Mekato's Bakery and Cafe
3500 W National Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53215
http://www.mekatos.com/
Mekato's Bakery and Cafe is a classic Columbian bakery in the
heart of Milwaukee's Silver City district. Founded in Chicago,
Illinois in 2002 by the Bohorquez family, Mekato's Columbian
Bakery prides itself on providing quality products daily with
guaranteed freshness and "careful service."
On the recommendation of my friend Fernando, a native of
Columbia, I visited the Silver City Mekatos location on a
beautiful spring day and I was glad I did.
Nestled on the northwest corner of 35th and National, the
Mekatos Milwaukee location is bright and colorful with a small,
utilitarian dining room. Standing in front of the impressive
bakery case and looking up at the vast array of baked goods
available on the menu board (and because most of the menu was
in Spanish) I was momentarily dazed and confused.
The young counter girl noticed my dilemma and after determining
that I was attempting to order breakfast suggested I order one of
their five breakfast combos. The combo she suggested came with
beans and rice, steak or eggs (I chose steak) and a perfectly fried
arapa ($8.00). Given a choice of beverages, I chose a cup of
coffee with milk.
The coffee arrived first and it was delightful with the steamed foam
of milk nestled on top the porcelain coffee cup. Both café con
leche and cortadito, expresso topped with steamed milk, are
$1.50. Also available are hot chocolate ($1.50) and cafe
colombiano ($1.25).
As I sipped my café con leche and waited for my breakfast, I
perused both the bakery case and the menu.
Thanks to the largesse of my friend Fernando, I had already
sampled the fried empanadas, beef or chicken ($1.00), and
knew them to be excellent. If it is not offered, do ask for the
green ahi (Columbian salsa). My breakfast arrived and I dug
into the plate of flavorful beans and rice and several strips of
tender thin-cut steak. The single fried arepa that accompanied
the meal was so wonderful that I ordered two more ($1.50).
On my second visit to Mekatos, on a cold and dreary weekday,
I ordered take-out from the wondrously varied bakery and
the other delicacies and fine foods available from behind the
counter. First, I went for what I know: I ordered six more of
the deliciously crunchy empanadas - 3 chicken and 3 beef. Then
I got adventurous, and I mean really adventurous because this
time there was a different counter woman and while she spoke
very limited English, I spoke almost no Spanish. So I had to
revert to primitive pointing and mimicking: I point to something
that looked good, indicate how many I want - "Two," I would say
holding up two fingers. "Dose?" the woman would ask. "Yeah, yeah.
Dose!" And I did this until I had purchased over thirty dollars
worth of food.
I bought four incredibly fat and flavorful sausages and two thick
slabs of impossibly sinful deep-fried pork crackling that the
counter woman arranged in a Styrofoam carton with six arepas,
four tiny plastic cups of the marvelous green ahi sauce and four
lime slices.
I didn't know if I could replicate this purchase but it was
wonderful. At home I ate the sausages like a gringo - on buns
with mustard and the green ahi slathered on top like relish. They
were incredible. But nothing quite compares with pure decadence
of the pure deep fried fat of the pork crackling.
I subsequently learned that the sausages were chorizo con arepas
(one sausage, one arepa and one lime slice: $2.50 ea) and that the
pork crackling were chicharrón con arepas ($3.00 ea).
In addition to the above, I bought two caramañolas, a light, crispy
ball of cassava masa dough empanada filled with meat ($1.50 ea),
two marcelinos ($1.00 ea), two flaky, buttery croisant con quesos
($.1.25 ea), and two donut-like buñuuelos ($1.00).
It was a delicious haul that I shared with family and friends.
On the Eating While Black scale:
So good you'll slap your mama!
It made my mouth happy!
Aiight!
Better than dirt.
Service: Friendly and courteous
Comfortable for black people?: Yes
Recommend to your black and white friends: Yes
Recommend to just your black friends: N/A
Recommend to just your white friends: N/A
the meal was so wonderful that I ordered two more ($1.50).
On my second visit to Mekatos, on a cold and dreary weekday,
I ordered take-out from the wondrously varied bakery and
the other delicacies and fine foods available from behind the
counter. First, I went for what I know: I ordered six more of
the deliciously crunchy empanadas - 3 chicken and 3 beef. Then
I got adventurous, and I mean really adventurous because this
time there was a different counter woman and while she spoke
very limited English, I spoke almost no Spanish. So I had to
revert to primitive pointing and mimicking: I point to something
that looked good, indicate how many I want - "Two," I would say
holding up two fingers. "Dose?" the woman would ask. "Yeah, yeah.
Dose!" And I did this until I had purchased over thirty dollars
worth of food.
I bought four incredibly fat and flavorful sausages and two thick
slabs of impossibly sinful deep-fried pork crackling that the
counter woman arranged in a Styrofoam carton with six arepas,
four tiny plastic cups of the marvelous green ahi sauce and four
lime slices.
I didn't know if I could replicate this purchase but it was
wonderful. At home I ate the sausages like a gringo - on buns
with mustard and the green ahi slathered on top like relish. They
were incredible. But nothing quite compares with pure decadence
of the pure deep fried fat of the pork crackling.
I subsequently learned that the sausages were chorizo con arepas
(one sausage, one arepa and one lime slice: $2.50 ea) and that the
pork crackling were chicharrón con arepas ($3.00 ea).
In addition to the above, I bought two caramañolas, a light, crispy
ball of cassava masa dough empanada filled with meat ($1.50 ea),
two marcelinos ($1.00 ea), two flaky, buttery croisant con quesos
($.1.25 ea), and two donut-like buñuuelos ($1.00).
It was a delicious haul that I shared with family and friends.
On the Eating While Black scale:
So good you'll slap your mama!
It made my mouth happy!
Aiight!
Better than dirt.
Service: Friendly and courteous
Comfortable for black people?: Yes
Recommend to your black and white friends: Yes
Recommend to just your black friends: N/A
Recommend to just your white friends: N/A
Foods is good, but check your bill twice, before you pay for!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe were there yesterday, and we were charge different to what the menu prices said, higher of course!! they charge us $2.50 for chorizo y arepa once, and for the second time that we asked for 2 chorizo y arepa to go, we were charge $6.00!!!!! So watch out with your bill!!