| Latino Legacy |
| Written by Phil Jarrett |
| Thursday, 25 June 2009 18:02 |
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In a not-so-distant past, Victor Alfaro supervised pill production at a pharmaceutical plant in New Jersey. His pupsas, (a biscuit-like flat bread stuffed with beans, cheese and meats) now peddled as “the best of Omaha,” were but a twinkle in his eye. And they still are. With no recipes, no official measurements, Victor’s pupsas are like his restaurant, the strategically named Latino Restaurant. They are artfully improvised, moving from Central American traditional to the stuff tradition is made of; all while avoiding the U.S. tendency to think good Latino cuisine only goes as far south as Mexico. For starters, the chips (free, thank heavens) are a standard fare, but the two dips are enough to make anyone ask for another basket. The first, a tomatilla dip, brings a sophisticated level of spiciness that tends more toward flavorful than painful. The second, and far superior of the two, is a creamy black bean concoction that will not last long on the table. Like all good secrets, Latino Restaurant’s culinary brilliance is well hidden. A double-parked minivan could hide the storefront. The simple interior has the feel of an office place, albeit one with a dance floor and a posted 54-person maximum occupancy notice, that seems too generous. The walls have an assortment of dated posters and knick-knacks from El Salvador, as well as a long string of flags from Central and South America, all defying the restaurant aesthetic. But that authenticity is made more apparent when the food arrives. Take one sip of the Latino Restaurant’s signature drinks and you can taste where the interior designer’s paycheck went: fresh ingredients. Order the Batio de Papaya (Papaya Milk Shake, $2.99) as a warm up or desert. Rich and creamy with a touch of cinnamon, it puts the American fare to shame. On the lighter side, juice blends such as the Orange and Carrot ($3.50) carry the distinctive tang that packaging kills, a flavor that has Victor making daily journeys to the produce aisle. “If you want to impress people, you must have fresh ingredients,” Alfaro insisted. “Very natural.” Of course, Latino Restaurant is finding other ways of wooing customers. For starters, there is the traditional Salvadorian fare such as the Carneguisada ($10.99), a tender beef dish, served with a savory sauce and carrots. On the side are rice with fresh cilantro and a salad topped with a tasty Peruvian mustard dressing that is easy on the tongue but passes the back of the throat with a sharp farewell. Originally from El Salvador, Victor began cooking at age 10 as a result of being one of seven boys with no sisters to learn his mother’s trade: pupsas sold out of their home — and they were the envy of the neighborhood. Yet Alfaro is not limiting himself to the El Salvador crowd exclusively. With traditional dishes from Columbia, Spain, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and, yes, even Mexico — Latino Restaurant draws diners from all over. “I see a dish anywhere and I go home to see if I can make it myself,” Alfaro said. It is this final trademark that makes Latino Restaurant what it is, an extension of Victor’s spontaneity. Dishes such as the Espaguetis con Camarónas (shrimp with mixed spaghettis, $11.99) defy classification, a mild combination of a host of flavors that could please any well-traveled palette. Perhaps it is the same fusion of madness, talent and energy in the dishes that could drive a man to leave an unsatisfying long-term job in the middle of a recession, to open a restaurant 1,262 miles away. Somehow it works. And the pupsas are to die for. “Even my brother told me ‘You’re crazy,’” Alfaro said. “They know now they are wrong. My brother drives across the country here for my food.” , Latino Restaurant, 10841 Q St., is open Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Call 592.2770 for more information. |