At Orinoco patience is a virtue that is richly rewarded. The space is small and the wait long but the attitude and atmosphere are welcoming. The food is even more so. The open kitchen fills the small space with a wonderfully appetizing aroma that grabs hold of your senses and forces you to wait. The head chef was very personable and went out of his way to make our wait as comfortable as possible. On this particular visit we had the good fortune of getting our seats within ten minutes (the benefits of showing up before 7 because by 8 the place was mobbed). We were immediately greeted by busy yet freindly waiter who proceeded to list the day's specials and was kind enough to make suggestions. We started with drinks. It should be noted here that the list of specialty drinks is quite robust but not displayed on the their website menu for some reason. If you love Mojitos this is definitely the place for you as they have numerous variations. They also make a decent Sangria which i highly recommend. Wine is my thing, so i started with a moderately filled glass of Malbec, recommended by the waiter. We opened our dining with these orgasmicly delicious bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds. Its not on the website menu and i forget their name but i will never forget the taste! A perfect combination of flavor and texture. We then moved on to Arepas. The Domino was very nice though i still have no idea what palmizulia cheese is. The Reina Pepiada was ok, too dry and lacking avocado so i suggest trying something else. If you plan on sharing Arepas it should be noted that they are not easily cut and it may be wise for you to request they be served segemented. Also, these are basically sandwiches and should be eaten that way, try fork and knifing them and you are in for a mess. We felt ourselves filling up already so jumped to the main dish. I had the Atún. The serving was moderate in size, yet seemingly appropriate given what we had eaten thus far. The tuna was tender, flavorful and not overwhlemd by the sweet, delicious sauce that blended very nicely with the vinagrette dressing on the arugala. The fact that you are dining so close to others is not as uncomfortable as i at first thought. We were so absorbed by the food and converation that the proximity to other diners was a non-issue. However half-way through our dinner i got the sense we were being given the "here's your hat, what's your hurry" treatment when the waiter asked us if we were done when we were so obvioulsly not. Its somewhat understandable given the place was mobbed with people standing, some noticably uncomfortably, around the small bar awaitng a table. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and delicious experience. An experience that can only get better each time you dine there. Familiarizing yourself with the menu will enable you to coordinate the various options and enjoy a latin american dining experience worth wating for.
Do you go out to eat every night? If so, I am jealous! I love Orinoco, too. And although we live about a ten minute walk from the restaurant, we always get there too late and have to either wait forever for a table or go elsewhere, which we often do. I am really enjoying your reviews. Where to next?
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