In With The Old

It’s hip to be ethnic. At least, that’s the take in the East Village, a past Mecca to foreigners and a present one to the hip. While the neighborhood is becoming more pretentious Caracas Arepas Bar To-Go, located at 91 E 7th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A, is a simple example of old-world home-cooking.

In 2003, husband and wife team Maribel Araujo and Aristides Barrios opened both Caracas Arepas Bar and Caracas Arepas Bar To-Go, side by side. Since then, the regular arepas bar is constantly packed as intrigued and loyal customers come to experience the traditional Venezuelan street dish, a crispy flour shell stuffed with meats, cheeses or vegetables. If seating isn’t your thing, forget the regular restaurant, where a 45-minute wait is considered short, and head next door to the tiny “to-go” counterpart, which seats only 14, uncomfortably. The menu is shorter than next door but equally savory, featuring arepas, empanadas and sides. Restaurant reviewers have sung the praises of this tiny hole-in-the-wall, calling it the solution to the overplayed burrito, falafel or grilled cheese.

Arepas are a true reflection of Venezuelan culture, traditionally served in roadside huts to travelers looking for a delicious bite and warm company. At Caracas, the kitchen staff (a whopping two guys) prides themselves on authenticity. Hanging above the kitchen reads, “Our food is 100% handmade. Please be patient. This is NOT a FAST FOOD restaurant."

And while the clientele is composed mostly of East Village hipsters, clad in skinny jeans, slogan-lined t-shirts and a-symmetrical haircuts, (and perhaps the occasional granola hippie caught up in the romance of South American cuisine) no one is there to see or be seen. Though the street surrounding it is modern East Village, with its apartment brownstones and alternative clothing boutiques, it is easy to feel transported to Venezuela stepping inside the tightly cramped room with loud music and clanking from the open kitchen. The employees are fast-paced but not rude. No one seems to mind that they are sitting right on top of one another. This is the East Village of the turn of the century, when ma and pa would set up their restaurants so that fellow immigrants could come inside for a taste of home. All that’s missing are Venezuelan customers.

Recession? What Recession?

Despite taboo words-of-late like “economy,” and “bailout,” student residents of the East Village have found that their spending has changed very little. Even with the upcoming election, few suspect that that will change. The East Village is an affluent neighborhood. Most students that live in the area either live in the New York University dorms or in parent-provided apartments. Sameer Patel, 20, a resident of St. Marks Place thanks to his parents says, “My spending hasn’t changed. But it ought to. My credit card bill has been astronomical.”

For other students, they say that while their spending has not changed, they have become more aware of what they are spending. Hila Raz, 21, lives on East 6th Street and First Avenue. “I feel that I am more cognizant of my spending now because soon I will be supporting myself,” says Raz. “I think, ‘Do I need that?’ when I shop.” East Village shopkeepers, because of their location and clientele, have not experienced as severe a decline in customers as other locations. “I have not seen much of a change in my business,” says Martin Gooding, owner of the boutique, Meg, on East 9th Street. “I see more uncertainty, though. People don’t know if they can spend those last $2.”

One barista at coffee shop, Mud Café says, “80 percent of our clients are regulars. New York City is the last place to feel the hit of the economy.” Although Mud Café has had to raise the price of coffee 25 cents, sales keep going up. One thing is certain. Shopkeepers and students alike are hoping for Obama. “When Obama wins,” says Patel, “I will be less nervous about spending.”