Frankye’s Hispanic Cuisine

The establishment is planning a move to a larger spot in Trenton. The bigger the better, so long as it remains faithful to its wonderful assortment of honest, home-cooked Guatemalan dishes.

By: Pat Tanner

   TRENTON — I first stopped by Frankye’s, a modest storefront restaurant on Perry Street in Trenton, at lunchtime. I wanted to check out its Guatemalan food, thinking it might make a good subject for my Tasty Tidbits column. But the food proved so good and authentic I decided it merited a full review, despite somewhat abbreviated dinner hours. These might expand, in fact, when Frankye’s relocates in a few months.
   On that first visit, I was suffering from a bad cold, and Frankye’s version of cocido, a hearty beef and vegetable soup ($9) proved a heaven-sent elixir, especially its deeply flavorful broth. This meal-in-a-bowl includes two big chunks of boneless stewing beef (from the shin, I would guess), tender and moist, along with hunks of white potato, carrot, squash, cabbage and yuca, the starchy tuber so beloved in Central and South America.
   For this dish alone, I knew I would return, although I was also impressed with Frankye’s complimentary tortillas and chismol, a Guatemalan version of chips and salsa, only far superior. In place of dry, hard corn chips, a small basket of soft, warm corn griddle cakes arrives at the table. These are similar to the tortillas of other countries, such as Colombia’s arepas. The accompanying condiment, chismol (also called chirmol), is a complex, spicy puree of roasted tomatoes, cilantro, onion and some form of chile. In this instance, the heat had a particularly smoky component that made me guess that chipotles were used.
   Although not a lot of English is spoken here, the menu helpfully provides English translations of its wonderful beef, pork, chicken and seafood dishes. Traditional soft drinks include batidos in flavors like papaya and guanabana, Mexican sodas and a house specialty, refresco de horchata ($1.50), a cold, refreshing, non-sweet drink of steeped, ground almonds. Hot drinks include the very traditional atole de elote, a thick drink made from ground corn and sugar ($2.50).
   Among the appetizers of tacos, enchiladas and plantain dishes, we were particularly taken with the pupusas de chicharron ($5). These consist of those same small, soft tortillas filled with minced dried pork rind accompanied by sour cream and a rustic, cleanly dressed cabbage and vegetable slaw. We also enjoyed earthy rellenitos de plantano ($1.50), for which the flesh of a sweet, ripened plantain is removed, cooked, reformed into the shape of a small sweet potato, stuffed with a black bean mixture, and fried. A plateful of garnachas ($5.50) was composed of flat, fried tortilla rounds topped with a surprisingly light-textured mix of ground beef, onion, white cheese and tomato sauce. These needed a good sprinkling of salt and a dollop of chismol to come alive.
   In both my visits to Frankye’s, I have been tempted by, yet bypassed, the seafood selections, which include ceviche made with shrimp ($6) and fried porgies (market price), the latter being a favorite with regulars, who are almost entirely Hispanic. Nor have I visited on a Thursday or Friday, when hen soup ($8) is a special. What I can’t seem to resist is the Guatemalan Pork Adobada ($8), a generous serving of thin, boneless pork covered with a fantastic dry rub containing, among other things, achiote (a paste made with annato seeds), tomato and vinegar or lime juice. Like most entrées, the pork comes with a choice of side dishes that include fluffy rice speckled with corn, peas and other vegetables, red beans or refried black beans, or a Russian salad (chopped carrots, green beans and other vegetables in mayonnaise). That last option, my very knowledgeable dinner companion told me, is not an unusual offering. Of these sides, the black beans are truly remarkable. The cooked beans are pulverized and then reheated until almost dry, when they become intensely flavored and almost smoky.
   Equally good was Frankye’s Special Churrasco ($10), another big platter, this time with a slab of thin beef sirloin that had been marinated in a simple mixture of lime juice, salt and pepper, rendering it incredibly tender, juicy and tasty. Among the accompaniments are a large dollop of superior guacamole — a subtler version than usual, made with less onion and more lemon juice.
   Mexican influences can be found in dishes like the excellent Pollen en Pepian ($7). Here, pieces of chicken thigh and leg are slow-cooked in a thick, lush sauce, similar to a molé, that gets its nuttiness from pureed pumpkin seeds.
   Currently, Frankye’s does not offer desserts, but changes are in the works. After almost six years on Perry Street, its owner is looking to relocate to another spot in Trenton, where he hopes to expand beyond the current room of six tables and five booths. He hopes to offer not only desserts, but a full bar as well, and is currently compiling a mailing list to let patrons know of the move, which may come as early as in two months.
   I say the bigger the better for Frankye’s — just so long it remains faithful to its wonderful assortment of honest, home-cooked Guatemalan dishes.
For directions to Frankye’s Hispanic Cuisine, click here.