Big Cuban Love from a Little Kitchen

Published on Friday, January 15, 2010, by Mark Hokoda / Edit Post

Pilar in Brooklyn is a Chowhound love story, a four-month-old mom-and-pop kitchen that's turning out pure Cuban soul, says Daniel76. Vaca frita (braised skirt steak, shredded and fried with onion, garlic, and lime) is amazing. Pernil (marinated roast pork) is "off the hook," tasty and tender, no knife required. It's served most of the week, but much of the menu is specials and soups that change daily.

If there is caldo gallego on offer, get it. This is a deeply flavorful white bean stew with great smoky chorizo that's made in-house, like everything here, Daniel76 says, including empanada dough, pie dough, soups, and desserts. Those empanadas are also worth checking out, by the way, especially the ones filled with tender smoked beef short rib. So are those desserts: Try the passion fruit flan or guava and cream cheese pie.

lambretta76 loves Key West conch chowder and garbanzo frito (chickpeas with smoked chorizo and ham), and declares the Cubano the best he's had in New York, better than the ones at El Sitio in Queens (which has been up, down, and recently up again).

"This is a true labor of love," sums up Daniel, "knocking out some of the best Cuban food I have had."

Pilar [Clinton Hill]
393 Classon Avenue (between Greene Avenue and Clinton Place), Brooklyn
718-623-2822

Discuss: Pilar Cuban Eatery in Brooklyn

ALLNew York City Digest
POST A COMMENT |1 Comment

COMMENT

  • Well, just after reading this, being a G rider, I rode on down to Pilar for lunch today, ready for all the promised goodness. As it stands I don't plan on any return in the near future.
    Started with un cortado, a short espresso with what the owner said was just a bit of milk, he then apologized as he filled up the entire cup which was now essentially a latte, he oversteamed the milk and it had...+READ

    Well, just after reading this, being a G rider, I rode on down to Pilar for lunch today, ready for all the promised goodness. As it stands I don't plan on any return in the near future.
    Started with un cortado, a short espresso with what the owner said was just a bit of milk, he then apologized as he filled up the entire cup which was now essentially a latte, he oversteamed the milk and it had that slightly burnt taste.
    Then I tried the shortrib empanada. It was big, was a lovely corn shell, not crimped at all, but shaped more likea football, my first bites were delicious, the smokiness of the meat had permeated the corn meal which was great and very good! Then... an ice cold center, yikes, this was after I was told they are fried to order, so I waited approx ten minutes for it to arrive, and then it was cold. He apologized saying the temp on the oil was to high, which made sense, the outside color changed rapidly indicating it was done, but in fact was underdone on the inside. once reheated, in an oven thankfully and not microwave, which I didn't see any ways, it was great!! and didn't even need the bbq sauce provided on the side. But strangely in attempt to apologize again, after already providing a very reasonable explaination, upon bringing over the re-heated emp, he said they were very short staffed today, I was just like huh? it's a small kitchen, how many more people did the need or could fit in there any ways, which "you" might be thinking, it's my first time there, I don't work there and what does it matter to me, but I couldn't imagine how another person would have affected whether my emp was cooked properly or not, when I was the only person there during the hour I spent, except for one guy who had a takeout sandwhich. There were 3 people in the kitchen as it were.
    Hard pressed to say any empanada is worth 5 bucks, not because it isn't awesome, (even the more traditional crimped edged emp's were 4.50), but not terribly filling, a great walk in snack, but if you were told that you'd spend ten bucks for two empanadas you'd have bit of sticker shock I think. Now, onto the holy grail of Spanish, and obviously in this case Cuban cuisine: Pernil... ! The plate arrived, a solid portion of roasted pork arrived with a pile of white rice ( cubans from what I've seen, tend to eat more white rice than typical spanish yellow rice) a side of black beans and plantains.
    This unfortunately did not deliver anything special at all. It was good, and well portioned for 9.75, and I will say while many of us are accustomed to heaping amounts of food from the Cibao sort of Dominican joints, I often over eat just for that same reason, so I have nothing to complain about in terms of the portion. though leftovers are great too, so perhaps I have a mixed opinion.. Back to the plate. The pork was uneventful, none of the cripy bits and pieces of rendered fat I'd usually expect, and it is a stretch to think the pernil would be fresh everyday..? Does it seem that even the El Cibao places, like Nuevo Portal in my hood on Smith st, make pernil everyday..? Maybe higher volume and regulars allow for that. As well, some parts ( two or 3 chunks,) were just out and and out dry.
    A worse crime, both the meat and my side of beans were luke warm at best. At this point I debated quickly in my mind whether to get it reheated or overheated, or dried out in the case of the meat, and decided to take it as it was. The plantains were good, and were much needed to round out a flavor profile.
    Overall, this just seems to be a case with Chow'ers falling in love with a cute space in an ermerging nabe where good people, with good intentions are just doing something that is just okay. Maybe we all over-analyze and get too hyped up from reviews, but then again the one emp, pernil and one poland springs for $18.75, it should be better than than it was for sure!-COLLAPSE