Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Plantain

Whichever entrée you order, you receive good value for your money: the most expensive entrée (excluding the market-priced catch of the day) is the churrasco nica at $9.25, and the lomo de cerdo asado costs only $6.25.

The dining space is small and spare, but attractive — and not only compared to the rest of its rather dowdy block. The single dining room seats maybe two dozen. The walls are a very light blue, decorated with brightly colored paintings. (There are two paintings inside the single restroom that made me laugh out loud. I won't ruin the surprise, but even if it's only to wash your hands, you must visit the restroom.) There's a bar at the back of the dining room, though Fritanga doesn't yet have a liquor license. If iced tea or soda bore you, try one of the refrescos; on my visits flavors included tamarind, barley, and pineapple and rice.

On both my visits, Hidalgo himself was the lone server. Even when there were only a few tables occupied, he was quite busy, and the kitchen certainly couldn't send out food at the clip of a high-volume joint, but my overall experience at Fritanga was excellent. Hidalgo made sure to let us know our food was coming soon, and once the dishes arrived, he checked in often to see how we were doing and, in the case of the carne desmenuzada and the pico de gallo, to offer a little extra seasoning. Ask him about plantains, and you might leave with a recipe, too.