Hidden Gem: Mi Tierra in Norwalk

They don’t skimp on the portions at Mi Tierra

Occasionally, food writing doesn’t go as planned. And with lots of restaurants taking summer breaks, it’s easy for us to screw up a random visit, like a recent one at Dante’s Pizza in New Canaan.

Steph and I both pulled into their parking lot, then we grabbed a seat at a picnic table on their patio only to notice a note on the door saying, “We’re on vacation until September 13.”

Summer bummer.

This sucked for two reasons: we desperately wanted pizza and from a writing standpoint we needed content!

Calling an audible seemed like the right idea.

Where do we go? What’s new? What’s something that’s under the radar?

Empanadas in beef, beef + cheese, chicken, and ham + cheese are available at the counter.

Felt like a ham + cheese kinda day

We talked it over for a while, throwing out random spots in the New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk area, seeing as how that’s where we were anyway, and we only had a limited window of time. The one idea we both had led us to my hometown of Norwalk, across from Veterans Park, and right next door to Fisherman’s World.

Not only has Steph heard about Mi Tierra from friends, but I heard about it from an uncle who raved about their pernil and rice & beans a while ago. Steph was down, and I certainly was, too, especially since I haven’t had a solid plate of Puerto Rican food since the holidays at my dad’s house and in Puerto Rico before that.

Quarter chicken, maduros, rice, and a chuleta (pork chop) with peppers and onions. Seriously, two big plates, two empanadas, two drinks for $34. Can’t go wrong.

At Mi Tierra at lunchtime, it’s pretty live. Lots of locals, even more construction workers, and random customers from the legendary bait & tackle shop next door are all in and out of this mostly buffet-based dive. It’s open in the morning at 6 a.m. (7 on Sunday) where they serve breakfast classics (sandwiches, omelets, pancakes) and they continue through lunch and into the evening with deli sandwiches, wraps, salads, and burgers.

But it’s the buffet—served counter style—that quickly captured our attention. We saw a melting pot of Latin America right before our eyes. Lomo saltado, empanadas, chicharrons, pernil, homemade sopas, pollo asado, and they even make tacos and quesadillas.

Mi Tierra’s green sauce had a welcomed spicier kick

We’re not gonna even try to tell you what to get. You do you.

For me, though, it’s pernil, Puerto Rican rice, a scoop of beans, and maduros every damn time if that’s what’s offered. Mi Tierra’s tender, juicy, pungently seasoned slow-roasted pork and fluffy rice made me a believer. I kind of wanted to ask if they could scrape some of the pegao on my plate. Real ones know. 

We’ll get to Dante’s for sure, but we’re not mad about this fortunate flub. Mi Tierra is worth a stop for a fast, affordable, delicious bite to eat.

2 Fort Point Street; Norwalk (next to Fisherman’s World)
203.354.5884; Mi Tierra on Facebook