Cuban at Coppelia

I had the chance to dine at Coppelia tonight with a group of great friends, old and new. This is an easy to find restaurant on W 14th St with its yellow and blue neon sign. The interior is charming, “done up in sun-faded pastel hues, with blue and white tiles on the floor, a sea-foam pressed ceiling and lovely teal shutters along the west wall that evoke images of old Havana.” There were also colorful artwork tiles in translucent light bordering the restaurant:

We were seated in a cozy booth. First thing, I had to try the Dulce de Leche milkshake.  It was quite good but a little bit too liquidy (I prefer thicker shakes) but I loved the taste of sweet caramel. So, we decided to order family style so that we could try a little bit of everything.

We started off with the following appetizers: Empanadas- beef, chicken, oxtail; yellow plantains; chips and guacamole, and mac and cheese with crispy pork belly and chicharron. All the starters were flavorful and delicious but the mac and cheese was the best out of all of them. The pork belly was perfectly crispy and there was just the right amount of cheese, garlic and seasoning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onto the main courses, of which we ordered an abundance. There was the special grilled pork chop with spicy sauce, spinach and tomatoes. We also had the classic ropa vieja which is slow-cooked beef in tomato salsa, peppers and chiles. This was decent, full of flavor.

Another dish was baby back ribs in a Mexican chocolate glaze and chipotle-cotija corn on the cob. The ribs were tender and wonderful, but I couldn’t detect the chocolate flavoring. I tried a bit of the corn- It wasn’t one of the highlights.

These were my favorites: Salmon (per my suggestion) in a puree with tomatilla salad and orange sauce. The salmon itself was divine- flaking beautifully and cooked just the right amount.  Saving one of my favorites for last was lomo saltado, which is Peruvian stir-fry of beef short ribs, red onions, tomatoes, french fries and light soy ginger, along with rice. This dish was a gorgeous display of bright colors, great flavors mingling together and you could even taste the freshness of the meat & vegetables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a treat to eat here, and I would definitely come back- Perhaps to try one of their desserts. We were all too full to order this time around. The prices were reasonable, and it is definitely best to share the meal as you will get more for your buck. Service was decent, though they cleared the table too fast and we were not finished with all the dishes.

The very cool thing about Coppelia: It is open 24/7 and breakfast is served all day, so if you’re craving some omelets, eggs, steak, pancakes, or waffles  in the wee hours after clubbing, this is a great spot!

 
Address: 207 W 14th St.