1015 Manhattan Ave
(718) 569-0077
Mon-Thurs 8am-10pm /
Fri-Sat to 11pm/12am
Mon night closed
www.cafecitobogota.com
By Mary Yeung & Photos by Eric Ryan Anderson
Greenpoint doesn’t have many Latino restaurants, but a few good ones can be found on the downhill stretch of Manhattan Avenue heading toward Long Island City. Cafecito Bogotá, opened by brothers Oscar and Freddie Varela, has been open for three years, faithfully serving authentic Colombian fare. It’s an intimate café, a warm place to grab a bowl of thick soup, linger over a glass of wine or a cup of café con leche while being an audience to a poetry reading or various activities which they host.
I started with the crunchy and savory fried empanadas, served with a sweet and sour salsa to whet my appetite for all those arepas to come. Arepas, little corn pancakes adorned with an array of toppings, are the café’s specialty.
There’s the Medellín, made with rice and red beans and Colombian chorizo; the Calena, cilantro marinated shrimp mixed with crispy green plantain cubes and sautéed in a garlic and plum tomato sauce; and the Tolima, caramelized strips of lean pork mixed with gandul beans sautéed in a green recaito sauce. And more than a dozen other selections, with plenty of vegetarian choices like the Punta Verde Greenpoint, topped with pesto-infused tofu and string beans seasoned with sesame seeds.
After sampling the arepas, my friend and I went on a suicide mission and ordered the Bandeja Palsa, the Columbian version of the hungry man dinner that’s served in every Colombian restaurant I’ve ever visited. This dish has everything including the kitchen sink; slices of beef, chorizo, fried eggs, perfumed rice, plantain-infused beans, arepas, fried plantains, and a slice of avocado, all for $12.95.
“Too much food!” we half jokingly complained to Freddie, who explained, “It’s a tradition. People used to work all day in the fields.”
The Latin-style brunch on the weekends is quite popular with the neighborhood. Now that the weather is getting nippy, all those famous home style Columbian thick stews and soups may help us get through yet another New York winter.
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