Pio Pio Riko
996 Manhattan Avenue at Huron Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
718-349-5925
On our way to a party in Greenpoint on Halloween, Dave and I were walking up Manhattan Avenue but dismayed by the lack of appropriate dining options. Granted, it was a little late, close to the witching hour, but still. After a Polish place literally shut its door in our faces and an American joint was overflowing and pulsing loud music, we were relieved to unearth Pio Pio Riko. The place was very dead. Sometimes hipsters would pop in to use the restroom to change or to check the World Series game score, but the dining room was quiet. Quiet in that there weren’t many people, but not really quiet, since a singer was belting out tunes in Spanish while playing a Korg keyboard. ”Lady in red!”
The menu has a lot of seafood but Dave and I decided on the chicken because we love Dominican chicken, and rotisserie chicken in general. Pio Pio Riko started things off on the right foot by offering free roasted corn. Yum. Our waitress placed the heavenly green sauce on the table in anticipation of our whole chicken.
Outstanding chicken! The skin was salty much, but that could be forgiven, seeing as the meat was moist and well oiled and tremendously tasty. Dip in green sauce, and you are good to go. The maduros and rice and beans are good accompaniments too. Thanks for being there when we needed a friend, Pio Pio Riko. They have a couple of locations in Brooklyn and Queens but sadly not in Manhattan. Tear.
