Bites Nearby: Don Coqui

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, New Rochelle Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out.

Here's this week's choice:

Housed in an old ammunition factory that is nearly 100 years old, this New Rochelle eatery has been serving up authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and has gathered a buzz not only because of their menu, but also their community involvement.

Patch recently reported on the restaurant's partnership with New Rochelle Schools to host a year-long program,

Don Coqui also provides cooking classes for anyone interested in flexing their culinary muscles. They provide a full cooking party where you will use your "mystery ingredients" as they call them, spend about an hour in their kitchen cooking the meal and then you can sit back with your friends and enjoy your dinner creations.

Don Coqui calls itself the "shortcut to Puerto Rico" and for good reason, because their dishes are authentic to the island. Some of these items include paella, mofongo, oxtail, churrasco, arroz con pollo, yuca mash and even desserts such as cheese flan with a caramel glaze or chocolate bread pudding with dulce de leche.

There were many positive reviews of the restaurant on Yelp.com but here are just a few:

"Oh where to start?! This is an experience! Come here w(ith) friends and let your hair down & bring your appetite! Authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. Very impressed from the start. This is quite the operation—there is a lot going on! Bar, dancing, loud music, families, private parties, open kitchen, staff everywhere."

"When we finally sit down at the large round table, the huge plates of food start coming out. A giant platter of mixed appetizers came out first. Fried empanadas are to die for, chicharron are crispy and delicious, shredded pernil on crostini was OMG good, fried calamari were crispy and not greasy and the baked clams with some kind of creamy sauce were tasty and tender."

"We decided to have the chef pick our courses for us, and we found the food to be delicious. First up we had crispy plantains, one topped with shrimp and one with steak. The shrimp was in a creamy sauce and it was excellent, as was the beef."

Prices at Don Coqui can be high for some entrees, ranging from $20 up to $34 for some of their steaks. Plan to visit their Web site—doncoqui.com—for much more information on their services including events, cooking classes, info about their bar and lounge as well as much more.

Don Coqui is located at 115 Cedar St. in New Rochelle, right near the I-95. To contact them for reservations, call 914-637-3737.