New York Magazine
"A
recent addition to Park Slope's bustling Fifth Avenue, Bogota Latin
Bistro features a greatest hits approach to regional Central and South
American cooking. The décor is festive, with exposed brick painted
beige, aqua, and maroon, hardwood floors and hanging globe lights in
large acrylic "ice cubes." Colorful and dreamy hand-painted murals
adorn the bar and outdoor patio. Steaks, chicken, and seafood are
grilled, fried, and stewed; cilantro, cumin, garlic, lime, and chili
peppers are used extensively.
For starters, Argentine beef empanadas
are moist and meaty with delicate pastry exteriors. Colombian arepas,
cornmeal cakes, are served with bits of fried pork; a sweeter de
chocolo version is topped with butter and slices of queso blanco, a
mild white cheese. Fried calamari are meltingly tender; their smoky
chipotle mayonnaise dip brightened with lime juice. For main courses,
there's a Costa Rican take on bacalao, the classic codfish stew with
tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, and cilantro, and an inventive chicken
breast crusted with mashed fried plantains.
For dessert, Colombian mazamorra intrigues, featuring white corn kernels in milk, and brown sugar and guava paste on the side. Hot churros, the Hispanic riff on doughnuts, come with a fragrant chocolate sauce for dipping.