ABOVE: Huevos Rancheros for 7 bucks.
MAYA RESTAURANT: 166 STILLWATER AVE., STAMFORD
11/21/2009
When I walked into the Maya Restaurant on Stamford’s West Side today, I was horrified to see that the pastry case was missing. No more tres leches cake?
Fortunately, it had only been moved to the rear of the restaurant which was busy serving up big breakfast plates. We both went for the Huevos Rancheros, traditionally a Mexican dish, but this being a predominantly Guatemalan establishment, there were differences like the super-thick corn tortillas and the inclusion of fried plantains.
Maya replaced Corelli’s bakery, a long-time fixture on the West Side, reflecting the demographic shift the neighborhood has witnessed over the years. They opened with summer with a spacious dining area out front and outdoor seating along the side of the restaurant.
Most of the food here is Guatemalan.; the pupusas are popular, either filled with cheese or pork, both deliciously greasy and served with a plate full of wicked-hot pickled peppers.
Oddly enough, they serve a lot of Peruvian food as well. I’m coming back to try the lomo saltado. Choices at Maya run the gamut, you can drop in for a $2 pupusa for sit down for a full meal of steak or fish.
And then there’s dessert. I go for the tres leches cake which is appropriately soggy and sweet with condensed milk and a sugary icing.
–CP
I’m the other half of the “we” in this post, and just wanted to note that the way they make their huevos rancheros is actually closer to the Mexican breakfast called “huevos divorciados.” It’s when you get two eggs served on top of tortillas, one in green sauce and the other in red sauce.
I always liked the euphemistic name, it sounds like the eggs got mad at each other and decided to get a divorce.
Here’s some photos:
http://images.google.com/images?q=huevos+divorciados&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=f1wJS8vIG8-9lAfvw-yEBA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBAQsAQwAA
Love this place.
This place is part-owned by the parents of one of my former students. The lomo saltado beats Fiesta’s hands down. The tallarin saltado de carne is unbelievable. You’re right, the pupusas are completely worth the trip. I don’t know how they can keep the prices so low, but everyone should go here.