but there were only two couples ahead of us. I was envisioning a line out the door given that we were going to this much-hyped restaurant in its opening week, so that was something of a relief. Though by the time we ordered and found some seating space, the line had quadrupled in size.

You place your order at the counter then find a space to sit if you're eating in. The servers will bring out your food and call your name a la Zingerman's Deli. Everything is a la carte. There's a nice selection of Cuban-style Fritas plus some other sandwiches like pulled pork, a selection of sides, and assorted drinks, including the batidos (shakes) that are half of the restaurants name-sake. 

I opted for the black bean frita and added a fried egg to it. Tasty, though I'm thinking that it could have used a touch of hot sauce or salsa to add some zing. (I should have investigated the sauces on the shelves at the end of each table.)

And my friend Barb had the pulled pork sandwich and a side of really delicious coconut-lime rice. I suspect the pulled pork is going to be the next sandwich I try there.

I'm still thinking about that rice, though perhaps not as much as I'm thinking about these garlicky plantains, being photographed by my friend the awesome photographer Tafari.

And because they are simply that tasty, here's a close up of those plantains. You can see that glistening garlic sauce...

We finished off our meal with some passion fruit batidos and Spanish hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was thick and deliciously sludgy, just like Spanish hot chocolate should be (order with a churro for the proper Spanish hot chocolate experience), and heavily flavored with cinnamon. And the passion fruit batido? Well, I think Tafari's expression describes how he felt about that batido.

 

 

Comments

[Tafari]

Mmmmmmm!!! As a treat to myself today, Im going for a passion fruit batido & plantains.

And I too am still thinking about that rice. It was the perfect storm!

[Julie Saul]

I must go there! Especially for the fried plantains - love them even just plain fried - these look amazing!

[TeacherPatti]

I heard that the prices are reasonable so I want to try to make it out there over Xmas break. Hey! Let me know if you go sometime in the next two weeks :)