Villa Creole (Haitian/Creole)

I should preface this post by stating that I have never been to Haiti nor have I ever had Haitian food.  While I have heard that there are some nice Haitian/Creole restaurants in Miami, I have not yet visited them perhaps because I know they are nicer restaurants that get their fair share of publicity.  I'd rather give my publicity, limited as it might be, to the less-known more hole-in-the-wall joints.  One such place is Villa Creole, and as like many of my other joints, I literally found this as I was driving by (probably wouldn't have noticed it had it not been for the "now open" sign flapping in the south Florida breeze...by the way, they just opened three months ago). 

I have always been interested in trying Haitian/Creole food, especially since people describe it as being a mixture of African and French cuisine.  But not knowing what I should order from quite an extensive menu, I asked a local patron (pictured below) to order me something that would be typically Haitian, and he gladly did. 

I ended up with griot complet = fried pork served with fried plantains (tostones to you Latin people), salad, and a blended rice and bean dish.  Scrumptious.

 

As much as I enjoyed the place, I didn't know if it was 'legit' Haitian food, so I convinced a Haitian friend of mine to come along for lunch one day.  A food connoisseur herself, she took the responsibility very seriously and let the server know that she was there to judge the food.  Once again, I let the local expert pick the dishes.  She had poulet dur en sauce, some type of chicken stew (she rated about 7.5-8 out of 10) and I had a very 'common' beef and vegetable stew-type thing called légumes served with rice.  I'd totally rate mine a 9; it was divine, power-packed full of flavor.  Villa Creole serves both small and large orders, so you can get just the right size for your appetite.

There's so many other things I want to try.  Since okra is one of my favorites, perhaps next for me will be the kalalou.  I hope you will find something off this menu that speaks to your innards, or do what I did and let them pick. 

Come on, hand over the control for once in your life and taste something you wouldn't otherwise choose for yourself.....you can do it, I know you can!

Check it out:
Villa Creole
667 South Dixie Hwy St. 3
Pompano Beach, FL  33063
Tel. (754) 235-5375