THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED West Indies

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED West Indies Restaurant Review:

West Indies is all about Caribbean cooking, but don't look for Jamaican jerk or island curries. Rather, chef and owner Hernán Caro prepares coastal Colombian recipes heavy on yucca, cilantro, plantain, chewy, flavorful steak, and heavily seasoned fish. Some of this might be unfamiliar, such as mazorca, a casserole of roasted corn, shoestring potatoes, plantain chips and shredded farmers cheese, or the guacabello, a generous platter of mushrooms and avocado with little else but lime, salt and a light char. There are a number of fish entrées, but they tend to taste the same thanks to an aggressive rub of achiote seasoning. More distinctive is the bouillabaisse-like cazuela with its garlic-laden broth. Skirt steaks and rib-eyes are straightforward and augmented with a green, intense chimichurri, while the fried pork chop is scored to produce crispy gullies to capture a red pepper cream sauce. The restaurant has an unlikely location under the same roof as the St. Charles Avenue Athletic Club, and it can be difficult to spot from the street. But the satisfying South American cooking, the modest prices and the stylish dining room make it worth seeking out.