The menu at El Rey del Sol requires some careful navigation. The mole is bland; the boneless breaded chicken cutlet on toasted-pumpkin-seed sauce ($10.95) is curiously tepid, possibly because there is an inherent limit to the pleasure that can be had from eating any sauce that tastes solely of toasted pumpkin seeds; and the vegetarian burrito with cactus and chayote squash ($8.95) is serviceable but not in the same league as, say, its counterpart at the nearby Kitchen Market (218 Eighth Avenue; 243-4433). It's also worth keeping an eye on the weather before heading for El Rey del Sol. On the cold nights that I went there, a numbing breeze gusted through the place each time the front door was opened. More happily, when summer comes, I will surely check out the "Quiet Garden" at the rear, a spacious, tranquil spot that insouciantly combines the pastoral and the junkyard.
Having finally woken up to the possibilities of this portion of 14th Street, the Underground Gourmet began to stalk the block with intent to eat: El Patio (212 West 14th Street; 647-9603), a cheerful diner with a sideline in quesadillas and nachos; Tequila's (245 West 14th Street; 463-0535), a raucous Mexican whose baked tortilla soup ($2.50) and off-the-menu guacamole special (chopped, mashed, and custom-blended with onions, radishes, lemon, tomatoes, cilantro, etc., at your table) should be your focus; and Fresco Tortilla Taco (215 West 14th Street; 352-0686), a thriving Chinese-owned outlet.
But best of all is Sucelt Coffee Shop (200 West 14th Street; 242-0593), a Colombian-run restaurant that has been in business for 22 years. How could I have been so blind as to miss this place? Sucelt Coffee Shop has two orange counters, nine red stools, relaxed and informative service, and a steady supply of satisfied, mostly Hispanic, customers. There is a busy takeout trade, but I was made to feel welcome sitting at the counter over a frothy café con leche.
The food is of a maternal wholesomeness, simple and delicious, and has that supreme quality of Mom-cooked grub: It can do no wrong. The beans (garlicky black or more peppery red) and rice (yellow or white) are accompanied by a thick, sweet slice of fried plantain, and are exactly what's required. The tamales are large, varied, and superb: Try the hot Mexican (with pork and spices; $2.50), the subtly gratifying Venezuelan (pork, chicken, beef, raisins, and capers; $3.75), and the Puerto Rican (green banana and pork; $2.50). The empanadas have a light but filling pastry and are available with real crabmeat, shrimp, and octopus (all $1.75), also shredded beef, chicken, cheese, or ham with sausage (all $1.40). There are also daily specials. I liked the ground beef ($5.50), which is served with raisins, onions, beans, and rice, and is handily washed down with a fresh fruit batida made from milk or ice and available in mamey, soursop, passion-fruit, mango, and banana ($2.75 to $3). Sucelt Coffee Shop is like a home away from home, and I'll be lingering there until -- hell's bells, until the next Bush administration.
El Rey del Sol is open from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends. Cash only. Sucelt Coffee Shop is open from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Cash only.
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