The eatery honors recipes that are traditional across Latin America, having an emphasis on Venezuelan food
The surface of Maize Picture: Hailey Bollinger
Maize, a brand new Over-the-Rhine eatery which started during the early July, focuses primarily on an unique fusion menu that honors old-fashioned meals from across Latin America, with an emphasis on Venezuelan cuisine.
“It’s difficult to find genuine meals that truly originated in (Latin America) and therefore are being served the way in which it is allowed to be and honored just how it must be, ” says Maize co-owner Louisa Reckman. She’s experienced the restaurant company for over 14 years, of late once the owner of Queen City broadcast. “I don’t think you will find many restaurants that accomplish that in Cincinnati, and I also believe that was lacking — particularly Venezuelan and Puerto Rican (offerings). ”
Fellow co-owner Angel Batista is an indigenous of Puerto Rico and, in the foray that is first into restaurant company, is adamant about keeping tradition. He spent my youth surrounded by various cooking influences, including fare that is venezuelan. (Puerto Rico is due north of Venezuela, divided by the Caribbean Sea. )
“We do this by actually maintaining these meals, the authenticity that is actual down through the use of a base of tradition, ” he says. “The plating and means we’re bringing items to the dining table, all things are really conventional, perhaps maybe not prepared. ”
The restaurant took its title from maize, a corn flour dating back to some 10,000 years and very first used by indigenous Mexicans. The flour functions as the cornerstone for the arepas, cachapas and empanadas served at Maize, and even, Batista looks at the material since the starting place for the restaurant’s concept that is whole. He calls it Maize’s “delivery system, ” acting being an access point when it comes to rich realm of Latin cuisine that is american. Reina pepiada arepa Picture: Hailey Bollinger
The menu is colorful and varied, with dishes from across the region that complement one another while retaining their traditional roots to that end. Batista rattles from the geographically-assorted origins of these meals while the Peruvian ceviche, Mexican road corn and Venezuelan cachapas and asado negro.
“There’s plenty of work that went into this notion, ” he says. “How do we bridge what to make someone when it comes to first-time attempting things comfortable, and just how do we additionally maintain the conventional aspect that after a Peruvian walks in, they feel just like we did justice with their meals and their traditions? ”
In addition to staying with tried-and-true meals (“From the beans towards the pork into the chicken to your chicharrones, a lot of that material is right from my mom, ” Batista claims), Maize uses top-notch components. They source their meat from Eckerlin in Findlay marketplace and their produce comes from Lasita Joe & Sons, Inc. On Fourth Street. Maize’s administrator cook, Curtis McGlone, brings his very own understanding aswell, after stints in the Italian-Argentinian Alfio’s Buon Cibo and Southern Hotel that is contemporary Covington.
We stopped by for a Tuesday evening with an 8 p.m. Booking, that we to start with thought ended up being just a formality, however when We stepped in the buzzing restaurant on Race and 14th roads, I happened to be happy I experienced called ahead.
The bright blue accents regarding the restaurant lend to your vibe that is tropical because do the large number of rum choices from the beverage menu. With increased than 30 rums in home, Batista and Reckman believe the nature would be the next bourbon when it comes to popularity and w The Tembleque cocktail — an homage to a normal Puerto Rican pudding dessert. Picture: Hailey Bollinger
We ordered the Tembleque cocktail to start out, an homage up to A puerto rican pudding that is traditional dessert. Bacardi black colored rum, Don Q, coconut milk, vanilla, egg, cinnamon and bitters create a completely sweet sipping cocktail that reminded me of eggnog, when you look at the way that is best feasible.
For appetizers, my buddy ordered the ceviche ($9) and, on our server’s recommendation, I attempted the guasacaca gruesa ($8), which can be a chunky avocado that is venezuelan, similar to guacamole, but ready with olive brine for ac Ceviche and mariquitas, or plantain chips picture: Hailey Bollinger
We munched on airy yuca fries ($4), too — yuca is just a potato-like tuber, with increased inherent taste much less shame.
Enable me, quickly, to exalt the ceviche: it absolutely was perfect. Sharp, bright, tangy, fresh; it tasted like the ocean — as Batista claims it will. The mahi, snapper and shrimp had been plump and plentiful plus the diced mango and serrano pepper (tossed in following the acidity of this lime cures the seafood) had been complementary pops of taste.
At the end associated with the cup lingered the leche de tigre, or “tiger milk, ” which you yourself can drink out of the container. Batista and Reckman both say the tiger milk is known as an aphrodisiac. (I refrained from drinking it, and so I can’t attest for this, but inform us. )
For my primary meal, we ordered the reina pepiada arepa ($9), filled with avocado chicken salad, red onion slivers, queso de mano (think mozzarella but saltier) and cilantro. It absolutely was filling and incredibly, good. Empanadas and conventional Venezuelan cachapas, a sweet corn pancake, can also be found.
In addition tried the ensalada jardinera — romaine with grape tomatoes, fire-roasted corn, queso fresco, carrots and serrano peppers — which ended up being good, but surely required the kick through the crema de cilantro dressing offered in the s Asado negro de costilla de res picture: Hailey Bollinger
My mate ordered the asado negro de costilla de res ($22), that was just beautiful. A real fusion meal, it is a conventional Venezuelan braised brief rib having a panela base (raw sugar that whenever caramelized has an all natural barbecue taste), served along with Puerto Rican mofongo (plantains, sofritos and veggie broth, mashed and seasoned) with treasure carrots and a sorghum foam.
The standard dishes hitched to authentic presentation ended up being well-received by this diner, and Batista hopes everybody comes away with that feeling. ffitness singles Other restaurants within the town have actually exposed the entranceway to attempting brand brand new cuisine — he and Reckman mention Salazar, Abigail Street and Please, amongst others — in addition they desire to start it even more.
“We aren’t available to you making modifications to meals and recipe to allow that it is okay and accepted by some body, ” says Batista. “We’re wanting to make sure there’s a connection. It’s more info on providing that meals the respect it deserves. ”
The group at Maize even offers intends to roll out brunch and meal quickly.