Picture this: a month ago (before the gestational diabetes diagnosis), the Hubs and I were at IKEA in Red Hook, Brooklyn, when I had a sudden, irresistible craving for nachos. There was no denying it. Nachos must happen. I remembered that the Predicate had once mentioned a new Mexican place not far from her apartment, and as luck would have it, she lives not far from IKEA. The rules of triangulation meant that said Mexican restaurant must be nearby.
A call to the Predicate, an iPhone search, and thirty minutes later, the three of us (Predicate joined us) were sitting in the tiny, spare dining room of Viva. But for a table of two sitting outside, the restaurant was empty (it was sort of a strange hour for eating–about 2pm; the waiter mentioned later that they are packed at dinner time). We ordered nachos (of course), fried calamari, and avocado fries, the latter because they sounded too bizarre to pass up. Have you ever heard of avocado fries? I thought not. Do you want to try them now that you know of their existence? I thought so. We also ordered two flamingo pink guava Jarritos, and a beer for the Hubs.
After we ordered, out came the obligatory chips and salsa. The salsa was expected, but its unique flavor was not. It was pumpkin-orange in color, rather than the usual red with flecks of green chili and onion, and had a really unusual, but uncommonly delicious flavor. None of us could place the flavors. Tomatoes? Yes. Cilantro. It seemed so. Onion. Definitely. But what else? What was that flavor? It was a truly exceptional dip. When the waiter next came by, I asked him what was in the salsa. He smiled Cheshire-cat-like, and refused to tell me, explaining that many, many people asked, but the recipe was a secret. On this he would not budge, even after pleading, promises not to tell, and puppy dog eyes galore.
Our food arrived. The nachos were a little skimpy on the beans, but otherwise everything nachos should be: crispy, cheesy, gooey with sour cream, and a generous glob of guacamole. The avocado fries were something to behold. Slices of avocado were breaded and deep fried, then arranged around a dish of chipotle dipping sauce in a seriously gigantic margarita glass. We laughed at the tacky presentation until we tasted the fries, which is when we fell into a thoughtful state of gastronomical bliss. Delicious. The calamari were what you might expect from a Mexican restaurant in an industrial area of Brooklyn: probably frozen, not fresh, battered and deep fried. It was quickly decided that the calamari tasted better with the chipotle dipping sauce from the avocado fries than it did with the sauce it came with.
With my nacho craving sated, we were ready to leave. The waiter seemed truly forlorn that we didn’t order more. If he had offered up the ingredients of the salsa, I might have considered it. But as it stands, I will have to just return (hopefully often) to try it again.
Viva
116 Sullivan St
(between Conover St and Van Brunt St)
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 852-4192
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