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Eats
Arroz con pollo at El Castillo de Manhattan.
Authentic Latin fare
at Madison’s Castillo
BY GABE HERMAN
For a FREE brochure call:
1-800-404-9776
When a local restaurant is nofrills,
with no Web site and
in an unassuming spot, yet
has been around for decades, you know
the food has to be good. And that’s the
case with the Spanish restaurant El
Castillo de Manhattan.
It’s deep in the Lower East Side at
207 Madison St., between Rutgers and
Jefferson Sts., and just a block from the
East Broadway stop on the F train.
It’s a small place, midway up the
block, with just 11 tables and a counter
toward the back for ordering.
And there are many choices from the
big menu, including sandwiches, salads,
plenty of meats and seafood, and
breakfast items like green banana with
egg, salami and cheese. The place combines
casual with sit-down, as you order
at the counter and then are waited
on at a table.
Local resident John Quinn, the former
Democratic State Committee man,
is a longtime customer. He said the
restaurant has been there more than
40 years. He noted that the place has
a new lease and its block is the last full
block of tenements on Madison St.
“I’ve been going for 30 years,” he
said. “My favorite dish is asopado de
pollo,” which is also called “chicken
soupy rice” on the menu. “Though everything
is excellent,” Quinn added.
“It’s very much a community place. Big
PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN
lunch takeout.”
Festive Christmas decorations and
lively music, along with the friendly
staff, contributed to the warm atmosphere
on a recent November night.
The place also features a television that
was playing NY1 news, and an electronic
jukebox in the corner.
There is some name confusion, as
some online listings call it Castillo de
Madison. This name also appears in
the restaurant on one sign, but the outside
awning and menu call it Castillo de
Manhattan. Despite its lack of a Web
site, the restaurant offers delivery on
Seamless and Grubhub, and is called
Castillo de Manhattan on both sites.
Quinn noted that all the food is prepared
to order and “takes a while. Even
soup is prepared individually.”
On a recent visit I tried the arroz con
pollo, with a side of fried yellow plantains.
The food was ready in about 12
minutes and did not disappoint. The
portions were big, probably enough for
two people, and delicious.
The total price was $13.25 for the
meal, which included complimentary
bread with butter. If you order a meat
dish, you might have to watch out for
an occasional bone. But that’s O.K.,
that’s just a sign that it’s real food.
El Castillo de Manhattan, 207 Madison
St., 212-227-2892 (no Web site).
They accept credit cards and offer free
delivery.
18 December 6, 2018 TVG Schneps Community News Group