Ofrenda: Village Mexican In Need of an Identity

It's no secret that I, the Ubereater, haven't been around lately. Thanks to the rigors of puppy fatherhood, I ended up taking an unintentional hiatus of sorts that saw more than 3 months go by without a post.

This, I realize, is unacceptable by the standards of my loyal eager eaters but in a country where Barney Frank can remain in public office, there are no boundaries, and these days, seemingly no consequences either. This is a rather odd way of saying the good news is, the Ubereater is back.

To get back into the swing of things, I want to write about my recent trip to village newcomer, Ofrenda - the latest to join the fray in downtown's recent wave of Mexican? eateries. (La Lucha and Dos Toros the main reason for saying such.)

Just north of the intersection of 7th Avenue south and West 4th Street, better known as Sheridan Square in these parts, Ofrenda resides in what seemingly is a peculiar culinary cul-de-sac in a part of the West Village. A bar greets you on the way into the small space, dotted with two and four-tops from front to back. Strangely, you'd really have no idea what type of food is served here mainly because the decor is so simple and ambiguous - and the instrumental lounge music is a bit deceiving. Diminutive, albeit tasteful light fixtures are all that adorn the painfully white walls. Not that I need all sorts of artwork to enjoy a meal, obviously I don't, but I can' t help but want to attribute the initial lack of identity to its naked surroundings.

Our moot dialogue regarding the decor was interrupted by a tray of complimentary Chips and Salsa. Aside from not being served hot (Jose Tejas Style), these chips were well salted and quite comfortable dredged in the joining tomatillo salsa that was really flavorful, though expectedly scarce according to my standards. You can never have too much and restaurants never give enough.

In keeping with our new found ability to control ourselves at the dinner table, we opted for only two entrees and two sides. The menu's span of various offerings struck me as slightly eclectic Mexican, straddling the fence between the familiar and the not so much. Mesclun salad with queso fresco, Chimichangas with crab and tamarind, and Sopa di sete vegetales (7 veggie soup) round out the appetizers, while perhaps more traditional presentations like my Chicken en mole, anchor the entree portion of the spread. Additionally, a handful of interesting sides are for the taking, including age-old refried beans (Frijoles refritos), and way more interseting green rice (Arroz con Verde).

Meghan's Callitos a la plancha, consisted of seared scallops in a Cascabel butter sauce, coupled with what the menu terms as "sweet potato hash" and sauteed asparagus. The scallops were a fair size, and cooked quite well, boasting a nice outside char, while remaining tender and buttery on the inside. The sweet potato hash, which was really what I would consider to be smashed sweet potatoes, was tasty, though a tad sweet. What really made this dish, was the Cascabel butter sauce, which was opaque, almost syrupy, and ever so sweet enough to make the most of the scallops.

On the lookout for something more familiar, I went for the Pollo en mole, and specifically the ancho chile mole. Three chunks of boiled chicken arrived smothered in a dark mahogany, super smokey, slightly spicy ancho mole that was rich and dense. Sauteed green beans and rice pilaf played a supporting role, but nothing to write home about. The chicken however, was tender, juicy and a sponge to the unctuous mole.
Our sides of refried beans and Arroz Verde (Below) were respectably flavorful - the refried beans arrived as a more starchy mass of burnt-end beans interspersed thoroughly with diced onions and crunchy tortilla strips. Quite different from the usual soupy slop you get, Ofrenda's preparation was noteworthy! Similarly the Arroz Con Verde, a simple but temperamental dish that can be divine or a starchy gooey messy, was well balanced in terms of citrus versus cilantro, and the inclusion of peas was much appreciated.
I don't want to necessarily say the food at Ofrenda is out of this world and simply a must try, but it would be dishonest of me not to recognize that the offerings here (no pun intended) are well executed and reflect a certain amount of care in their preparation. It would be even more unfair of me not to mention that this was only its second night open to the public, so I realize this restaurant's head has only begun leave the womb.

In the end, I didn't set to make my big return by poo-pooinga 2-day old restaurant that is earnestly in business, but I did make it a point to check out this spot with the intention of submitting my initial response to this new addition to the neighborhood. Having said that. I felt as though the biggest issue here is that there is still a bit of a disconnect between Ofrenda the restaurant and the food on the plate. Without question, the food was by no means "bad" or forgettable, and in fact on its own, has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the germination of Ofrenda's identity as a eatery compromises the enjoyability of the food. I'm not saying that because the walls are white, the food isn't satisfying - I'm saying the overall experience is detrimental to what you're actually eating. I've had the best cheesesteak of my life 2 feet from a dumpster, and in a weird way the dumpster made that cheesesteak even better.

I think this could be Ofrenda's problem - it is a young establishment that seems not entirely committed to acquiring and adopting an identity. Perhaps in fear of going down the wrong road or in an effort to let business guide them down that road; either way this restaurant, which incidentally used to be Ostia! (the checks still say Ostia! at the top) needs to declare a path. Right or wrong, a distinct path or theme, as bad as that sounds, is always better than none at all. If it's small plates Mexican then go there (cue overpriced Guac!) - if it's traditional Mexican, then slap some sombrero's on the wall and do it right. If it's Mexican fusion then bill yourself as such and blare the lounge music. I fear Ofrenda as it is now, is a concept in the making, not quite finalized and not quite sure of itself.

Nevertheless, I recommend you check out Ofrenda, out of respect for the food and its inherent potential. Based on our meal, I thought the food was promising and though counter-intuitive when it comes to the world of dining out, I ask that you approach this infant eatery with an open-mind and with the understanding that this place still deserves the benefit of the doubt.

The question is, for how long?

Ofrenda
113 7 Avenue South
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-2305

Ubereater Says: "Potential is there, but still without an identity and less than a week old, there is much progress to be made."