Coppelia - Review - Chelsea - New York - The Infatuation

"We were pretty fired up about Coppelia when it opened. A latin-themed diner from the good people behind Infatuation favorites Yerba Buena and Toloache? Sign us up. Sadly, we weren't overly impressed the first time we went. Neither were we on the second, third, fourth or fifth. We keep coming back though, despite not being blown away by the food. Here's why. Coppelia is CHEAP. We're not talking affordable by NYC standards, we're talking cheap in Des Moines, Iowa. The majority of the menu clocks in under $10 which makes it possible to eat like a king and get a beer for under $20. Being that it is so cheap, it's hard to hate on the food all that much. You could be doing a lot worse. Coppelia's pedigree almost works against them because we hold Yerba Buena in such high regard. However, we need to keep in mind that this is just a diner. And if this was a random diner we stumbled into knowing nothing about, we'd have found a diamond in the rough. Another reason we're cool with Coppelia is because it's open 24 hours. This may be the city that never sleeps, but when it's 4am and you need to eat, there really aren't that many solid options. This is one of them. Additionally, Coppelia is centrally located between the West Village, Chelsea and Meatpacking making it convenient anytime you're on the West side. More importantly, the best part about Coppelia is that it's right next door to one of our favorite establishments in NYC - The Donut Pub. Skip dessert and go for a black & white cookie. You can thank us later. Food Rundown Huevos Rancheros/Huevos Coppelia They have a tendency to overcook the eggs at Coppelia, therefore drying out the entire dish. Both the Huevos Rancheros and Huevos Coppelia suffered a similar fate, as did the omelette we got on the following trip. Maybe it's the Latin way, but we don't like our eggs dry like the desert. Get something else off the all day breakfast menu. Home Made Ricotta Waffles Solid. We enjoyed these light, airy waffles. Nachos One of our favorite things here, we've ordered the nachos every time we've visited. Made with chihuahua cheese, black beans, jalapeño, and chopped beef short ribs, this is fun for the whole table. Empanadas The empanadas are one of the highlights of the menu and definitely warrant investing some stomach real estate towards. Our two favorites are the Oxtail Empanada and the Sweet Corn and Chicken Empanada. Cubano Sandwich Nothing wrong with this guy. There's a nice ratio of roasted pork with ham, swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. Order it. Frita Cubana Burger This is a very good and unique burger. However, the description - roast pork, chicharron, lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles - sound way better than it is. It's kind of a mess and hard to eat. Ropa Vieja This Cuban classic is one of Coppelia's most popular orders. For good reason, too. Dessert Another reminder to go next door and get the black and white cookie at The Donut Pub." - Andrew Steinthal