Battle of the Brunches (Part 2): Arepas

Note: It's been quite a while since I conducted an informal battle of the brunches. I hope to do this with increasing frequency.

I'm a big fan of anything made with cornmeal: polenta, tortillas, cornbread, grits, pupusas, and, of course, the delightful Venezuelan arepa. This white cornmeal cake is not only a sturdy pocket for various fillings such as cheese or roast meat, but it's also tasty with just a pat of butter. This week, I compared the arepa breakfasts at two Venezuelan cafes in the East Village: Flor's Kitchen and Caracas Arepa Bar.

At Caracas Arepa Bar, I ordered the Desayuno Criollo ($9.95) and received a large plate of huevos pericos, or eggs scrambled with peppers, onions and tomatoes, a healthy portion of black beans (shredded beef is also an option), a small salad with tomatoes and hearts of palm, a tropical juice (I chose guava) and a plain arepa. The scrambled eggs were fluffy and the guava juice was thick and sweet. However, the arepa was a disappointment: small and hard, it was rather more like a biscuit.

I had the exact opposite experience at Flor's Kitchen (which recently opened up a new location in the West Village due to its extreme popularity - NOTE: 1st Ave. location closed in 2007). I again ordered the huevos pericos ($6.50, with fried plantains instead of beans and salad) and a guava juice. The juice was iced and tart instead of sweet, and the scrambled eggs were unappealingly watery. But the arepa: what a revelation! Moist, light, buttery and piping hot, it was everything the ideal cornmeal cake should be. In the future, I guess I'll just have to make an afternoon of my arepas and brunch at both restaurants on the same day.

Caracas Arepa Bar: 91 East 7th St., (212) 228-5062. Flor's Kitchen: 149 1st Ave., (212) 387-8949.