Nina’s dining area, which you can enter from themarket or the street, is best described as basic. Along with a small bar,you’ll find some very plain Formica tables and booths. Potted palms line thewindows. Some hand-painted murals of tropical coastlines manage to add color,and Latino music blares from a CD jukebox. The kitchen is shared by thecarryout counter and the restaurant.
Another mural depicts the flags of Mexico, the United States and Puerto Rico,reflecting the influences found on the menu. Mofongo, flautas and cheeseburgersare all found here. Puerto Rican items are in the majority, with a single pagedevoted to Mexican food. At one visit a basket of tortilla chips with salsaarrived immediately. In a pleasant surprise, the salsa is quite spicy.
But the main reason to visit Nina’s Restaurant isfor the Puerto Rican options, which can be found in a list of a la carte itemsand daily specials. The inexpensive tostones (75 cents each), slices ofplantain that are fried and then seasoned with a bit of garlic, are a must forevery meal. Pasteles ($2) are a bit like tamales, but the masa dough isreplaced with a combination of mashed plantains and green bananas. The fillingis of seasoned fatty pork. If you enjoy garlic in abundance, try the mofongo($3.99). It’s a dish of plantains, blended with bits of roast pork and plentyof garlic, served in the shape of a ball. It is possible to request some of thesalsa, but the mofongo already has plenty of flavor.
Every day offers a special, which tends to beslow-cooked. It may be chicken stew on Wednesdays or pork tripe stew onSundays. On Friday it is verdura con bacalao ($8.99), or dried codfish (usedsparingly here). The bits of bacalao are cooked with olive oil and thin slicesof onion. The verdura is starches: green bananas, yuca, sweet potatoes andperhaps some yautia, too. Though very starchy, it arrives with the perfectamount of bacalao and some hints of creole flavor. Tuesday offers costillasguisadas ($8.99), a stew of pork ribs cooked with yuca. White rice comes on theside, but there is no seasoning for the meal. The fatty ribs need a lot ofhelp, so consider using that squeeze bottle of salsa.
The Mexican items run from huevos rancheros toburritos and steak ranchero. Chicken flautas ($7.99) are merely ordinary, not areason to visit. The American sandwiches include a Cuban ($6.99) that generallyremains true to form with sliced ham, roast pork and cheese. The sesame rolllooks like it belongs to a sub sandwich. Some mustard and pickles would bewelcome, plus Swiss cheese instead of American.
Nina’s forte is homey Puerto Rican cooking in abasic setting. The service can be slow, but the servers are friendly. Those inmore of a hurry can use the carryout counter at Pueblo Foods. n
Nina’s Restaurant and Bar
2031 N. Holton St.
(414) 372-7172
$
Credit Cards: All Major
Smoke-Free
