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Arlezol Café, the newest addition to Broadway’s dining corridor, is accented with warm tones of paneled wood, banquettes and sheer curtains for an elegant décor.
Story by Adrian Cabreja and Debralee Santos
Photos by Adrian Cabreja
“Impressive,” is the word that Anthony Sánchez, owner of Washington Heights’ new restaurant Arlezol Café, hopes will be the word on everyone’s lips, the one that will best summarize the experience he and his team have worked to create for the discriminating palates – on both sides of Broadway.
As Sánchez sees it, Arlezol Café is the best of both worlds, as it offers the kind of detailed table service and eclectic culinary presentation one might be inclined to consign to an evening out downtown, while keeping to reasonable prices that would be welcomed everywhere.
Arlezol Café, which opened last month on 4460 Broadway, near 190th Street, is Washington Heights’ latest addition to a newly burgeoning “Restaurant Row” on uptown’s main artery; other forerunners include APT 78 and Althus Café.
Arlezol Café is billed by its creators as a multi-cultural fusion restaurant that weaves together Mediterranean, Italian and American Continental culinary influences with, of course, plenty of Latin American sazón. The restaurant serves anything from the on-the-go taco to upscale entrees such as their signature veal, served with sautéed spinach and wild mushroom-laced mashed potatoes.
The sleekly designed restaurant, with warm, ambient lighting and inviting banquettes, replaced Don Ricardo’s Steakhouse, and makes ample use of the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that look directly onto Broadway with white sheer curtain panels and dark wood paneling.
Sánchez and his staff emphasize that beyond the menu, what will set Arlezol apart from the pack will be their attention to detail and service.
“Part of providing customer service is being able to cater to all customers. I feel like we create greater choices for the community,” explained Sánchez, adding that he believes that Arlezol Café’s ethos of service and exceptional food will bring diners from all parts of the city uptown.
With their studied approach, Sánchez argues, “we can then attract more people to the Heights. I believe Arlezol Café will do that.”
One of the restaurant’s stand-outs is its selection of vegetarian meals.
This was good news for many in the Washington Heights’ vegetarian community, who’ve long lamented their limited choices uptown.
“I don't often eat out here, because there is nothing vegetarian,” said Veronika Zorina, a Washington Heights resident, who said she welcomed Arlezol’s presence in the neighborhood she calls home.
One of the particularly popular entrees is aptly named, “The Vegetarian,” which includes grilled vegetables with sweet plantains, rice and grilled tofu.
And for those who believe that they might have to go somewhere else to eat ”comida de la patria,” think again. Arlezol’s menu has a predominant Latino bent, with a rich selection of roast chicken and grilled meats, and fresh salads.
Frequent visitors have raved about the chicken croquetas, tiny bundles of dough stuffed with perfectly seasoned, tender chicken and served alongside avocado salsa.
And is fitting for any restaurant seeking to draw in the many artists in the neighborhood, who’d appreciate a leisurely opportunity to discuss a new novel or exhibit over a late morning, Arlezol also serves an extensive brunch menu that boasts buttermilk pancakes, crab cake Benedict and its own Arlezol Omelette, which consists of onions, spinach, goat cheese and a special red house sauce.
Chef Fernando Cordoba is the chef at the helm of the new restaurant, but he is far from a novice. Cordoba, long recognizes as a towering figure in Nuevo Latino Cuisine, has worked in the Washington Heights restaurant and dining scene for many years, having served as chef for Café Tabaco Y Ron and APT 78 in previous years.
Along with Sánchez’s vision for customer service and impeccable food, the charismatic owner is eager to become a staple of the community, and to adapt to his diners’ needs and caprichos [whims].
“We are willing to take ideas from everybody, because this is their restaurant,” says Sánchez. “We want to grow with the community.”
Arlezol Café is located on 4460 Broadway (between Fairview Avenue and West 192nd Street), New York, New York 10040. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday for dinner from 5 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am.
The restaurant’s phone numbers are 646.438.9886 and 646.438.9928.
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