Midtown Lunch

The other day I blogged about arepas that I had during a trip to Colombia in 2009. Yes, 2009. They were so good I’m still thinking about them. Just a day later, my husband and I are driving down 7th avenue in Park Slope and I spot Palenque, a brand new Colombian food truck that’s been parking in the East Village and Williamsburg. Yesterday they were at the Lot in LIC and but according to the owner they are planning to park in Midtown the rest of the week (on 51st btw. Park+Mad).

Here’s your first look at what to expect.

For the uninitiated, arepas are basically flat, round, pancakes of sorts made from cornmeal or flour. They can be grilled, baked, boiled, or fried. You can put a topping like meat or cheese on top or split them in the middle and stuff them like a sandwich.

These arepas are the grilled variety and besides the traditional corn they come in decidedly non-traditional (and probably healthier) whole grain options like quinoa and brown rice. And can be topped with a host of toppings from seitan to cheese, chicken, beef, and shrimp. Many of the menu items are organic which account for the heftier price tag.

I went the traditional route and got a corn arepa with cheese and hogao (a traditional Colombian sauce with onions, tomato and garlic) for $6. Keep in mind that this style of arepa is crisper than the Venezuelan arepas popularized by Caracas in the village. The hogao pairs nicely with the salty cheese and really makes the arepa, but if you have a larger appetite, you may find that you need more food to make for a filling lunch.

They should be trying to park on 51 St Btw Park Ave and Madison today. Keep tabs on their whereabouts on Twitter @palenquefood. Early adopters let us know your thoughts in the comments!