Photo by co-founder Neidy Gutierrez.
“Standing on the shoulders of giants.”
That’s a common phrase said by Neal Antigua, and it’s also how his wife, Maricarmen, described what it’s like to own their local business, La Bodega.
Maricarmen and Neal Antigua are continuing the legacy of La Bodega — comida auténtica Dominicana, which translates to authentic Dominican food. The restaurant, located at 407 Palisade Avenue, was opened in 1995 as a bodega by Maricarmen’s grandfather. Maricarmen told Slice of Culture that though they’ve renovated the space to look more modern, they still make sure that all customers feel welcomed and like primos (cousins).
“My grandfather [and] my father, they paved the way for us…,” she said.
“They did a great job in just being part of this community and making everyone who walked in through the door feel like family members. In the Dominican Republic, we call each other primos, like cousins, so that relationship with the [customers].”
La Bodega is participating in Jersey City Restaurant Fest’s Summer Fest Week, which starts on July 13 and goes until July 27. The promotional event runs for two weeks two times a year and is meant to encourage supporting local businesses, increasing their visibility and recognizing their contributions to their respective communities.
Honoring La Bodega’s Roots
La Bodega started out as Maria Carmen Supermarket, which offered a variety of hot food selections and quick groceries.
“[Growing up, I came here] everyday,” Maricarmen laughed. “This was home. Not even second home. This was home. We did our homework here straight out of school, we helped out with everything and [were] just involved in every aspect of the business from taking care of customers to cutting meats in the back.”
Eventually, Maricarmen’s father took over the bodega. But just last year, he decided to retired, which was when Maricarmen and Neal stepped in.
Before them, it was mainly a pick-up-and-go spot, but Maricarmen said that they noticed people “really enjoyed” the Dominican food, its seasonings and culture, so when the couple took over in January 2023, they decided to open up the place and put tables to encourage families to “come eat and have a good time.”
The new setup, however, still honors its roots with a bodeguita located in the back that has products from the Dominican Republic—like spices, medicines and other knick knacks—to let customers still get the bodega experience.
Just a few inches away from bodeguita is a new mural that illustrates Maricarmen’s family story from Sabana de la Mar, Dominican Republic to the Jersey City Heights. In the mural, you can see Caribbean waters with a boat in the middle to symbolize the immigration. Below that, is a city view with “JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS” written across. On the bottom left side reads “SABANA DE LA MAR” and on the bottom right lies “NEW JERSEY.”
On the wall beside that are illustrations of Maricarmen’s grandfather and father to further mark the beginning of La Bodega.
They will be hosting an event next Friday, July 12 to unveil the new mural and host a small local vendor market.
‘Flavor In Every Bite’
La Bodega offers appetizers like empanadas, papa rellenas (potato balls) and rellenos de yuca (stuffed yuca); proteins including chicharron (fried pork cracklings) and pescado frito (fried red snapper); and sides like arroz con gandules (rice with gandules), habichuelas (beans) and ensalada de papa (potato salad).
“Dominican food, I always say it represents Dominican culture,” she said. “We’re very lively and full of energy. I think our flavors represent that. It’s just a combination of seasonings that give you a burst of flavor the moment you take your first bite.”
They also have daily chef specials. On Fridays, customers can taste rabo encendio (oxtail stew), pernil (pulled pork), sancocho (Dominican soup) and costilla de res (short ribs stew).
While La Bodega is a small team, Maricarmen said that’s one of their advantages.
“Something that we stand on is that our food is food from someone’s grandmother’s kitchen,” she added.
“The ladies that cook in the back, they come from the Caribbean as well, they cook with love, they cook with passion. There isn’t a standard recipe that we go by. They cook with their hearts and I think that’s something that also defines us from the rest of Latino food from around here.”
Maricarmen said she’s seen The Heights neighborhood change, just like the rest of Jersey City. But she, her husband and the team continue to do what her grandfather and father did: smile, show up everyday and put in the work.
“We’re extremely thankful for the Jersey City community. In the last 29 years, it has diversified and we’re thankful that we still receive that support throughout the years,” Maricarmen said.
“As you can see in our mural, we made sure that jersey city heights was highlighted on there because it is that backbone for us: the community, the support, the diversity and just the love.”
As part of the upcoming Restaurant Fest, La Bodega will be offering “La Bodega bowls,” which will offer customers a taste of “a little bit of everything.” People can choose from rice, beans, platano maduros, chicharones and much more.
