Profile

The versatility of La Casa Del Mofongo’s space helps make it a Washington Heights social hub. Just inside the white, mullioned windows is a long, active counter for takeout orders. On the right is a brick-walled bar, often packed with a youthful Dominican crowd. Long lines snake back from the host station, as family groups await seating in the bi-level dining room. Titular mofongo is available in nearly endless iterations—salami to goat to lobster—with a starchy plantain base moistened by buttery gravy on the side. Roasted pork mofongo stands out, savory and served skin-on, flavored with hints of cilantro. A frenetic grill by the front windows turns out expert churrasco skirt steaks, the meat tender in an onion-and-vinegar marinade, and finished with a charcoal sear. The balance of the menu is traditional Dominican fare, with steam trays for rotating daily specials. A dessert refrigerator holds rich, spongy tres leches cake and an appealingly dense guava-topped cheesecake. The décor has an understated tropical quality, with rattan seats, bamboo poles, and kitschy paintings of Dominican heroes. The scene is lively and runs 24 hours, usually to a soundtrack of pulsating salsa, merengue, and bachata beats. — Ethan Wolff

Avocado salad, $3.95; mofongo con pernil, $10.95; churrasco steak, $16.95; guava cheesecake, $2.95