La Casa de Pedro Opens in the Seaport
Pierna de Baby, a plate at La Casa de Pedro. / Photo by Heath Robbins
The Seaport area has a new place for Venezuelan and Latin American-inspired eats: La Casa de Pedro has opened a second location in the Seaport, with dinner service kicking off tonight.
The new location comes 20 years after owner Pedro Alarcón settled down in Watertown Square, and 10 years after he established the current location west of the city, Eater Boston reports. With an expanded operation in the Fort Point area, you can try his longstanding recipes without leaving town.
“I’ve been inviting guests into my Watertown ‘home’ for over 20 years,”Alarcón says in a press release. “I’m ready to introduce the people of Boston to the authentic Venezuelan and South American dishes that I grew up with, and share my culture with them.”
Many of those dishes pull from traditional recipes he grew up with in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. Featured plates include Venezuelan-style arepas, quesillos (essentially flan) available in flavors like coconut and chocolate, and pabellon criollo, a Venezuelan take on rice and beans with shredded beef and fried sweet plantains. The new spot will also offer 13 varieties of ceviche at its seafood bar, which rivals just one version available on the Watertown menu, Eater Boston reported.
Complement these plates with signature cocktails like the Frambuesa Loca, a mix of bourbon, orange juice, and raspberry jam. Many other stiff standards like martinis, sangria, and mojitos will also available, courtesy of Alarcón’s nephew and general manager, Luis Maggioli. For those who prefer cerveza, there will be a rotating selection of bottled and draft beers.
The space is modeled after a Spanish hacienda, with folk art, palm trees, and light fixtures constructed from recycled bottles, Eater reports. The bar is lined with baby blue seats, and has barbershop chairs nearby to honor Alarcón’s memories with his father. One area of the dining room, called the Family Room, even features photos of Alarcón’s family and lineage. An indoor barbecue spit is easily visible from the open kitchen, and is used to roast dishes like pork shoulder and Spanish blood sausage.
To ease into the vibrant new space, the crew is introducing new additions in waves. Next weekend, the restaurant will launch a special late-might menu of small plates like chicharrón con carne. Brunch will also be a weekend staple beginning on Saturday, November 26, at 10 a.m., and feature an empanada bar, Eater reports. The Seaport spot will soon have live music, like merengue and salsa, during weekend nights and brunch.
And in time, an adjoining to-go counter called the Rapido Café will open for grab-and-go pastries, tacos, and other quick bites. The café is expected to debut later this year, and will begin serving food at 7:30 a.m.
La Casa de Pedro Seaport will only be open for dinner this week. Starting next week, the restaurant will be open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight, Fridays from 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m.-1 a.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
The Seaport area is on the up and up. La Casa de Pedro joins other recent newcomers like Shake Shack and Yo! Sushi, and the neighborhood will soon be home to America’s Test Kitchen‘s headquarters, a second Hopsters, Better Bagels’ first brick-and-mortar, and more.
La Casa de Pedro, 505 Congress St., Fort Point/Seaport, 617-737-2272, lacasadepedro.com.
