Dining review: Roots stresses local food with Latin twist

When the owners of Roots Bakery, Bistro & Bar went shopping for a sign to hang over the Franklin Street storefront of their new restaurant, they were shocked by the price quoted.

“They wanted more than $700,” says Juan Jose Ordonez Ramos, who opened the restaurant in February with his brother, Rolando and their brother-in-law, Turtle Harrison. So Juan Jose painted the sign himself.

The result – the restaurant’s name superimposed over the outline of a tree with roots exposed – is no doubt as effective as that $700 job at advertising a 3-in-1 establishment ready to serve you all day long, from breakfast pastries to late night drinks. On the opposite side of the sign, the Spanish translation – Raíces Panadería, Bistro & Bar – hints at a Latin American twist.

It’s an ambitious promise, one that the partners aim to back up with years of experience. When they say “our roots run deep” on the restaurant’s website, they’re not just talking about their strong ties with local farmers. They’re also referring to their combined decades of working in Chapel Hill restaurants, including Spanky’s, Squid’s and Nantucket Grill, where Juan Jose worked for 17 years, and Turtle Harrison seven.

At Roots, the partners apply that experience to a seasonally evolving menu of Latin American and American regional fare that generally satisfies, and occasionally even tantalizes with flashes of inspiration. But execution is frustratingly inconsistent.

I suspect the same self-reliant attitude that produced the sign out front is at least partially to blame. The fact that at least two of the partners are invariably to be found working in the restaurant whenever it’s open is commendable. Too often, though, they’re the only two – in effect a skeleton crew with one in the kitchen and the other tending bar and waiting tables.

When too many of those tables get filled, food and service inevitably suffer. That’s just what happened both times I dined at Roots.

The ratio of hits to misses is actually impressive given the understaffing, and no doubt a reflection of the owners’ experience. A pork-filled pupusa, listed for some reason under the Sandwiches heading, makes a fine starter when you can get it (the menu warns of limited availability). It’s also offered in bean and cheese versions.

Also in the “get ’em while they last” category is a shareable starter of grilled whole okra pods, summer squash and eggplant. The squash variety may change with the harvest, but Turtle Harrison expects to be able to get local okra – the star of the platter – for at least a couple more weeks.

When it comes to the main course, churrasco – as it’s done in the Ramos brothers’ native Guatemala, with a roasted tomato sauce instead of chimichurri – turns out to be a pleasant surprise. Guatemalan style tamales, much larger than the Mexican version and steamed in a banana leaf instead of corn husk, are another winning option.

Satisfying as these rare tastes of Guatemala are, it’s a fusion creation that gets my nomination for Roots’ signature dish. An inspired marriage of shrimp and grits and barbacoa, pork and grits features Boston butts cooked low and slow for an astounding four days. The resulting meat, so tender it falls apart if you look at it sideways, is tossed with pork jus and a vinegar-based sauce. You’ll find pork and grits on the breakfast/brunch menu, which (notwithstanding the stated hours on the menu) the accommodating owners are happy to serve any time of day.

On the not-so-rewarding flip side of the coin are seared sea scallops that don’t measure up to their “jumbo” billing and chiles rellenos marred by an over-browned batter. Most disappointing of all, though, the night I ordered it, was pollo dorado, whose description – “fresh & fried ... free-range local chicken (leg quarters)” had my mouth watering. Unfortunately, they were out of leg quarters that night, and boneless breast was offered as a substitute. I made the mistake of accepting the offer, and the result can only be described as rubbery.

The sublime coconut cake that followed – slathered with coconut custard and whipped cream, and showered with toasted coconut – returned a smile to my face (and to my wife’s; cakes here are served in ample portion for sharing). Desserts are the handiwork of the Ramos brothers’ sister, Maria, who also happens to be Turtle Harrison’s wife. She turns out a mean lemon cake, too, and a classic flan. No wonder “Bakery” is listed first on the sign out front.

As for the “Bar,” well, let’s just say it caters to the college crowd with cocktails such as the Tortuga Tea: vodka, rum, tequila, blood orange liqueur, Midori melon liqueur and sour mix, topped with Sprite and served in a Budweiser pint glass. To be fair, the sour mix is made fresh in house. Still, unless your taste in drinks leans to the sweet and colorful, you’ll be happier quenching your thirst with a glass of wine or one of the dozen or so draft beers.

Roots’ dining room is simply furnished, with framed color photos of Latin American villages and barnyard scenes accounting for the bulk of decoration. It’s an inviting space, though, made more so by inherited brick walls and timeworn pine floors that give it a been-there-forever feel.

And who knows? With a little more consistency, Roots might just grow into its vintage digs, and that homemade sign hanging out front might one day become a Franklin Street landmark.

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Dining review: Roots stresses local food with Latin twist."