Edition: U.S. / Global

A LA CARTE; Alluring Flavors of Dominican Republic

Published: April 11, 1999

EL SABOR DOMINICANO is 10 years old and offers gobs of wholesome, tasty, sometimes exotic dishes at bargain basement prices, yet most Long Islanders (even adventurous ones) don't know that it exists. That's because this spick-and-span spot, at 81 Guy Lombardo Avenue in Freeport (867-6797), serves often unfamiliar food to a largely Latino clientele.

Dominican flags, peppy Caribbean music, Spanish-language television soap operas, crystal chandeliers, artificial flowers, a lunch counter, chrome and formica tables and chairs and plenty of neon (much of it purple) greet diners at this friendly, bustling eat-in takeout, three-meal-a-day, seven-day-a-week restaurant. If the ambiance generates conflicting signals (a summa cum laude luncheonette or a serious ethnic restaurant?) there is no doubt about El Sabor Dominicano's upbeat Latin spirit. It can be seen in the smiling faces of the waitresses and sensed from the laid-back multicultural crowd that frequents this warm and welcoming place. There's a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce on every table (some bare, others glass over cloth) that is joined shortly after patrons arrive by a basket of warm crusty bread.

The staples of South and Central American cuisine are rice and beans. These, along with a dinner salad, are throw-ins included in the price of entrees. If, as many believe, this rustic dish is the ultimate test for a Spanish-skewed kitchen, El Sabor Dominicano gets more than a passing grade. Four diners received two dinner plate servings of impeccably cooked rice (one yellow with tiny black beans, the other white). When mixed with two bowls of red beans in a thick mellow olive and onion-studded sauce, they provide not an accompaniment to entrees but another entree. A separate side order of rice and beans ($2.50), plus a batida ($2.50), or tropical milkshake, would constitute the most filling of $5 meals. The dense, delicious, banana-studded shake was Numero Uno, while a mango blend that had some taste and textural similarities to eggnog and a slightly less fruity papaya mix ranked second and third. The shakes (orange, pineapple, carrot, mamey, etc.) make excellent liquid desserts.

Speaking of hearty vittles, the soups here are more substantial than many stews. So-called small portions for $2 come in medium-sized bowls. We sampled a soothing chicken broth laced with noodles, potatoes, carrots and a king-sized gizzard and a hefty, though bland, ham soup studded with rice, potatoes, celery, red peppers and a meaty ham hock. Despite its Dominican lineage, the English-Spanish language menu here does make some detours, offering main line and Italian beef, chicken, seafood and pasta dishes as well as a Cuban sandwich ($3.50). When cut into quarters, the last, a warm, pressed flat roll containing layers of pork ham and cheese, provided a tasty hors d'oeuvres.

Entrees, most of which cost what appetizers do at luxury restaurants, range from spaghetti with chicken ($4) to a steak and shrimp special for $16.95. But most are typical Dominican dishes in the $7 to $10 bracket (codfish, octopus, goat and ox-tail stews, lobster and shrimp creoles, fried pork and beef, etc.). We tried to go the native route with goat ($7.50) and ox-tail ($7.50) stews, fried pork chops ($7.50) and mofongo de camarones ($10), or mashed plantains with shrimp and fried pork. The ox-tail stew, thin, tender fat-fringed beef with a pot roast consistency, and goat stew, large meat-covered bones in a rich potent sauce, drew cheers at our table. The pork, two big meaty chops covered with rings of marinated red onions, drew mixed reviews. It was the tastiest but also the toughest entree sampled.

The strangest though not the most satisfying course was that plantain-pork-shrimp amalgam. It looks like a flat-topped pill box made of stuffing for a turkey (mashed plantains substitute for bread) with but faint flavor and a slightly dry texture, at least until its beef sauce comes to the rescue. Although it and a few other possibilities fall into the novelty-number category for North American palates, there is an interesting, unusual culinary middle ground between them and daily specials like baked salmon and surf and turf that will appeal to the less venturesome.

Desserts come from an outside source, but the generous, moist, wedge of custardy flan ($2) is recommended.

Although credit cards are accepted, an 8 1/2 percent fee is tacked on to bills when they're used. But whether patrons pay with plastic or cash, no one will go broke here. A recent dinner of two soups, a sandwich, four entrees with accompaniments, a beer, a soda, three milk shakes and a dessert cost $54.


Kevin Henry, formerly the chef at the Blue Parrot in East Hampton, and his wife, Victoria, have announced the opening of the Watermark Restaurant, 313 Three Mile Harbor Road, East Hampton (324-0000). The casual seafood restaurant occupies the space that was formerly the Monterey Seafood Grill. Appetizers will be priced from $6 to $10 and entrees from $15 to $22.