The menu at Nellie's is eclectic. Not only do they have the standard, expected burgers and nachos, they also have hummus with pita bread, plus a number of South American specialties not frequently seen on D.C. menus. Tonight we decided to try some of the South American food.
An arepa is a traditional Venezuelan dish that can best be described as a sandwich made with a cornmeal English muffin instead of bread that is split and stuffed with goodies. Robert got one filled with chorizo (Mexican sausage), and I got mine with ropa vieja and queso blanco (white cheese). Ropa vieja is more of a Cuban-style shredded, stewed beef, and I notice their tasty version is also available as a stand-only entree; I'll have to order it on a future visit. The arepas came with frijoles refritos, tortilla chips, pico de gallo, crema (sour cream), and some fried plantains. While Robert was rather blasé about his meal, I enjoyed mine quite a bit. It's different, though, and the cornmeal bread can be a bit of an acquired taste.
For dessert, we both got the bread pudding. It was okay, but I thought something was missing.....a whiskey sauce? Ice cream? Something. We both managed, however, to eat all of our puddings.
