Chicama

[cabrales]

With a view to a comparison with Patria, I visited Douglas Rodriguez's Chicama for dinner recently. Sitting at the ceviche bar, I sampled a flight of eight ceviches for $45. Ordinarily, the eight ceviches are intended as an appetizer for four people at $90. The manager of the restaurant was kind enough to permit a 1/2-sized portion, and brought me an accompaniment of slices of nicely-prepared potato with an aioli-like garlic cream sauce. For me, for ceviches, Patria is clearly preferable to Chicama, although the selection at Chicama is somewhat larger. Patria's ceviches had a balance that was more appealing to me.

Eight Ceviches

-- Ecuadorean Ceviche: shrimp, roasted tomatoes and chillies

-- Chilean Salmon Ceviche: mint, mustard and orange

-- Rx No Prescription Ceviche: mussels, clams, calamari and octupus in spicy tinta de calamari

-- Scallop Ceviche: on the 1/2 shell, conchita with spicy tomato and panca ceviche sauce

-- Merluzza Ceviche: lemon juice, lemon oil, marinated cherry tomatoes and avocado

-- Verde Ceviche: clams, merluzza, green tomatoes and parsley, crunchy garlic and bacon

-- Spicy Corvina Watermelon Ceviche: with pumpkin seeds

-- Shaved Calamari: with spicy tamarind and mango slices

Taken with Veuve Cliquot ($12/glass)

Churros -- Latin American donuts with cinammon sugar; hot chocolate and dulce de leche sauces

For the salmon and the calamari ceviches, the saucing was not the thin-consistency saucing normally associated with ceviche marinades. Instead, the salmon (which was itself rather fat-tasting) had a denser, fattier texture in the saucing, including as a result of the mustard. The salmon ceviche was fairly good. The calamari, which was not a good dish, had significant honey in its saucing, which also contributed to a denser sauce. The scallop ceviche was too strongly spiced for the delicacy of the product. The Corvina (a white fleshed fish) with watermelon did not taste good, although it sounded interesting when listed on the menu.However, the Ecquadorean ceviche was fairly good, and the Rx No Prescription version was better than expected (with a hint of darkness provided in the saucing). Overall, an interesting experiment in ceviches and average in taste. Perhaps a bit too stark in many ceviches for my liking. It is difficult for one person to sample eight ceviches without losing the ability to taste some of them.

The dessert was tasty, however. Three light-tasting churros were presented freshly deep-fried, with an espresso cup of wonderful warm-to-hot caramel-based sauce of medium consistency. I liked this sauce very much, and did not utilize the warm chocolate sauce separately presented.

Service was good. Other observations: (1) There is a bar area near the entrance to the restaurant, at which a number of younger people who were not dining were taking in drinks, and (2) the back of the menu lists the entire team associated with the restaurant (including individuals with the titles of Food Runner, Sanitation, Butcher, and Bodyguard).

[tommy]

cabby, you should win some kind of award. you eat out more than any one person i know. yikes!

[cabrales]

tommy -- That might be because I can not cook at all

[Wilfrid]

Cabby, did you go at a quiet time? My one visit to Chicama was after work on a weekday, and although the food was unobjectionable, it was such a raucous scene (and doubtless fun, if that's what you wanted) that I never thought of going back.

[tommy]

tommy -- That might be because I can not cook at all

two words: pizza.

[cabrales]

Cabby, did you go at a quiet time?

Wilfrid -- I went last night (Sunday). It was quieter, and no reservations were needed. The ceviche bar, which could seat 12-14 possibly, had only 3 people.

[Steve Klc]

Wilfrid--if you went to Chicama dressed as you were on Saturday night, you would undoubtedly have been pulled into the swirl of the raucous scene and become its epicenter--even before the show tunes were to break out.

[rich]

Cabrales - you were in Chicama and I was in Pipa's. It's too bad we could have met for a drink at either or ABC Carpet for that matter, since both restaurants are in the same building. I was there from 7:30 - 9:45 p.m. - when were you there?

The best thing about Chicama's is the $20 lunch and the great aqua-green colored water bottles. I tried to buy one, but they claim most broke and they have only a few left and the maker is out of business. Do I believe them? No!

[cabrales]

I was at Chicama from about 7:45 through 9:15. Afterwards, I went home and watched the World Pastry Cup on FN. The US team's Cirque de Soleil-themed presentation piece appeared intricate, although insufficient footage was accorded to the work itself. The Canadian team was unabashedly promoting Inniskillin ice wine.

[Wilfrid]

Wilfrid--if you went to Chicama dressed as you were on Saturday night, you would undoubtedly have been pulled into the swirl of the raucous scene and become its epicenter--even before the show tunes were to break out...

Thank you, Steve - I like to think so. I did decide to remove my outer plumage before retiring to the piano bar on Saturday night. Worried about getting stomped by operatic rednecks.

[Fat Guy]

For clarification, Cabrales (not to you but to those who might be reading along), I'll just add that Rodriguez used to be the chef at Patria, but is no longer. The current chef at Patria is, I believe, Andrew DiCataldo.

[Wilfrid]

Any news on Rodriguez's upscale Cuban-themed eatery which was scheduled to open last fall (or was it even longer ago than that)?

[stefanyb]

Dined here Saturday night. It was dinner for four at 7:30. I arrived alone at about 7:28 and was the first of our party to do so. It was not crowded and more than half the tables were empty. Now here's my problem: I was told that I would have to wait until the whole party arrived to be seated. This really pisses me off. There stood our table, as so many others, empty. As far as I'm concerned, this is bullshit. About two minutes later everyone arrived and we were seated but no matter. Next time I make a reservation I'm going ro inquire about the restaurants seating policy and plan where to make my reservations accordingly.

Also, just as an aside, the service was unbelievably amateurish and inept. The waiter didn't know anything. We asked for four ceviches but wanted to share all and he couldn't fathom how to handle that. Mains came exactly two seconds after the ceviches were cleared. The bill was $280. The ceviches were very good but all things considered, I'd give the restaurant a big thumbs down. Poor Douglas Rodriguez. His talents are not being given a setting in which to shine.

[SobaAddict70]

Somehow, I never thought of Chicama as a serious competitor to the likes of Patria and Asia de Cuba. That Grimes review (or was it Reichl?) didn't give me a good impression, and recent postings only serve to reinforce that view.

SA

[cabrales]

Zagat recently reported the following: "Chicama and Pipa: Douglas Rodriguez has left to open a new restaurant of his own; Rodriguez's replacement is former chef de cuisine Maximo Tejada."

[Wilfrid]

When Rodriguez left Patria, plans were announced for him to open a grand restaurant in a pre-Castro Cuban style. It even had a name, which doubtless included the word "Havana".

I have asked occasionally here if anyone has heard anything. Maybe this is a new plan.

[Orik]

When Rodriguez left Patria, plans were announced for him to open a grand restaurant in a pre-Castro Cuban style.  It even had a name, which doubtless included the word "Havana".

I also remember plans for him to open a restaurant with Michael Ginor (Unico?).

edit: As reported on USA today 1/6/00:

"Nuevo Latino pioneer Douglas Rodriguez has left award-winning Patria to join Hudson Valley Foie Gras' Michael Ginor in Unico, a Latin American grill, scheduled for early February. (29 E. 32nd St.; 212-725-4900)"

Edited January 15, 2003 by Orik (log)

[cabrales]

The NY Post's report on Rodriguez:

http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/nycuis...tures/66629.htm

[cabrales]

Zagat's February newsletter provides the following discussion:

"Chispa: Douglas Rodriguez recently ended his affiliation with Chicama and Pipa, but will be back in the kitchen next month at this Nuevo Latino newcomer opening at 304 E. 48th Street."

[Orik]

"Nuevo Latino newcomer opening at 304 E. 48th Street."

That space was (is?) occupied by Alamo - a tex-mex spot we often considered visiting for some obscure entertainment value, but never did. I wonder if we'll see a nuevo-tex-mexicano...