One Stop Shop Market
For several years, One Stop Shop Market appeared to be a run of the mill bodega. That is, unless you walked by during the morning and early afternoon hours. During this time, a powerful aroma of stewed and baked meats would billow out from this corner store. Over time, we realized what many in the neighborhood already knew. Inside, there is a steam table counter with a rotating variety of Dominican dishes and snacks. This should come as no surprise, as the area is home to hidden food in bodegas, including excellent tacos.
One day, Jumi decided to check out One Stop and was immediately hooked to their moro, rice and beans mixed together. Indeed, their rice is so delicious that it could be eaten as an individual meal. There is so much flavor here, with herbs, spices and certainly much more to the achiote-stained rice. Even better is when the rice is topped with one of the stewed meats and accompanying gravy. First, the friendly ladies behind the counter generously pack the aluminum container with the rice of your choosing. Next, choose one of the daily staples or rotating specials of the day.
Although there are lots of delicious choices on offer, there are two stand outs. One is chivo, a goat stewed in a brown sauce containing tomatoes and celery. Here, the meat is cleaned well enough where it retains a pleasant goaty flavor without overwhelming. The goat is also supremely tender and served generously atop the moro. But, the only downside is that the chivo is available on just two days of the week - Thursday and Sunday.
Second is oxtail, which comes in large pieces on the bone. Much like the chivo, it is stewed to a tender consistency in a flavorful gravy. This is another dish that pairs so well with the supremely flavorful moro. Yet again, it is only available on a limited number of days, though less rare than the chivo. Available on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, it is worth planning accordingly to nab a plate. Also, it is worth arriving earlier in the day to score the goat or the oxtail, as they may run out of it.
As we mentioned earlier, there is a selection of daily staples at the steam table. Among them are two types of chicken, stewed or baked. The baked chicken is flavorful and juicy, particularly when it is purchased earlier in the day. Also, they have pernil, several fried dishes and a stewed beef dish. In addition to rice, they have spaghetti on offer as another carb option.
On one late morning, I arrived just in time for fresh baked chicken. But, I was too early for any of the rice dishes that were still being prepared. Instead, there was still plenty of mangu left from breakfast. As it turned out, it was an excellent combo. The fluffy mashed plantains are perfectly earthy, sweet and complemented the slightly salty chicken leg. An added bonus in the platter was the addition of pickled onions, part of the Dominican breakfast staple tres golpes.
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