Bites Nearby: Siete Ocho Siete

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:

Siete Ocho Siete

New Rochelle certainly offers up many options when it comes to Latin fare and one restaurant that many residents are getting to know better is a new addition on Pelham Road near the College of New Rochelle called Siete Ocho Siete.

According to the restaurant's Web site, the name comes from the area code of the island of Puerto Rico—787—and this restaurant bar and lounge has revealed itself to not only be a great place for dinner, but also a hot spot for a late night cocktail and entertainment.

Their menu consists of many selections of fish, rice and meat dishes, with traditional Puerto Rican selections such as pionono, ropa vieja, pernil and mofongo.

The restaurant's prices depending on their specials, but generally for appetizers you'll pay about $6-18 and main courses are from $14-48. Don't forget the cocktails as well, which start at about $4.

The 125-seat restaurant, with seasonal walled-in outdoor seating in the new frontage and enclosed greenhouse in the rear overlooking New Rochelle's boating clubs and Long Island Sound, will offer a nice ambiance to those looking for a romantic dinner for two.

The restaurant owners have done such a great job with authenticity that one customer wrote on tripadvisor.com that he thought he had gone on a tropical getaway.

"Woo Hoo! A fun night out in the 'burbs is now possible thanks to this warm and inviting place with great rice and beans and chicken dishes...great fish too. I thought the place was a lot of fun, like a party!"

Nina Cuervas of New Rochelle also commented on Siete Ocho Siete, telling Patch that she not only loved the food, but that "I think people are going to start telling their friends about this place after just one visit as it is no longer much of a secret and is a great place to eat, drink and party it up!"

The restaurant's dress code is casual but men are not permitted to wear baseball caps, tank tops or pants that are below the waist.

They are open for dinner seven days a week, Monday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sundays from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Siete Ocho Siete is located at 414 Pelham Rd. in New Rochelle, For more information, including a full list of their menu items, visit their Web site at sieteochosiete.com.