My week of good food continued last night at Barrio with my stepdad, John. As I mentioned, John was in the ‘hood for business and very generously offered to take me out for dinner. I picked a spot right here in the Slope that I’ve walked by many times but have never experienced first-hand.
Barrio is sort of a Latin-fusion restaurant with festive music, bright colors, and exciting wall murals:
We sat at a table by the window, and if it had been a bit warmer, we could have opened the window right out to the sidewalk. Perfect for people-watching. The chips came immediately with two salsas. I was hungry, so this was a very exciting development.
The red salsa was my favorite because it was sweet. Maybe they used peppadew? Or maybe I just like to say/write peppadew …
Anyway, we housed those chips and got a second basket (of which we ate a significant portion as well, minus the leftovers that I took home). The second basket came along with some freshly mashed, chunky guacamole, on the house. It’s hard to beat free and fresh guacamole.
I also ordered one of the specialty cocktails — a “perfecto nestorindo” — because it had agave, fresh mango, and pineapple, and I’m a sucker for drinks with fresh fruit!
It was good, but it kind of tasted just like a regular old margarita. I should have gotten the strawberry mojito. Next time!
John and I split the sweet plantain and black bean empanadas (lightly fried with Oaxaca cheese and tomatillo salsa) for an appetizer. Obviously, any dish that contains sweet plantains and black beans is a given!
They were delicious, but I don’t think I need to tell you that.
I threw a little guac on top for fun. As I remarked to John, any time I can get sweet plantains, black beans, and avocado in the same bite, I’m a happy camper.
For his main dish, John ordered el plato del dia: sauteed shrimp enchilada with cilantro jalapeno pickled onion salad and achiote salsa, queso fresco, and crema nata.
I had a bite and it was delicious — that red salsa again!! Check out the beautiful ribbons of salsa and crema:
I went for the Yucatan shrimp with cilantro and jalapeno marinade, calamari coconut rice, and pickled onions:
A little spicy, very cilantro-y, and very fresh! The shrimp was perfectly charred:
And that coconut calamari rice! I tend to avoid white rice since it’s so nutritionally useless (it’s actually one thing that I feel ok letting go in the trash can, gasp!), but this rice was amaaaaaazing with the hint of coconut and the rings of calamari. I ate every single bite.
John and I decided we had room for dessert (because dessert goes to a different stomach, obviously). The waitress recommended the chocolate-crusted coconut cheesecake. Doesn’t that sound brilliant? But, cheesecake struck me as a little bit too heavy after the loaded meal, plus we were in the mood for something more “authentic.” Being that I’m on vacation and all, we chose the Borracho Tres Leches cake (fyi, borracho = drunk) with anejo tequila salsa and whipped “crema.” (I love how they just threw random Spanish words all over the menu.) The whipped crema turned out to be the leaning tower of crema. We watched it topple, and now you can, too:
Once the crema had settled on the side of the plate, I smushed it all back on top of the cake and cut it in half. John got me a spoon at the end so I could Olympic all the extra milk out of its misery. Finding a home for every last crumb applies to drips, too, you see.
So, it was a lovely meal that involved all of my favorite Latin food components and excellent company. I left stuffed, but not painfully so … which is a big accomplishment for me 😀 Thank you, John! (And mom, we were thinking of you the whole meal and ate extra in your honor. Wish you could have been there!)
What is your favorite Spanish/Mexican/Latin food item?
P.S. I completely forgot to add, look what came with the bill!
Mexican “gelt”! It was good chocolate, too 🙂
Tales of Expansion: Baby Butternut Edition 
YUMMM, I’ve wanted to try tres leches cake FOREVER. Your pictures of it make me infinitely jealous.
Um, I’d probably have to name the sweet foods as my favorites.. churros, polvoron cookies, pan dulce, and cajeta syrup. 🙂
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Any restaurant that gives FREE guacamole is good in my book! Guac is probably one of my favorite things, as well as a good Oaxacan mole 🙂
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Ahh, the entrees and dessert look great but I would have been happy as a clam with just the cocktail, chips, and guac! YUMMM.
Besides chips and salsa, I love anything with shrimp tacos in Mexican food…tacos, burritos, etc. 🙂
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Wow. Those empenadas and tres leches cake look wonderful!
I love Mexican food. I especially love fajitas and tacos (authentic tacos). Homemade corn tortillas are especially good. And Mexicans definitely know their sweets!
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That empanada with black beans sounds delicious! My favorite dishes are chicken tamales or quesadillas. I have a weakness for guacamole too!
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I’ve heard of this restaurant! I guess now I’ll have to go 🙂
Free guac?! Can’t beat that! I LOVE burritos. I can live on them for the rest of my life.
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Sarah,
Nice shots of the leaning tower of crema! I really enjoyed the great food and of course your sparkling company.
I’m looking forward to my next opportunity to work in the city so we can dine out yet again!
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everything there looks so beautiful! glad you had a good time 🙂
i love good guacamole
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I am so jealous of everything you just ate. And drank for that matter 🙂 Peppadew is fun to say!!!! Every time I read it – I say it in my head with a funny inflection and it makes me laugh. I’m easily amused 🙂
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Yum. I love it all! I think the guac looks especially delicious!
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i love all the food there, i would literally die!!! (well if i ate the coconut rice, i would die.. but thats another story for another day!) but everything looks fantastic!
i love classic dominican rice and beans.. empanadas.. pork.. spanish meats… OMG, just sit me in a spanish resturant and I could absolutely live there
can you tell im obsessed?
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holy moly!! All that food looks sooooooooo good!! What a great looking place to eat!
oh those empanadas look sooo freakin good! And the Yucatan shrimp? yum!
I am getting hungry looking at this! And of course dessert goes to the other tummy! haha
I don’t know what my fave spanish/latin food is but I think the pictures above could qualify!
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your dinner looks delicious! can you believe i’ve never had guac before?!
Good call with going for the authentic dessert. I always try to do that at ethnic restaurants!
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black beans! No, guac! haha it’s all too gooood, that restaurant sounds soo amazing. I think if u live in a place with lots o’ latin culture- like Southern CA, Miama, TX, NY, you are SO spoiled with authentic cuisine! haha and to think I used to have taco bell like, every day in high school 😀
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Mmm it looks like such a delicious dinner! I’m not adventurous when it comes to Spanish/Latin/Mexican cuisine, so my absolute favorite things are margaritas and chips and salsa! Bahaha 🙂
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I’ve had a pretty limited experience with Mexican food, sticking with the lovely Q’doba and not venturing towards the gourmet options that you have here. I could eat Amy’s burritos for the rest of my life and could easily polish off a can of vegetarian refried beans in under 5 minutes. I love salty and delicious food!
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OOOOH jeebus, that is a meal worth dying for. Or expanding for. I am in wholehearted agreement that avocado, black beans and plantains should be in as many bites as humanly possible. Peppadew-it-to-it.
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hhahah yes!!! Dessert goes into a separate stomach! hahah 🙂
You take the most fabulous pictures ever!! That guac looks like it belongs in my tummy. yum!!! And your drink definitely sounds like a tropical paradise.
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All looks amazing, especially the guac
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Guacamole is my fave. Or just plain ‘aguacates.’ Yes, that = avocado. I am a Spanish major and I LOVE to use that word.
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Any restaurant with free guacomole is a place I need to try! Let’s make a Brooklyn girls trip there (if it’s not to expensive)!
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