Two Beans for Central City's Maïs Arepas; Kebab On St. Claude Is Simplicity At Its Best

This week Brett Anderson awards Central City arepas hotspot Maïs Arepas with two beans.  David Mantilla's restaurant "does for the food of Colombia what the latest generation of New Orleans Mexican and Vietnamese restaurants do for the cooking of their respective countries. It faithfully represents authentic recipes, but with a presentational polish that registers as modern to American eyes and palates." While Anderson digs some of the arepas, his top menu picks include the ajiaco (potato soup), empanadas, and Bandeja paisa, "namely chicharron and grilled skirt steak... with rice around a healthy portion of cranberry beans stewed with pork belly. Finished with a fried egg, these are the beans I now crave when it isn't Monday." [NOLA.com]

Sarah Baird heads to St. Claude's new doner hotness Kebab, finding an impressive homegrown affair (that's currently BYOB) where simplicity proves successful: "Three sandwiches — a doner kebab, gyro and falafel — anchor the menu," but "a range of specials... including a supple, earthy lamb sandwich and a plump link of juicy sausage made in-house - is consistently rotating, and leave one hoping the items find a more permanent place on the menu." [Gambit]

Brasted

[Photo: Brasted]