I was invited by John and Tommy Greco, the owners of K*Rico to experience their new restaurant. John is the talented chef who also owns Philip Marie in the West Village; Tommy the libation connoisseur, owner of the Ritz Bar and Lounge.

After learning about their cocktails, I decided to try the K Rica margarita ($13), made with smoky Mezcal over the regular one made with Czadores blanco, Cointreau, fresh lime and blood orange puree.

We sampled their both their empanadas ($9) with a flavorful sauce and the arepas ($9). I recommend the sweet corncakes that are served on a bed of chimichurri topped with melted queso fresco. Nice for a nibble with a drink.

Also tasty is the guacamole trio (one with fruit, one traditional, and — my favorite — the smoky bacon chipotle, $12) served with plantain chips. My least favorite was the ceviche mixto, as in addition to the passion fruit vinaigrette, this mild mixture of seafood (corvina, shrimp, octopus, scallops) also has avocado mixed in giving it a grey coloring  and off-taste ($16).

Do try both their sopas (soups), the cazuela de mariscos (seafood stew $13) or the fire roasted posole ($11). The latter with greens (mustard, kale, chicory) white hominy and sausage was my favorite. I could make a meal from a bowl of this hearty soup served with the toasted bread batons.

For non-carnivores their are three options, an oak-planked thick chunk of corvina ($29),  broiled Chilean sea bass on a bed of green salsa with fufu balls ($33) and — my favorite — the plantain crusted roasted merzula in a delicate coconut lime butter served in a banana leaf with topped with a papaya relish ($33).

We also  indulged in what K*Rico would like to become famous for — their wet and dry aged USDA prime beef that’s first seared on their state-of-the-art “plancha” grill, then grilled to order. John convinced us to try the unusual tomahawk steak, named for its resemblance to that tool, as it’s a bone-in rib steak with the entire rib bone frenched (trimmed of meat and fat), but intact. With that, we sampled their sides ($9 each) of chaufa de quinoa (forgettable), mashed cauliflower and (yummy) huge steak fries.

To end, we sample the chocolate espresso flan with espresso whipped cream ($9) and — what was even better — a finishing glass of limoncello ($9)!

I suggest a visit to this  South American steakhouse if you’re looking for a place to dine in the theatre district.

– bonnie

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K Rico
Hell’s Kitchen
772 9th Ave,
New York, NY 10019
K*Rico on Urbanspoon