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Cheap Eats
LATIN
Four righteous
rice and beaneries.
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Going
bananas: Ropa vieja (with plantains) at Javier.
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Lately, we've been spending a lot of time at Javier,
a sunny West Village storefront with a handful of tables, a mellow
vibe, a pre-Buena Vista Social Club soundtrack, and a knack
for soupy, scrumptious red and black beans. It's clear from the first
bite of the tender, vinegary ropa vieja that Javier is cut from the
same culinary cloth as some of our favorite well-worn Latino lunch
counters -- places like La Taza de Oro, La Fonda Boricua,
and Margon -- that serve up good cheer and cheap, savory chow
in equal measure. Owner Javier Martinez is part of a grand Spanish-American
tradition -- even though he calls it "Latin-Caribbean" -- and he honors
it with juicy pernil (roasted pork marinated in sage, oregano, and
garlic) and pollo asado, a moist roast chicken that gets a double
dose of garlic -- once when it's marinated and again in the sandwich
when it's slathered with ajilimojili, a lethal blend of garlic, olive
oil,and lemon (from $1.50 for a savory stuffed pastelillo to $7.50
for generous main dishes with rice and beans).
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