A foodie adventure at El Mercado (part 1)

Truely one of my favorite things to do is to explore. Combining my love of exploration and food is a completely logical paring, and one place that always satisfies me is the supermarket and food court of El Mercado on Park Street in Hartford. It will take an entirely separate post and other pictures to detail the wonders of the supermarket to you, so for now I will just tell you about my dinner. The food court has four separate restaurants, which are Mexican, Dominican, Peruvian and Columbian. For many years I have been limiting myself to the Mexican and Dominican counters because I just loved the food and hadn't gotten around to exploring the others. Today my friend suggested that we head to the last counter and try the Columbian, since he knew the owners. I happily agreed and was really delighted with the experience.  



After noshing on some empanadas that were stuffed with potatoes and beef, and were delightfully golden and crispy, and enjoying my passion fruit milkshake, my food came. I had decided on trying a dish that consisted of chicken, rice and beans, and plantains. Our server brought the chicken out on a sizzling pan that was lined with sweet plantains. The chicken was flavorful, slightly crisped, and DELICIOUS! The rice and beans were equally tasty and my challenge became how to get a bite of each item at the same time to enjoy the flavors together. 

I couldn't get a picture before the eyes were eaten!

My friend ordered the Sea Bass, and it came on a bed of lettuce accompanied by fried green plantains. The plantains that came with my dish were the yellow plantains that are sweeter and softer. The Sea Bass had been seasoned, scored to let the moisture out as it cooked and then deep fried. The fish is served in it's entirety, no filets here...so if you order seafood be advised that you need to be aware that yes, it does come with the head, tail, and bones. Many cultures prefer to prepare their seafood in this manner and it makes the meat very tender and juicy. In the end, the portions were so enormous that I had to take mine home and I am sure that it will serve as both my lunch and dinner tomorrow! Oh did I mention that on top of all this food, we were given a salad too???? I think that it would have taken 2-3 hungry people to get through my meal alone. 

A few tips to keep in mind if you decide to visit: 1. The menu is written in both Spanish and English, a huge advantage for adventurous diners. 2. Ask the server if you can sit in the separate dining room, the portions are so large that you may need the space afforded to you by a booth, versus sitting at the counter. 3. Cash is almost always the preferable and easiest way to pay for your meal. 4. The marketplace, while open early for the restaurants that serve breakfast, normally closes around 6pm...so plan accordingly! 


Location: 704 Park Street (Corner of Park Street and Babcock Street)