BOGOTA REVIEW: The "Strong" Buzz

"Bogota Bistro, a cool, cheery Nuevo Latino spot owned by longtime pals George Constantinou and Farid Ali (George is Costa Rican, Farid is Colombian), has opened at 141 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope (718-230-3805). The pair may sound familiar—they have been keeping a blog documenting the ups and downs of opening their first restaurant at http://www.bogotabistro.com/. The menu is a full-fledged crowd-pleasing affair bound to make you reach for a margarita, a caiparinha, a cold beer, or all three. Chef Roberto Garcia (formerly of ICI) turns out arepas, empanadas, tortas, and ceviches as well as mole, plantain-crusted chicken, ropa vieja, and a plate of arroz con pollo that’ll make you believe you are eating at someone’s mom’s house in Cuba. The recipes are all based on dishes both partners either grew up with, or encountered in travels to Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Plus there’s something on the dessert menu called Xangos—fried cheesecake taquitos with vanilla ice cream. Might as well apply those pups directly to buttock area."

Andrea Strong