Taste authentic Puerto Rico at Mojito Cafe

By Tammy Jaxtheimer

Restaurant critic

A parallel to the adage "When you see Chinese people in a Chinese restaurant, then you know it must be good and authentic" recently led me to a new find.

A friend of Puerto Rican heritage told me how she and her husband were early for reservations at an Oceanfront restaurant and decided to check out a new place at Pacific Avenue and 28th Street. After sharing a few appetizers at Mojito Cafe, they wished they could have stayed for more.

Edwin Padilla, known better as "Tito," opened Mojito Cafe with his wife, Michelle, in February. Tito grew up in the Bronx with his Puerto Rican parents. Locally he worked at The Founders Inn in Virginia Beach and most recently was the chef at Shula's 347 in Norfolk.

The Padillas have created a casual and quaint cafe with 32 seats, including six at the bar. Palm tree pictures and reggae music create an island mentality. On the night we visited, it was hot outside, making it difficult for the air conditioning to keep up. It reminded me of the many eateries I sought out on my visits to Puerto Rico.

When we were told that the gazpacho and chalkboard addition, cherrystone clams, were sold out, we opted for maduros ($3), ripe plantains with garlic dipping sauce and empanadas ($2.50 for 1, $6 for 3), Hispanic-style turnovers with tomato sauce.

The plantain ovals with a blended "garlic mojo" were sweet and savory.

Beef, chorizo, and cheese and olive were the empanada fillings offered. We chose one of each. The flaky pastry pockets were excellent, with the resounding favorite being chorizo. My guest said she would not order olive again, but I relished the piquant vegetarian treat.

The "tomato sauce" deserved a more regal name, with its fresh, finely chopped tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions. In my follow-up phone call, I learned that espagnole, a "mother sauce," contributes to the complexity and richness of the sauce.

When our attentive, yet unobtrusive server went to clear our appetizer plates, I held on to the sauces because they were so good.

Our server was refreshing, just like the mojitos he expertly prepared when he pulled double duty at the bar. He was friendly, knowledgeable and genuinely interested in our dining pleasure.

Marinated seared skirt steak, churrasco con chimichurri ($15), was prepared to a tender and toothsome medium rare. Fresh cilantro chimichurri sauce was well balanced and appealing. Accompanying black beans, rice and crisp asparagus spears completed the classic Latin creation.

Camarones al ajillo ($15), shrimp with garlic, lime juice and fresh cilantro - also served with rice, beans and asparagus - was a rousing rendition.

Being a green plantain fan, I'm taken in by straight tostones and mofongo, smashed tostones with fresh garlic and olive oil. You can have a mound of mofongo for $6 or you can add chicken, shrimp, beef or pork for an additional $4-$6. Roast pork mofongo ($10), not suitable for the garlic phobic, was a burst of flavors and textures. I can't wait to return for the pork sandwich served on Cuban sandwich bread.

When I overheard that tres leche ($6) was offered as dessert, I made sure that our server saved a piece for us just in case they were running short.

Based on the fabulous cooking we had already eaten, we expected a made-from-scratch cake. We were taken aback by the familiar box cake flavor. Although likely to please many, it did not reach the level we were expecting. I look forward to trying their flan on my next visit - which will be soon, and repeated often.

Tammy Jaxtheimer, flavor@pilotonline.com