A couple years ago, we found a Puerto Rican place in Franklinton with a menu that included fried balls of mashed potatoes filled with meat. The gigundo globes were life changing, making the place an instant obsessive culinary destination. And a week later, it all disappeared. POOF. The balls, the eatery, everything. The whole operation vanished without a sign or any hint of what happened. Since that time, the potato dish has become a bitter memory. Something to have tasted once, then never again. Ghosted.
But the balls of mashed potatoes have resurfaced. They’ve popped up again on the menu of something frequently referred to as a ghost kitchen. So we’re in a poetic full circle, going from ghosted to ghost kitchen.
Sure, ghost kitchens got a bad name during the pandemic. They were associated with deceptive practices where diners might order quesadillas from someplace that sounded like an authentic local operation, when they were really just connecting to some incognito, rebranded Friday’s fare. These days, the term ghost kitchen more often refers to a business incubator. High Street Kitchens is just such an ghost kitchen. It offers a home base for small operations to do delivery or carryout.
And that is where the potato balls are found, at an operation called Nuyorican Pizzeria & Cuisine. If it’s not obvious, “Nuyorican” is a portmandeu for two words. You might recognize the ‘Rican element as a reference to Puerto Rico. NUY is a reference to New York. It’s a whole movement that encompasses not only food, but also artists and culture with roots in both Puerto Rico and New York.
Ordering starts online at the eatery’s website. There, you’ll find an expansive menu that begins with pizza and winds down the screen through a truly impressive number of options that include calzone, pasta dishes and hoagies. Somewhere in the middle of the menu, you’ll find Rellenos De Papas ($12). There they are: comforting mashed potatoes in a crunchy fried shell. Each one is centered with seasoned ground beef that offers heft in addition to the heaven from its fried potatoey goodness.
Linger in the appetizer section, and you’ll find Tostones ($5) as well as Plátano Maduro ($5). The duo makes for a fun comparison, and testifies to the versatility of plantains. Tostones are familiar – smushed, well-fried plantains that take on the likable characteristics of a thick chip. Plátano Maduro is less frequently found on local menus – still plantains, still fried, but with a lighter touch that preserves more of the starchy fruit’s original texture.
There’s Mofongo too. Yes, also plantain-based, but also entirely different from the aforementioned snacks. This time, it takes on a form akin to Thanksgiving stuffing, mashed with garlic and plantains. Teamed with the house pernil, which is savory slow roasted pork, and seasoned rice, it’s an appealing heavy-hitter ($13).
Empanadas ($4) come in a host of flavors: chicken, cheese, beef, spinach and guava. The Fuego Chicken and Beef versions both deliver nice-sized, pockets sufficiently packed with their respective meats along with chimichurri sauce for a little zip.
Digging around in other sections of the menu, you’ll find plenty of treasures. There’s a whole New York pizza scene. And the sub selection includes a chance to score a legendary Tripleta, here executed with pork, chicken and ham.
Once you’ve executed your order, you’ll want to pick it up. You’ll head to the ghost kitchen at 2864 N. High St. You can run in, or there’s also curbside delivery – and good things take time, so plan accordingly and bring something to keep yourself entertained. Nuyroican Pizzeria & Cuisine is open Tuesdays through Saturdays for lunch and dinner.
For more information, visit nuyoricanpizzeria.com.
All photos by Susan Post
