La Caraquena

Let me begin by saying that La Caraquena is, essentially, food truck food in a sit-down setting. No veggies really, lots of fried stuff, carbs and meats. That said, it is GLORIOUS AND AMAZING food truck food.

We started with an order of fried yucca, which came paired with a mayo dipping sauce, some pico, and some hot salsa verde. The yucca were perfect--crispy on the outside, not too greasy, really well-seasoned and flavorful. As P said, "if Super Pollo's yucca is a big mac, this is Ray's Hell-burger!"

We next shared two arepas--one we ordered fried with scrambled eggs, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers. The first bite was kind of underwhelming, but after that it was somehow amazing! Moist, fluffy eggs, again well-seasoned, on a crispy, dense corn cake. The other arepa, the was J.P.'s favorite, which we ordered grilled (although honestly, I couldn't tell the difference in the preparation). Holy delicious beef. This was clearly a really cheap cut of meat, but it was so flavorful you almost didn't mind the extra chewing it took. It must have been marinated in garlic for like, a year. You must get this if you go.

Finally, we shared a shredded beef bowl, the one with the fried egg. This beef was much higher quality and had a little kick...it actually reminded me of a Venezuelan equivalent of bi bim bop. My only gripe was that the yolk was a little over-cooked (although still a little oozy).

Other surprises: the wines were GREAT! With a very short list and weird, novice-type descriptions, we didn't expect much, but both of our glasses were really phenomenal. Especially at $7 a glass. Also, the owner was there and chatted us up for a bit. Not only was he very friendly, he actually offered to turn down the A/C when he saw I had put a sweater on. Observant and a total doll.

Don't let the motel parking lot scare you. Your bravery will be well-rewarded! (x-posted to yelp.com)