While Stamford awaits the opening of celebrity Chef Aarón Sánchez‘s Latin-inspired restaurant, Paloma, foodies can sample their offerings at a Pop-up Bar at the Harbor Point waterfront which just opened on Friday, May 23rd.
We stopped by to get a taste of what Paloma has to offer. Food items were sold at $5 per plate and drinks were $7 each. Paloma had 4 dishes available – ceviche, meatballs, shrimp & grits, and pork tacos – and two delicious cocktails – a Margarita and the Paloma.
Chef Aarón Sánchez
We loved all the dishes available at the pop-up. The Seafood Ceviche was made with halibut, squid, and scallops in an aji-amarillo sauce served with plantain and yuca chips. Grandma’s Meatballs – pork and beef with masa in a roasted tomato chipotle broth, garnished with mint. The Shrimp & Grits consisted of shrimp sautéed with chile-arbol butter resting on a bed in grits with cotija cheese. The Pork Taco was excellent, made with achiote-marinated whole pig with pickled cactus and onions with cabbage and frisée.
Pork Taco
We spoke with Chef Rory to get the scoop on how the pig is prepared and learned that the pig (roughly 60 pounds) is marinated in salt and achiote for 24 hours, then cooked in a La Caja China roasting box belly up for 4 hours then turned over for another to get the skin crunchy.
One of Paloma’s La Caja China roasting boxes
Chef Rory gives us a peek at what’s cooking
Achiote-marinated pork
Achiote-marinated whole pig
Every Friday and Saturday from about 5-11pm, Paloma’s pop-up will be open until the grand opening of the restaurant which is slated for mid-June 2014. Be sure to stop by for great food, and tasty drinks. We can’t wait for Paloma’s opening day.
Update
July 19, 2014 – Paloma is finally open.
Paloma
15 Harbor Point Road
Stamford, CT 06902
