The eatery honors conventional meals from across Latin America, by having an emphasis on Venezuelan food
The outside of Maize Picture: Hailey Bollinger
Maize, a fresh Over-the-Rhine eatery which launched during the early July, focuses on an unique fusion menu that honors old-fashioned meals from across Latin America, by having an emphasis on Venezuelan cuisine.
“It’s difficult to find genuine meals which actually originated in (Latin America) and therefore be2 international are being served the way in which it is said to be and honored just how it must be, ” says Maize co-owner Louisa Reckman. She’s experienced the restaurant company for longer than 14 years, lately given that owner of Queen City broadcast. “I don’t think you can find many restaurants that do that in Cincinnati, and I also believe that was lacking — specially Venezuelan and Puerto Rican (offerings). ”
Fellow co-owner Angel Batista is just an indigenous of Puerto Rico and, inside the first foray to the restaurant company, is adamant about maintaining tradition. He was raised surrounded by various cooking impacts, including fare that is venezuelan. (Puerto Rico is due north of Venezuela, divided by the Caribbean Sea. )
“We do this by actually maintaining these meals, the actual authenticity brought away through the use of a base of tradition, ” he says. “The plating and means we’re bringing things to the dining table, all things are really old-fashioned, maybe not prepared. ”
The restaurant took its title from maize, a corn flour dating back to some 10,000 years and very very first used by indigenous Mexicans. The flour functions as the foundation for the arepas, cachapas and empanadas served at Maize, as well as, Batista discusses the material given that starting place for the restaurant’s whole concept. He calls it Maize’s “delivery system, ” acting being an access point when it comes to rich realm of Latin cuisine that is american. Reina pepiada arepa Picture: Hailey Bollinger
To this end, the menu is colorful and diverse, with meals from throughout the area that complement the other person while keeping their conventional origins. Batista rattles off the geographically-assorted origins of these meals while the Peruvian ceviche, Mexican road corn and Venezuelan cachapas and asado negro.
“There’s plenty of work that went into this notion, ” he says. “How do we bridge what to make someone when it comes to very first time trying things comfortable, and exactly how do we also keep consitently the old-fashioned aspect that after a Peruvian walks in, they feel just like we did justice for their meals and their traditions? ”
A lot of that stuff is straight from my mother, ” Batista says), Maize utilizes high-quality ingredients in addition to adhering to tried-and-true recipes (“From the beans to the pork to the chicken to the chicharrones. They source their meat from Eckerlin in Findlay marketplace and their produce arises from Lasita Joe & Sons, Inc. On Fourth Street. Maize’s administrator cook, Curtis McGlone, brings his or her own understanding as well, after stints during the Italian-Argentinian Alfio’s Buon Cibo and Southern Hotel that is contemporary Covington.
We stopped by on a Tuesday evening having an 8 p.m. Booking, that we to start with idea ended up being just a formality, nevertheless when We stepped within the buzzing restaurant on Race and 14th roads, I happened to be happy I experienced called ahead.
The bright blue accents associated with the restaurant lend to your vibe that is tropical because do the great number of rum choices regarding the beverage menu. The Tembleque cocktail — an homage to a traditional Puerto Rican pudding dessert with more than 30 rums in house, Batista and Reckman believe the spirit will be the next bourbon in terms of popularity and w. Picture: Hailey Bollinger
We ordered the Tembleque cocktail to start out, an homage up to a old-fashioned puerto rican pudding dessert. Bacardi black colored rum, Don Q, coconut milk, vanilla, egg, cinnamon and bitters create a completely sweet sipping cocktail that reminded me personally of eggnog, into the way that is best feasible.
For appetizers, my buddy ordered the ceviche ($9) and, on our server’s recommendation, we attempted the guasacaca gruesa ($8), that will be a chunky avocado that is venezuelan, much like guacamole, but ready with olive brine for ac Ceviche and mariquitas, or plantain chips Photo: Hailey Bollinger
We munched on airy yuca fries ($4), too — yuca is just a potato-like tuber, with additional inherent taste much less shame.
Enable me, quickly, to exalt the ceviche: it had been perfect. Sharp, bright, tangy, fresh; it tasted such as the ocean — as Batista claims it must. The mahi, snapper and shrimp had been plump and plentiful and also the diced mango and serrano pepper (tossed in following the acidity for the lime cures the seafood) had been complementary pops of taste.
In the bottom for the cup lingered the leche de tigre, or “tiger milk, ” which you yourself can drink out of the container. Batista and Reckman both say the tiger milk is recognized as an aphrodisiac. (we refrained from drinking it, therefore I can’t attest to the, but inform us. )
For my primary meal, we ordered the reina pepiada arepa ($9), filled with avocado chicken salad, red onion slivers, queso de mano (think mozzarella but saltier) and cilantro. It had been filling and very, good. Empanadas and conventional cachapas that is venezuelan a sweet corn pancake, can also be found.
In addition tried the ensalada jardinera — romaine with grape tomatoes, fire-roasted corn, queso fresco, carrots and serrano peppers — which ended up being good, but definitely needed the kick through the crema de cilantro dressing offered from the s Asado negro de costilla de res picture: Hailey Bollinger
My mate ordered the asado negro de costilla de res ($22), that has been just beautiful. A real fusion meal, it is a normal Venezuelan braised brief rib having a panela base (raw sugar that whenever caramelized has a normal barbecue taste), served together with Puerto Rican mofongo (plantains, sofritos and veggie broth, mashed and seasoned) with treasure carrots and a sorghum foam.
The original meals hitched to presentation that is authentic well-received by this diner, and Batista hopes every person comes away with that feeling. Other restaurants within the town have opened the entranceway to attempting brand brand new cuisine they want to open it even further— he and Reckman mention Salazar, Abigail Street and Please, among others — and.
“We aren’t available to you changes that are making meals and recipe to ensure that that it is OK and accepted by somebody, ” says Batista. “We’re attempting to make sure there’s a connection. It’s more info on providing that meals the respect it deserves. ”
The group at Maize even offers intends to roll down lunch and brunch quickly.
