I just realized that I failed to tell you that I’ve joined the year 2010 and signed up for Twitter, but just for the purposes of this blog. You won’t see me tweeting about brushing my teeth or buying toilet paper, but if you’re interested in the restaurants I’m trying or interesting food articles I find, follow me!
Anywhoo, I tweeted recently about a Latin restaurant, Ideya, that my boyfriend and I recently discovered on West Broadway, which by the by, is my second favorite street in Manhattan, after Perry Street in the West Village.
It was 4pm on a Sunday, better known as the munchies hour, and the menu and the vibe of Ideya wooed us in for a snack. It was total luck that we stumbled upon the live reggae music, which takes place the last Sunday of every month. Score!
The food, which we ordered off the brunch menu, was delicious (especially the batidos — smoothies made of milk and tropical fruit) and the music, though loud, made me feel like I was in Miami.
What’s in it for you: Pancakes with fried banana; Spanish omelet with peppers and onions; huevos fritos (fried eggs over white rice and beans)
What’s in it for them: Grilled marinated salmon; camarones (grilled shrimp with mango salsa); huevos Ideya (poached eggs on corn arepa and chorizo); medio dia (pressed sandwich with roasted pork)
We split the tomato and mango soup, vegetable empanadas and wisely got our own batidos — my boyfriend, the blackberry; me, the mango. The flavors in everything were wild, especially the nutmeg garnish on the baditos.
Even the cornbread — their version of a bread basket — was so good.
Cornbread
Tomato and mango soup with coriander oil
…and best of all — the batidos!
Mango batido
The reggae band — excellent!
Dinner at Ideya offers all of one vegetarian option, which is pretty standard for Latin restaurants. Though the zucchini and eggplant terrine sounds great, it’s a bit pricey at $18. I’d much rather stick to the brunch menu. Definitely going back when it gets warmer. That place screams summertime dining.
Ideya Latin Bistro
349 West Broadway (between Broome and Grand)
212.625.1441
1, A, C, E to Canal St.