Arepas Cafe opens in North Merrick

What’s a fan of Venezuelan arepas to do? Well, rejoice, at least these days. 2021 saw the arrival of not one but two Island areperias — Ceci’s Arepa Joint in East Meadow in March, and North Merrick’s Arepas Cafe in November. The latter represents an expansion for the folks behind a Queens eatery that’s been satisfying Astoria arepa fans since 2007, and a cursory sample of the menu left me wishing they’d come sooner.

For those who aren’t familiar, arepas are thick, griddle-fried corn cakes filled with various and sundry meats, cheese and more, and of the two dozen-plus varieties offered by the cafe, I sampled three, of which the best was the pabellon ($9), a generous and juicy helping of shredded beef sharing corn cake space with white cheese, black beans and sweet plantains. Nearly as good was the pabellon pernil ($9), overstuffed as it was with lean pork. A ham-and-cheese version was nothing special, but a good value at $7, and I look forward to trying their plantain-and-cheese arepa ($7), their shrimp-and-peppers number ($10), and perhaps even one called Nene’s Tuna ($8).

There are non-arepa items to recommend as well, among them the cafe’s yucca fries, light and fluffy planks that pair perfectly with a creamy cilantro dressing ($7), and the deep-fried chunks of pork known as cochino frito ($7). Well-seasoned, crunchy and irresistible, they’re an early candidate for Guiltiest Pleasure of 2022. The cafe itself is small and by-the-book (10 seats, Angel Falls diptych on the wall, Libertad Venezuela T-shirts, etc.), but service is fast and friendly.

Arepas Cafe is at 1371 Jerusalem Ave. in North Merrick, 516-447-6969. Opening hours are Monday through Friday from noon to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday.

By Scott Vogel

scott.vogel@newsday.com

Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.