Agosto 6, 2003 The New York Times - From Venezuela, Corn Cakes with Full Pockets By Eric Asimov New York New York's fascination with sandwiches embraces many variations. The path from standard American sandwich to panino or Cubano is short, requiring only a sandwich press to toast and flatten the package. The pita extends the definition further, with it's a flatbread pouch. From Mexico come both the torta, a traditional sandwich on a crusty roll, an the more rustic taco. Venezuela's entry is the arepa, which combines the virtues of the soft corn tortillas and the pita into what is essentially a pouched corn cake. In truth, Venezuela has no monopoly on arepas. They are indigenous to neighboring Colombia, too, though made slightly differently, and are called gorditas in Mexico and papusas in their glorious Salvador incarnation. But because New York has so few Venezuelan restaurants, the Venezuelan arepa tends to get short shrift. Enter Caracas Arepa Bar, a tiny spot in the East Village that may finally win for Venezuelan arepas de recognition they deserve, The Venezuelan husband-and-wife owners, Maribel Araujo and Aristides Barrios, opened Caracas only a month ago, but already it has become a lively destination for South American expatriates as well as for the curious an hungry. The Colorful dining room is little more than a vestibule, with barely enough room to squeeze in 20 seats. A narrow passage between kitchen and dining room also leads to the restroom, and when the restaurant is crowded congestion and jostling there are constant. From the small counter separating the kitchen from the dining room, you can watch the procedure as one of the cooks pats corn dough into pale yellow, palm-size circles and place them on the grill. Another cook shapes dough into half-dollar-size rounds, delicately tapping the edges to achieve the right curve. The arepas are offered with 17 different fillings, and the appetizing aroma of the of the grilling corn dough makes patience difficult. Finally the steaming arepas come - two are a full meal - so hot you can barely hold them, each in its own plastic cutlery is available if you like, as I do, to reduce the girth a bit. The arepas are superb, with a subtle corn flavor that is amplified by the various fillings. Almost all the combinations I've tried are excellent, like reina pepiada ($3.50), a chicken-and-avocado salad that is a Venezuelan classic, and Guasacaca ($4.50), a sort of a Venezuelan guacamole made with avocados, lemon juice and olive oil. I loved the domino ($3.75), earthy black beans and shredded cheese, which melts and combine with the arepa. Black beans are also the basis for the pabellón ($4.50), with shredded beef and sweet plantains. La bonita ($3.50), is made with a creamy tuna salad. All of the arepas benefit from a squirt of mild, vinegary hot sauce. I found out that the half-dollar rounds were when I ordered a mixed plate ($6.50), in which a dozen bite-size arepas come with three fillings of your choice. Unlike the bigger arepas, these are no stuffed; you simply pile some filling on top. Caracas also serves empanadas ($3.50 to $4), which are fried rather than grilled. They are fine, but lack the delicacy of the arepas. The restaurant serves a handful of Venezuelan soft drinks. My favorite is papelón con limón ($3), an icy, and lime that has a wonderful honeyed, malty flavor. The menu suggests that specials of larger Venezuelan dishes are served daily, but that is true only on weekends. I didn't mind. For me, the arepas are enough. Caracas Arepa Bar 91 East Seventh Street near First Avenue East Village, (212) 228 5062 BEST DISHES Arepas, ,mixed plate, papelón con limón. PRICE RANGE $2.50 to $6.50 CREDIT CARD $25 minimun per charge HOURS Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. Sunday, noon to 9p.m. Closed Monday. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS Step at entrance; narrow restroom. back to top