Dominican Plates from Parada Maimon

Did you miss me? I just spend the past few days in San Antonio, visiting a friend and eating bbq and kolaches, but I am back to share this new place that is bringing us Dominican food without the visit North Philly.  Parada Maimon opened a few months ago in the Callowhill area (right above Chinatown)- serving Dominican food in a festive setting. All of the unexpected wood reminded me of Uncle’s Backyard last weekend. And according to my Dominican friend, the paintings on the wall are exactly what you would find at a home in the D.R (something about a child picking at her feet in a field).

A steam table up front lets you check out your food before you order it. We had some confusion with the ordering; our large group wanted to share a few plates and our waitress had a hard time processing this. It led to us not getting exactly what we asked for, but that didn’t detract enough to totally piss me off. Only slightly.

The soup of the day offered was a sopa de pata- a trotter stew. I could not handle the gelatinous feet meat, but I really enjoyed the broth of this warming bowl.

Beef empanadas were a favorite on the night- the ground beef mixture was moist and the crust was flaky without being greasy.

Ribs were another success, the mouthfuls of charred meat around the little bones were very satisfying. Take advantage of the BYO policy and bring some beer to pair with this.

A side of plantains were less sweet and gooey than any sweet plantains I have ever had. You might like that sort of thing, but I prefer mine sweeter.

A plate of pernil ($10) was almost as good as the ribs. I love eating simple shreds that taste of the essence of pork- but some of my favorite Domincan and Puerto Rican spots in North Philly are a notch above Parada’s.

Fried tilapia was my least favorite, it was a little fishy for me and quite bony.

Tres leches cake on the other hand, was off the charts good- soaked in syrup, I ate way more than I intended to. It was a great finish to the meal.

There is a lot more on the menu that I would want to try (chicken, beef stew, and something called a “seafood canoe”).  Given how easy it is to get to, I will definitely be back- and with some rum in hand to mix with their fresh juices.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

  • Awesome empanadas and ribs
  • Domincan food close to Center City

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

  • Bony, and fishy dish

Parada Maimon,  345 N 12th St, 215-383-5082

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