The Other Critics

Patti U. Swoons Over the Arepas at Mr. Pollo, Doesn’t Love the Dinner

Though she’s a little nonplussed by the “eccentric, proudly unprofessional” nature of the prix fixe, BYOB dinners that Manny Torres Gimenez is doing at Mr. Pollo, Patricia Unterman’s a sucker for the goat arepa. “It was golden and crunchy/chewy on the outside with a steaming, creamy interior filled with a juicy mix of toothsome grilled goat, peppers and onions, avocado, white cheese and a vinegary cilantro and chile salsa. The texture of the corn cake, simultaneously resistant and crisp, and the vibrant, herby succulence of the filling, kept my mouth enthralled to the very last messy crumb.” A chicken arepa, which she had along with her dinner, was even better, she says. Mostly, though, we love the image of Patti lining up with the Mission hipsters for a seat in this hole in the wall, “with two bottles of wine in my nerdy plastic carrier.” You go, Patti. From the sound of the three-hour dining experience, she drank both. [Examiner]

Patti U. Swoons Over the Arepas at Mr. Pollo, Doesn’t Love the Dinner