Cheeky "Chico" Hits Its Mark
Chico and the Don’s Visual and culinary Flair
Instagram algorithms do a nice job sometimes by showing me the unusual and eclectic in many of my arena interests. Recently, it introduced to me a restaurant called @chicaandthedon a very energetically colorful decor, both that were vividly inviting.
Upon checking out the restaurant’s eclectic menu on their website, I was immediately interested in both their offerings of a *chicharron* eggs Benedict and a tres leches French toast with flambéed *machuros (plantains)*.
I ordered the chicharron Benedict, which was very good. The chicharron were properly crispy and infused with luscious rendered pork fat, and are served on *arepas*—taking the place of English muffin—and and topped with eggs and a lovely *sofrito* hollandaise.
The eggs are cooked *sous vide* which make for a softer, also slightly runny egg white. Although the menu plainly states the sour vide egg preparation, I clearly forgot it and discovered that I prefer the firmly set white and runny yolk of a poached egg. I left the eggs but devoured everything else on the plate. (You can order the dish with poached eggs, which the kitchen is prepped to also do.)
Maybe this was a good omen though, as skipping the eggs left me enough room to try at least a couple of bites of the tres leches French toast, which I ordered as well. And, as well, it was deftly executed, decadently rich and flavorful, and expertly tempered, avoiding the cloying sweetness of many French toast dishes, instead letting the slice spice in the tres leche and the natural, savory sweetness of the plantains be the most flavor-forward.
With the successful execution of these two dishes—complimented by very personable and competent floor service and the visually vibrant restaurant setting—I am guaranteed to return to Chico & the Don to try their other uniquely ideated menu options, such as a fried chicken *jibarito* and *mangu* chilequiles.
The neighborhoods that I grew up in had strong Latin community populations and influences, so it is always a real treat to enjoy these passion-infused flavors and dishes again, as I did at Chico & the Don.
