Hungry Posted NYC: Pilar

What to expect: If you know anything about Cuban cuisine, you know that Miami is the best place to get it. Most sit-down restaurants in New York that “claim” to be Cuban have tacos and/or tortilla Español on their menu. This is a big no-no in our book and Ricardo Barreras, the chef, and owner of Pilar in Brooklyn couldn’t agree more. Ricardo gets it, he understands that the lack of good Cuban food in New York is scarce. So, moral of the story: when you find a spot that takes you to Miami, that pays homage to classic Cuban dishes (some with a twist), you hold on to it for dear life.

The Menu:
We can all agree that some of the best Cuban food will always come from Abuela’s kitchen and this is what the menu at Pilar feels and tastes like. We stepped in to check out the dinner menu, but rest assured we’ll be back for brunch. Chef Ricardo’s has conceptualized a modern menu that covers classics like Mariquitas with cilantro sauce, pan con bistec, picadillo and ropa vieja.  Our favorite part of the menu is the last page where he explains the history of the most sought ingredients in Cuban cooking.

Here are our favorite dishes of the night:

On the happy hour menu, we went for croqueta sliders with avocado, pickled onions, and thinly sliced avocado. The croquetas are Hand-rolled and come two per order. One was bacalao (cod) and other was smoked ham.

The Cuban Nachos aren’t what you think, no tortilla chips here. They are Plantain chips with black beans, pickled onion, cilantro & red pepper sauce with your choice of roast pork or avocado (or both).

Tamal with pernil (not on the dinner menu but they have it) in a mojo-marinade.

Pressed Cuban Sandwich with Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard on Cuban bread. That’s real Cuban bread that Chef Ricardo brings back from Miami.

Vaca Frita with shredded skirt steak seared with onions, garlic, lime juice served with rice, black beans, maduros and a side of avocado.

For dessert, we didn’t shy away from the creamy Guava Cheesecake that was on the menu.

Coming soon: If you love Cuban pastries, coffee, and bread, Chef Ricardo is opening up a Cuban bakery just one door down from the restaurant. We’ll be back so stay tuned!

For reservations: Walk-ins are welcomed however call ahead if you want to book for a larger party 718-623-2822.