By Jennifer Colosimo
Heading out for a Braves game usually entails grabbing a bite before, but the verbiage seems inadequate if the place for said bite is El Super Pan at The Battery. Chef Hector Santiago’s second location of the Latin fusion brunch, lunch and late-night menu is more like catching a Braves game after dinner as the main event.
It’s hard to pinpoint which part is most enjoyable about a meal here. The grand, green doors make it a stunning piece of eye candy for architectural nerds who eat with their eyes first; the plant-infused, vibrantly colored interior makes it fun to simply be there and; of course, the menu is undeniably one of the best Latin experiences around, “highlighting the bold and rich flavors of Cocina Criolla and the Spanish Caribbean.”
My first visit started with a sip of fresh-squeezed soursop juice—something I had never tried, let alone heard of, but will ask for every time moving forward. El Super Pan at The Battery does a lunchtime prix-fixe menu for $18 that lets you taste a ton without stressing over decisions.
With a partner in crime, we indulged in the cool, crisp and bright tropical salad doused in their housemade green goddess dressing as well as the empanadas with their flaky, savory pastry crust and perfectly stuffed interiors. Then, it’s either a classic Cuban sandwich or the rice and beans bowl with your choice of protein.
Lucky me—arroz con gandules was on the menu the day I went, offering melt-in-your-mouth roasted pork on a bed of holiday-worthy rice and pigeon peas that trumped anything I’d had before. I’ll be stalking them to find out when it comes back. In fact, our server said his grandmother only makes it for the holidays (an idea seconded by my Puerto Rican neighbors who’ve promised to make it for me this year).
Dessert on the prix-fixe means guava and cheese-filled pastelitos or churros. Buttery, flaky pastry crust oozing with rich, creamy filling and crunchy, cinnamon-sugar doughnuts that make you rethink the value of dessert after lunch.
Whether lunch or dinner, consider starting with their housemade root veggie and plantain chips dipped in the tangy, creamy avocado dip or the hot and melted-cheesy blue crab dip served with buttery, garlic toast. As an entree, opt for garlicky shrimp al ajillo, banana leaf grilled sea bass, citrus roasted chicken, pork chops or smoky mussels.
It’s maybe-we’ll-skip-the-game good.
Chef Santiago started his career in Puerto Rico 25 years ago, attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York and began a stint of training in kitchen of distinguished chefs across the country. How lucky are we that he landed here?
