July 24th, 2006
Orinoco
On Friday night, Ariel and I met in Downtown Crossing and began our trek to Orinoco, the South End's hot-shot Venezuelan restaurant, which as I mentioned previously, has been written up in the New York Times, Improper Bostonian, etc., etc.
Fast forward 45min. later: Ariel and I are drenched, darting from doorway to doorway in the South End, after a series of flash thunderstorms and some very loud, seemingly very close, cracks of lightning. I was terrified our quest for a flaky fried empanada would end with both of us equally crispy.
Around 6pm, we arrived at Orinoco, which was unsurprisingly, nearly completely empty. A tatooed waitress quickly seated us at the window table and while Ariel retreated to the restroom to wring out her skirt, I perused the menu. Orinoco models itself after the traditional Venezuelan "taguarita", a small road-side cafe/restaurant, and I was looking forward to sampling something beyond the normal rice, beans, and plantains that I tend to associate with all South American menus. After agreeing to split a Palmito salad, we both chose main dishes purported to be national specialties.
Then, I made a grave error. I had purchased a bottle of Diet Coke earlier and as I was very thirsty and we had not yet been served any water, I casually removed it from my bag and took a small swig. I didn't, mind you, set the bottle on the table or make any other motion to indicate that I would continue drinking my outside beverage for the remainder of the meal. In a flash, the manager approached and said, in one of the more patronizing tones I've ever heard, "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to put that away. We don't allow that." I acquiesced as he continued to don a saccharine smile that was anything but sincere. The restaurant's policy was understandable; the manner in which it was communicated was unacceptable, for needless to say, no one needs to be scolded like a small child when she is about to spend a considerable amount of money on a meal.
From that point, things just became more confusing. Ariel ordered a cup of English breakfast tea, and because there wasn't any, the waitress assumed she'd like Earl Gray, which Ariel actually vigorously hates. Thus, she was compelled to apologize for her aversion to Earl Gray and ask if they had any other tea, another awkward moment which could have been avoided had the waitress simply given us a full run-down of all the available options when Ariel made the initial order.
We didn't wait long for our food, although I'm not sure this is deserving of particular commendation because there were so few patrons and most of the staff were literally standing around. The Palmito salad was fantastic: greens with endives in a light vinaigrette and a smattering of bacon-wrapped dates, which exploded in my mouth with salty-sweetness that livened up the bitter greens.
And then more confusion. I was and still am fairly certain I ordered the Polvorosa de Pollo ($13), chicken wrapped in a flaky dough served with mixed greens, but the waitress served me the Pabellon Criollo ($13). I resisted the urge to wail, "But, but…I wanted the chicken in dough thing!" and dug in to the shredded beef with white rice, black beans, and plantains. In the end, it was probably no loss on my part, for the Pabellon Criollo was very good. The sticky, buttery plantains and the spiced beef made up for the bland beans and rice, which looked and tasted far from fresh. Paltry portions did leave me satisfied, if only because I had cosumed such dense carbohydrates, but I questioned whether the unimaginative pairings were worth 13 dollars.
Aside those few dining snafus, I was relatively pleased with my meal at Orinoco. I wouldn't, however, say I was impressed, nor would I sing its praises to my friends, or say, millions of readers as did the Times. Diners should stick to the salads and arepas (corn pocket sandwiches) and shun the overpriced, underwhelming mains. And, of course, ditch that bottle of Diet Coke before you sit down, lest you too receive an unappetizing lecture.
The Info
Orinoco
277 Shawmut Ave., Boston
www.orinocokitchen.com