I was recently invited to a press dinner to review Oficina Latina, a restaurant located in Nolita.
Before you read this, please understand that the restaurant knew who we were.
I have to say that this restaurant surprised me in many ways that you will discover in this post. I did not check anything before going, facts or reviews, because I did not want to be biased...So here I am on Prince street, on my way to that place. Fortunately, I had the number because I passed right in front of it!!! Not that the entrance was very discreet, but more that it did not look like a restaurant, but more a bar from outside. In fact, the bar is in the front and the dining room further away. Once you are there, there is an authenticity and rusticity that you cannot miss and, you would be transported randomly to places, you would think that you are in South America! It seems that this feeling is partly due to the way the restaurant was furnished, with items either imported or specifically customized for it.
It had a certain warmth to it, thanks to the bricks and diverse artifacts that gave a traditional feel to the place. Fortunately, they did not exaggerate the use of white tiles, that can sometimes, if too white and too present, give the impression you are eating in a bathroom...
I also liked their own version of a communal table that was original and had a nice presence in the room.
As I mentioned first, I thought it was a bar before thinking restaurant. They do show some creativity in the cocktails they are serving. For instance, I tried a delicious blackberry caipirinha !
Not only it tasted good, but it looked good too! Funny thing is that the napkin they gave with the cocktail had printed on it: Me darias tu numero de celular (Would you give me your phone number)! Practical...
So let's talk about food now! Chef Abraham Trinidad prepared a menu featuring a selection of classic dishes inspired by the Pan-American highway in Latin America. So it was the promise for culinary travel and I was ready for it!
