ITHACA, N.Y. — A new Puerto Rican restaurant finally opened up in Ithaca last week, just in time for un verano en Nueva York.

Before you step into Atabey Restaurant and Lounge, you can already get a taste of  its sazon — salsa classics and the scent of fried platano beckon to passersby crossing the intersection of North Aurora and Seneca Streets.

The restaurant is still in its soft opening, and on a warm Thursday afternoon, business is slow, but anticipation and excitement for this new locale has been growing for months. On Instagram, patrons-to-be sent her messages asking them not to give up. 

That excitement is what kept co-owner Jenilex Pellot from throwing in the towel after months of delays.

“I have a lot of appreciation for those people,” Pellot said. “They were the ones that continued to motivate us to open up the restaurant.”

It’s been a long road for Pellot and business partner Kevin Ramos. The pair announced the restaurant a year ago, but permitting, remodeling and the building’s historical designation pushed the opening date back, they said.

They persevered, and now, hearing Pellot’s vision for the place, one can almost imagine a full house or a family gathering: people dancing, playing a game of dominos and of course, enjoying a well cooked meal. 

The feeling like you’ve made it home is what Atabey is all about, co-owner Kevin Ramos says.

Inside, symbols of Pellot and Ramos’ native island are everywhere: woven straw Jibaro hats, Puerto Rican flags and little ceramic houses hang from the wall.

Pellot named the cafe Atabey, after a goddess of the Taino, the indigenous people that originally inhabited most of the West Indies, including Puerto Rico. 

“[Atabey] was dedicated to women’s fertility and controlling water,” Pellot said. 

Pellot’s grandmother and mother taught her how to cook and bake. The recipes at Atabey honor that culinary ancestry, she said.

Janilex Pellot sits at Atabey Restaurant & Lounge. Credit: Casey Martin / The Ithaca Voice.

Pellot moved from Bayamón, Puerto Rico to the continental U.S. when she was 14, eventually settling in upstate New York. In 2023, she and Ramos opened their first restaurant, La Bamba Cuisine, in Cortland.

“Everyone loved the food and wanted us to open in other places,” Pellot said. “A lot of people said ‘no, Ithaca is the place.’ We said ‘ok, we’re going to Ithaca, then.’”

The Ithaca restaurant took over what used to be Ooy’s Deli, which closed in 2024. The only thing that remains from its past life is the bar, but everything else is brand new, including the kitchen. 

 And at the heart of it all — la comida. The food. 

In the kitchen, there is a large wooden mortar and pestle the size used to make one of the island’s most well loved dishes: Mofongo.

Kevin Ramos makes Mofongo in the Atabey kitchen. Credit: Casey Martin / The Ithaca Voice.

The dish consists of fried plantains mashed with a secret blend of spices and chicharrones, and it is traditionally accompanied by a fried meat.

Ramos and Pellot brought the mortar and pestle from Puerto Rico. The wood, Ramos said, is what holds the flavor — and the more it is used, the better the mofongo will taste. 

Ramos, who is also from Puerto Rico, explained that in the continental U.S, Latine food has been dominated by Mexican cuisine, which while also delicious, does not capture the breadth of flavors that South America and in this case, the Caribbean, has to offer. 

Namely, he said people assume all Latine food is inherently spicy. The food served at Atabey is comida criolla, which has its roots in indigenous, African and European flavors. Comida criolla does not have to be spicy, he said, but it is hearty, filling and bold. 

The mofongo at Atabey follows these principles. The plantains are garlicky and warm, while the carne frita, or the fried pork, is bright and juicy. A garnish of pickled red onions balances everything out with a burst of acidity and a little sweetness.

These kinds of homestyle dishes are not usually elevated, Ramos said, but nonetheless they want it to look beautiful.

“Here, we like for you to be full, so when you eat our food you feel full, but also when you see it you’ll say ‘this is instagram worthy,’” Ramos said. 

And for all the tios and aunties who love their food extra spicy, Ramos said they offer a homemade pique, a traditional cured hot sauce with a vinegar base. They also have a spicy passionfruit mango sauce, a cilantro jalapeno sauce and a guava chilli sauce. 

Ramos said most of what he’s learned has he learned working at La Bamba working with Pellot.

Atabey’s other dishes include other staples like pernil, pork shoulder slow roasted for 18 hours as well as original creations like “Llofongo,” a mofongo topped with seared chicken, mozzarella and a vinaigrette and “El Yunque,” a heap of French fries loaded with melted cheese, chopped plantains, chicken chicharrones, garlic tamarind barbecue sauce and topped with bacon and cilantro. 

The name “El Yunque” references El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest System. 

While food is the pearl of Atabey, Ramos and Pellot say they want the business to serve as more than just a restaurant, but a hub of the Latine community in Ithaca.

Pellot has seen the local salsa and Latin dance scene, organized by the likes of Salsa Ithaca and Guapea Dance School, and hopes to host events in the future. The restaurant also has multiple domino tables and a dance floor.

Atabey’s grand opening will be in the coming days. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

For now, they will be dishing up a limited menu, with a quick service option, but with no limits on the flavor.

More stories like this