Cafe Charlotte

• Cuisine(s): South American
  Hours: Daily 12pm-11pm
  Price: $$ $$
  Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, American Express
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Kid Friendly, Takeout
  Serving: Dinner, Lunch
  Alcohol: Beer/Wine
• Reservations: Not Necessary
  Parking: Street

Description

Under the same ownership as the venerable Charlotte Bakery next door, which turns out baked goods and sandwiches from a variety of Latin American nations, this newer café features Venezuelan specialties. A great intro to that nation's cuisine is a sampler including guayanes cheese (similar to mozzarella but looser), tequeños (dough-wrapped sticks of firm white cheese), a fried cornmeal tamale, deep-fried beef mini-empanadas, and house-made guasacaca sauce, a thinner and delectably tangier version of guacamole. And Mojo Shrimp -- fresh Florida shellfish precisely sautéed with a mix of orange, lemon, and cilantro, then finished with a sauce of white wine and butter -- is a surprisingly ambitious starter for such a humble setting. There's a small selection of budget-price wines too. In fact, what looks to be just another empanada joint outside is cute enough inside to be suitable for a romantic bargain date -- except on days when there's a soccer game on TV, and the café turns into a zoo.