It’s hard to pigeonhole Cafecito, and with good reason: Owners Andres Paglayan and his wife, Solange Serquis, hail from Buenos Aires, but Paglayan’s roots are Armenian and Serquis’ are Armenian and Spanish. The large menu reflects a mixture of Argentinian, Armenian, and Italian foods that somehow, strangely, makes culinary sense. Opened in October 2019, Cafecito weathered the worst of COVID-19 and now seems to be thriving.
On a recent Tuesday during the noon hour, I tried the classic empanada sampler ($15), with three different little baked pies: ham and cheese, spinach and ricotta, and beef and potato. All were hot. The beef was ground and potatoes cubed; the ham was ground as well, which was unexpected but probably tastier than if not; and the spinach was processed into tiny bits mixed with the cheese. I found the beef best, rich and hearty. My companion, with whom I shared bites, preferred the creamy spinach. The crust of true empanada dough (usually made with egg), not the poor second of pie dough I use for my own empanadas, gave the pastry tooth. A specialty of the house, Cafecito’s empanadas are available for takeout, baked or frozen, by the 10-pack ($32-$70).
The empanadas come served with chimichurri sauce. Cafecito’s chimichurri is a light green, piquant sauce of herbs, onion, and oil, and a wonderful alternative to the green chile so pervasive on Santa Fe menus. I could eat Cafecito’s chimichurri sauce like soup. It makes me want to try my hand at creating my own, but alas, manager Alex Hoechstetter claimed the ingredients are a trade secret. I’ll have to just wing it.
My friend shared parts of her Panino Imbattibile (Invincible) ($12), a grilled sandwich of prosciutto, mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, arugula, and mayonnaise on focaccia with an included hearty portion of mixed greens on the side. She added a cup of smooth, nutmeg-y butternut squash soup ($4.50). The panino was crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, with just the right amount of ingredients (I hate it when bread dominates the flavor), and the salad a good complement. The soup was flavorful, but I agreed with my companion, who said, “I could have made this at home.” Some crispy croutons or fresh herbs on top might have punched up the flavor and appearance a bit.
Medze, an appetizer medley of dips served with pita bread
Javier Gallegos/The New Mexican
Our server presented a check without asking if we wanted coffee or dessert, and we had to ask him to wipe our crumb-y table after we ate. But he was otherwise attentive and had a beautiful smile worthy of a dental cosmetics ad, so we forgave him. We decided to forego dessert in favor of cappuccinos ($4), served in bright red cups and saucers with a lovely circle of foamed milk floating atop the caramelly coffee. They tasted as good as they looked.
On another visit, I tried the buñuelos. Three golf ball-sized spinach frittatas fried to a crispy brown on the outside, these vegetarian delights — rich and gooey on the inside and served with that amazing chimichurri sauce — made a great appetizer. My companion ordered the Medze ($15), an appetizer medley of hummus, baba ghanoush (eggplant/tahini dip), and muhammara (roasted red pepper dip) served with triangles of pita bread. The red pepper sauce was especially good, tasting as if nothing had been added, nor needed to be: it was sweet and a bit tangy, but crisp and clean, as if one were eating fresh slices of red pepper.
Matambre (stuffed grilled steak)
Javier Gallegos/The New Mexican
For an entrée I had matambre ($29), a trio of discs of grilled steak stuffed with sweet potato, bell pepper, mushroom, onion, and hard-boiled egg. The meat was a bit on the chewy side but flavorful, the veg adding interest. The discs were served over potato purée and accompanied by thick stalks of asparagus cooked just right — not too al dente, nor too soft. The matambre was satisfyingly substantive yet not heavy.
My companion chose two vegan empanadas ($3.75 each) stuffed with black beans, sweet potato, corn, and onion and served with the chimichurri sauce. (The menu identifies Gluten Free [GF], Vegetarian [V] and Vegan [V] options.) She declared them “tasty,” but they were a bit too bland for this carnivore.
Caprese cake
Javier Gallegos/The New Mexican
The pepas (dulce de membrillo) quince cookie ($1) turned out to be a singular cookie the size of a half-dollar (remember those?). The sandwich cookie had quince paste inside, but such a teensy measure of quince that you could barely taste it. It could have been strawberry jam or fig paste. My companion ordered the chocolate mousse, a large portion that came in a highball-sized glass with sliced strawberries and blueberries. It was divine and enough to share. She thought it a bit too sweet, but to me, it was perfect. What’s dessert for, if not the sweet sensation?
Cafecito offers a substantial wine list, including 23 wines by the glass and 25 by the bottle, from Argentina, Chile, Italy, France, Spain, California, and New Mexico, and a handful of beers. The restaurant also has a full bar. The menu includes a variety of unusual concoctions, such as its signature drink, the Matienzo, with yerba mate, bourbon, honey, and ginger liqueur.
Our server at dinner was not just competent, but interesting to talk with, adding to our enjoyment of the evening.
With its large windows, Cafecito doesn’t feel small, despite its name; it feels urbane, and certainly some of the clientele (based solely on their fashionable appearances) fit that bill. It’s always nice to feel as if one is patronizing a hip place. The restaurant can be a little loud. The floors are concrete, the ceiling a pitched metal roof, and the contemporary décor features flat, hard surfaces that further bounce the sound around. The option, on nice days, is to sit on one of the two patios. (Heaters take the chill off.) An especially appreciated Cafecito design feature is the plants: succulents are everywhere and an entire row of ivies, hung high, trail greenery down toward the tables on one side of the main room. The plants are refreshing in our sere environment.
The owners built the space and enlisted Paglayan’s sister and brother-in-law, Buenos Aires restaurateurs, to help them envision Cafecito. Paglayan and Serquis had imagined a “little coffee shop to give a bit of life to the area,” Paglayan said, but their advisers suggested they opt instead for a restaurant that reflects their backgrounds and personalities.
“Do a menu that’s true to yourselves,” Paglayan says they were told. They took the advice. “This is the food we grew up with in Argentina,” he goes on, with the addition of the familial Middle Eastern component. ¡Que rico!
Hollis Walker spent a decade of her young years working in the food industry, ranging from counter service at a Dairy Queen to waiting tables in a fine French restaurant. She loves to cook and hews to her mother’s only food rule: You must try everything at least once.
