Eating BIG in Bogota

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- A Quick Trip to The Fridge

We made a somewhat impromptu visit to Bogota on our trip to Peru at the end of last year. Because there are no non-stop flights to Peru we had to make a layover and one of the options was Bogota. The airline allows you to stay in Bogota for two nights and we also had a voucher from American Express for a two night stay just about anywhere so we chose to check out Bogota and stay at the Four Seasons while doing so. We only had two nights but we arrived at the crack of dawn giving us two full days. But even still I found it hard to crack Bogota in such a short amount of time. It's probably the hardest city I've ever tried to tackle in terms of eating and seeing my way through it. The main reason for this was the short amount of time but it didn't help that the traffic here was about as bad as I've experienced. I had a bunch of local favorite type of places I wanted to go eat at but the uber rides were always 40-60 minutes one way and it just didn't make any sense to spend that much time in an uber when we had such a short time to begin with. The highlight of our quick visit was a quick trip up to the very top of the city. The first thing we did upon arrival was ride the cable car up to the top of Mount Monserrate which was a real sight to behold. But after that and a visit to the iconic fruit market we mostly kept to the area around the hotel which is filled with nightlife and and shopping. It took me a day to get my bearings straight but by the time they were all aligned it was time to go. So consider this a sneak peak of a future trip as I really started to get comfortable right as it was time to leave.  

Pics from Bogota
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Empanaditas de Pipian

Empanaditas De Pipián was high on my list of places to try and I lucked out in that there was an outlet a short walk from our hotel. This local chain specializes in Empanaditas De Pipián which are a classic Colombian street snack popular in Bogotá though their roots actually come from the southwest of the country in the region around Popayán. At their core, empanaditas de pipián are small, deep-fried corn pastries filled with a distinct mixture called pipián. The dough is made from corn (maize) and filled with a mix of mashed papa criolla (a small yellow Colombian potato), roasted peanuts, onion, tomato, and spices like achiote. They're a popular snack as they’re small and affordable and fried to order. We got a handful and noted how similar the taste was to hash brown but with a much deeper potato flavor.  

Empanaditas de Pipian at Empanaditas de Pipian
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Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao

After an early morning trek up to the top of Monserrate Mountain we ubered over to the Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao which was at the top my list as far as sightseeing. Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao is the iconic food market in Bogotá. Fruit is the big draw and so I read visiting here is a full-on sensory experience and cultural snapshot of Colombia all under one roof. The colors and the smells and the sounds were similar to other markets I’ve visited in Latin America but the fruit vendor section was a sight to behold in terms of all the different options. We thought about hiring a guide but it’s not that big in terms of size and we really lucked out by randomly meeting a Colombian girl from North Carolina who was visiting family in Bogota. She noticed we were visitors and asked where we from and she happens to love Chicago so she took us around and showed us some of her favorite fruits to eat before taking us to her favorite place to eat when she comes back to Bogota. It’s a stall at the market called Jugos y Ensaladas Vero and it’s exactly the type of spot that makes a visit to Paloquemao special. It’s here where you can grab a seat next to a local and grab some of the freshest fruit juicesin the city. We tried a few kinds like we were sampling wines which was a fun experience you won’t find many other places. They also make great Colombian arepas with melted cheese and a wonderful corn flavor. Arrive early and make this stand your first breakfast in Bogota.

Arepas and Fresh Squeezed Juice at Jugos y Ensaladas Vero
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Diosa

Bogotá has a genuinely strong cafe culture, but it’s a little different from what you might expect given Colombia’s global coffee reputation. Colombia produces some of the world’s best coffee beans, yet for a long time those beans were exported and locals drank simpler, lower-grade coffee. But that’s changed especially in Bogotá where modern cafes are all the rage these days. Diosa Café is a low-key, design-forward café in Chapinero Alto that’s built around very chill vibes. I’m not a coffee drinker so the reason for our visit was to try some of the pastries including a very nice selection of arepas. 

Yucca Arepa at Diosa
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Afluente Restaurante

Afluente was the most interesting of the fast rising fine-dining spots in Bogotá right now. It’s a concept-driven restaurant built around Colombia’s páramo ecosystem—which is a pretty unique angle even in a city full of ambitious chefs. The Páramo is a high-altitude Andean ecosystem that basically acts as a natural water source for much of Colombia and the kitchen here explores how water, land, and ingredients are connected. Much of the product that the kitchen works with comes from páramo regions and small producers with  a strong focus on sustainability and regenerative sourcing. You know the drill, native ingredients mixed with modern techniques. Lots of local fruit, herbs, and locally grown potatoes made appearances in some visually stunning dishes. I was unfamiliar with much of it but that didn’t prevent me from enjoying each and every dish - the best meal we had in Bogota.

crab - citrus foam, granadilla, cuca cookie


shrimp - plantain, chuguas, squash


rice - shrimp, balu, tubers
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Humo Negro

Humo Negro is one of Bogotá’s pioneering modern restaurants. It’s a blend of fine dining with a relaxed and creative vibe. At its core, Humo Negro is a modern tasting-menu restaurant serving Colombian dishes with an izakaya influence. Japanese techniques are adopted in the form of grilling, raw prep, and precision plating with use of Colombian ingredients like Amazonian fish and local produce. There’s a strong emphasis on Smoke (Humo) and live fire cooking which ties into the name of the place. They do have a tasting menu but we went ala carte in an effort not to be stuck there all night after a long day of travel. Honestly I thought I would like this place more than I did. The plates were pretty but it felt like they were missing flavor. The best part of the meal was the first thing we ate in the form of a corn fritter taiyaki kind of fusion. It was a texturally delightful dish that didn’t skimp on flavor. The potato croquettes were soft and crisp and had a brininess to them from what was described as a seaweed based sofrito filling. The crudo del dia was pretty in appearance but it lacked a bit in flavor. I wanted to like a sticky rice with crab and shrimp dish but it was missing something.

Dinner at Humo de Negro
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Cactus

Cactus is the opposite of places like Humo Negro and Afluente. It’s neither trendy nor experimental. It’s a Bogotá classic, the kind of spot locals grow up going to and keep coming back to for decades on end. The design on the inside draws a thin line between a cheesy western themed restaurant and an actual old school spot as this place opened in 1977. The walls are lined with pictures of Texans from another era and old menus from diners in the States. It’s a popular lunch stop for the city’s politicians and business class. I watched it fill up quickly upon being seated shortly after opening. The menu here is a what's what of American grilling favorites like steak, ribs, wings. But it was a picture of the popular roast beef sandwich (and its location) that got me in. It’s a no frills version with freshly sliced rare beef in between a nice and sturdy sub style roll with a cup of au jus plus fries on the side. I could tell by the pictures this was going to be a good rendition of a rare roast beef sandwich but what I couldn’t see was the salt was lacking big time. Luckily it was a quick fix for the sandwich and fries. 

Roast Beef Sandwich at Cactus
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Obleas Bless

After lunch I took a stroll around the city and dipped into a few areas including a car free street that lasted for more than a few blocks. There were lots of interesting storefronts and stalls including this small one person stand where a friendly lady was making Obleas con Arequipe. Obleas are a thin wafer dessert commonly found in several Latin American countries, and Colombia in particular. It’s typically made up of two thin, round wafers filled with sweet ingredients such as Arequipe which is regional terminology for dulce de leche. 

Obleas con Arequipe
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El Tizconcito

Upon my return I decided to try tacos al pastor from at El Tizconcito. The chain from Mexico City lays claim to being the creator of the taco al pastor. I got two tacos but unfortunately I still have yet to have a great taco outside of Mexico and the USA to boot. The meat was barely charred and the salsas were made for a clientele that doesn’t like spicy food. The better bet is going to La Lucha Sangucheria a few stores down - it's a famous sandwich chain from Lima which I was headed too later this trip. 

Tacos al Pastor at El Tizconcito
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Bar Ruda

For our last meal in Bogota we met up with an old friend who’s been teaching there for more than a decade now. I came upon a newish spot from Chef Álvaro Clavijo - chef/owner of El Chato, which is ranked among Latin America’s best restaurants. It also happened to be a short walk from my friends house so it was the perfect call. Bar Ruda is the more casual, nightlife-driven project when compared to El Chato. It’s a bar with a creative kitchen where Chef Clavijo and his team dish out high-end, ingredient-driven dishes with a more relaxed and social vibe inside. The only thing that really annoys me about small plates is they’re usually served on small tables as was the case with Ruda. Nonetheless they put out nice plates of food starting with a simple but super good bowl of confit criolla potatoes. Growing up I was taught that the Irish are the world’s foremost potato heads but this trip showed me I wasn’t taught right. The best most intense tasting potatoes are found in South America. Aside from getting to catch up with an old friend a plate of crab ceviche was the best part of the meal. After that we walked over to a local bar and played a fun Colombian bar game called Tejo. A 500-year old tradition that involves throwing heavy metal discs (tejos) at a clay target packed with small, explosive gunpowder triangles called mechas. It's played in taverns across Colombia and the goal is to hit the target, cause an explosion, and score points while drinking beer. It was then and there I started vibing real hard with with Bogota but we had a flight to catch in the morning. Doh!

Papa criolla confitada suero costeño

tomato, cereza sambal de camaron y menta

Croquetas de morcilla, mayonesa de rocoto

ceviche de cangrejo y maiz tierno

Contramuslo de pollo, salsa de maíz

Cordero ahumado, babaganoush de berenjena
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Eating BIG in Lima (and Cusco) (2026)

Eating BIG in Panama City (2026)

Eating BIG in Cartegena (2019)

See ya next time @chibbqking

Omarcito's Latin Cafe

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Latin American Fare with Flair in Logan Square

There seems to be no sign of a slowdown as far as restaurant openings in Chicago. New spots are continuously popping up and it can be pretty hard to keep up with all of them. It can also be tough to choose which spots to check out when there’s so many options but you should really put Omarcito's Latin Cafe near the top of your list while the weather is still warm. The permanent food trailer can be found just off the 3800 block of Fullerton near the border of Logan Square and Hermosa.

Newly Opened in Logan Square 

Omarcito's is ran by Omar Cadena. He’s an incredibly kind and super engaging guy, a first generation American of Cuban and Ecuadorian descent. He named his place in honor of his grandpa whom he shares a name with. Chef Omar spent most of his childhood in Chicago growing up in Albany Park and at also at his grandpas Logan Square jewelry store which is still run by the family it was sold to. After making the rounds at different restaurants around town Omar was approached by a developer looking for a tenant for a permanent food trailer that’s part of a community complex. The looks and feel of it all remind me of similar developments in places like Denver and Austin but the setup itself feels like a spot you might come across in Miami. A colorful food trailer serving up creative takes on Latin American classics with a musical playlist that matches the menu.

Lime Slushie at Omarcito's 

While the setup gives off lots of Miami vibes you won’t find a Cuban sandwich on the menu even though Omar himself is half Cuban. The menu is made up of empanadas, sandwiches, and bowls plus a couple of specials along with Cuban coffee and some of the city’s best slushees. Sandwiches are broken down into breakfast and lunch options with offerings like the “Omarcito” there for the taking. It’s a toasted French roll spread with black beans topped with muenster cheese, avocado and tomatoes and served with a side of Salvadorian sour cream. You can add a scallion omelet to make it a complete meal in a bun. The breakfast sandwich is having a moment in Chicago right now thanks to options like this one.

The Omarcito at Omarcito's Latin Cafe 

Sandwiches come on French bread supplied by a local wholesale bakery or served up as a jibarito. The steak sandwich (or jibarito) is distinctly Chicago. Omar grew up eating at the original Cafeteria Marianao on Armitage where the steak sandwiches were so popular they basically became a thing around town as other restaurants in the neighborhood started making similar sandwiches to those from Marianao. The steak sandwiches at Omarcito's are lubed with olive oil bc that’s how his grandma made them when he was a kid. To this day the steak sandwich is Omar's favorite menu item but don’t sleep on his fish sandwich. It uses crispy cornmeal coated catfish as its base and that’s matched with a wonderful family recipe Ecuadorian salsa criolla (tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime juice) and a special green garlic sauce. It’s a top notch combination of texture and flavor and it’s available as a sandwich or can be served up on some greaseless discs of fried plantains. The latter of which is a delicious mess.

Fish Jibarito at Omarcito's Latin Cafe 

You’ll find a couple specials at the end of the menu. Both of them have a Mexican background and come from the sous chef who has roots in Guerrero. The tacos dorados con pollo are an old family recipe of his that Omar wanted to put on the menu and rightfully so. These might be the best flautas in town. They’re made to order and they come out crisp and hot bc of that and they come with some deeply flavorful chicken consommé. I already know these are going to be calling my name on the first day we feel Fall in the air. That said I hope it doesn’t happen to soon bc that would mean summer is over. But luckily for Chicago, Omarcito's is a year round business.

Tacos Dorados 

Omarcito's Latin Cafe
3801 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 698-6955
Website

Punta Cana

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Dominican in Logan Square 

The Logan Square area is home to handfuls of Latino owned restaurants. Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Cuban make up of the majority of them but there's a few "others" like this Dominican mainstay sitting at the corner of Palmer and Kimball. Punta Cana has been around since at least the 90's if I'm not mistaken. It's a smaller space with just a few tables so most of their business is done through takeout which always seems to be steady with repeat customers, the signs of a neighborhood favorite. 

Locals Favorite in Logan Square 

There's not many Dominican restaurants in Chicago compared to places like New York and Boston so I haven't had it as much as some of the other Latin cuisines more common in the area but they're all similar in many ways with each of them having their own signature dishes. In the Dominican Republic they have a traditional breakfast that revolves around mangu which is mashed plantains. It's called Mangú Los Tres Golpes which means the three strikes signifying the fried eggs, fried cheese and fried salami served alongside mangu with pickled onions. It's said mangu derived from Ghanaian 'fufu' as the DR has influences from Africa dating back to the 1500's, a side effect of the slave trade.

Mangú Los Tres Golpes at Punta Cana 

It's tough not to get the breakfast at Punta Cana which is only open until 6p so I typically visit in the morning or early afternoons for that. But sometimes when the taste for oxtail arises I'll head over here for some of that. It hasn't always been on point but when it is it's really perfect. The meat is tender and beefy from it's time sitting in the holding tray while the yellow rice is some of the fluffiest in town. 

Oxtail with Yellow Rice and Peas at Punta Cana

Punta Cana
2200 N Kimball Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 292-7400

Taylor Ham / Pork Roll in Chicago

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)
Where to find the Jersey Specialty  

The history of Pork Roll or Taylor Ham is unclear. Most food origin stories are just that. Hard to figure out exactly by who or where it was first created. What's very clear is that people from New Jersey love it. The popular breakfast meat is a regional specialty prized by those who come from the Garden State. So the story goes it's history can be traced to the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Trenton. When the Continental Army needed food that could withstand travel so they carried rolls of salted, cured ham around to each battle. There's nothing that proves this to be true. The story that a man named John Taylor created pork roll in Trenton, New Jersey in 1856 does have historical evidence. He originally sold his pork roll product under the name Taylor Ham, which is what people in North Jersey still call it today despite Taylor being forced to change the product’s name when the Pure Food and Drug Act passed in 1906 and his product no longer met the new legal definition of ham. In order to meet the new legal regulations, Taylor Ham was rechristened as pork roll, but in North Jersey the old name stuck. These days everyone in New Jersey has a favorite spot for a Taylor Ham / Pork Roll Sandwich. You can sometimes even find it in other parts of the country like here in Chicagoland.

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Latin Fuego (Lakeview)

You'll find our first stop located just off the CTA brown line station on Wellington. This space has housed a handful of places over the years and the latest is an arepa shop called Latin Fuego. The owner moved to Chicago from New Jersey and he's doing arepas with Mozzarepas which are arepas made with mozzarella cheese. Just like Taylor Ham these Mozzarepas are popular in New Jersey and Latin Fuego offers them together as one. They put a couple pieces of sliced Taylor ham along with some scrambled eggs and American cheese in between a Mozzarepa and it makes for a real kick ass breakfast sandwich. They also offer a Taylor Ham , Egg and Cheese served on a roll. 

Pork Roll Arepa at Latin Fuego 
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The Daly Bagel (Oak Park)

This bagel shop housed in an old Oak Park dry cleaners just celebrated it's one year anniversary. The Daly Bagel has been welcomed by it's neighbors with open arms. It seems to be a place that people in the neighborhood have really embraced and from what I've read DB has done the same in the form of helping build community bonds and such. The Daly Bagel makes bagels fresh every day and offers them as is or dressed as breakfast sandwiches such as the early riser which consists of a bagel of your choosing with scrambled egg and the option to add both cheese and Taylor Ham aka Pork Roll. 

Pork Roll, Egg, and Cheese on a Sesame Bagel

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Where to buy loaves of Taylor Ham / Pork Roll 

Out in Jersey you can buy Taylor Ham at pretty much any deli or place that sells deli meats. You can get it whole or even by the slice / pound. Many folks in New Jersey enjoy their pork rolls on a Kaiser bun and just like any breakfast sandwich they're pretty easy to make at home. So for anyone looking for a place where they can purchase a roll of Taylor Ham you can find it at Fresh Market Place on Western located on the border of Logan Square / Bucktown. They also offer the previously mentioned Kaiser rolls as well as eggs, and sliced cheese at their deli counter. It's a pretty good little grocery store that has a few items sourced regionally and the Taylor Ham Pork Roll is one that stands out. 

Taylor Pork Roll at Fresh Market Place (2134 N. Western)

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See ya next time @chibbqking

Sugar Blow

 -Grubbing in Chicago
Venezuelan Sweets and Sandwiches in Boystown

A visit to the Venezuelan owned Sugar Blow feels like you're visiting an Instagram influencers studio. I remember when they first opened around nine months ago and the pictures on both google and Instagram were in the 100's and in the case of google they were obviously taken by a professional photographer and likely posted by the owner. It's located on Broadway in the middle of Boystown so it's flamboyant style fits right in. Sugar Blow is both a sandwich shop and a dessert emporium. All of it designed to look good on the gram. It has some very much overplayed neon hanging on the wall inside and some Boystown type art on the opposite wall. A big dessert case sits next to the register. 

Recently Opened in Boystown 

Over the last five years or so Chicago has gone from virtually no Venezuelan restaurants to what's now a couple handfuls worth of options. It's not all a feel good story though as many of the people behind these newly opened restaurants came to the United States to escape unrest in Venezuela. Many have opened restaurants as a means of making a living and also to feed many of those that have recently relocated and might be looking for a taste of the old country. Sugar Blow serves up some of the better Tequenos I've tried which admittedly aren't my favorite snack but also not something I intentionally avoid. My biggest beef with Venezuelan style cheese sticks is they're most always made ahead of time and thus served with cheese that's not well melted. That said these were pretty warm with a tasty tarter like sauce served on the side for dipping. Very popular in Venezuela. 

Venezuelan Tequenos

Lots of online reviews mention the sandwiches and the baguettes they use to build some of their interesting sandwich options. The bread is baked in house and comes stuffed with options like steak or chicken. The meats are grilled and then chopped down and all of the sandwiches come with a blanket of melted cheese on top as well as some standard food-service fries that are kicked up with a dry spice blend. The Chicken Sensation comes with grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, garlic sauce, and corn. It's an interesting sandwich that works well with the soft bread and combination of ingredients used. I was unsure how I'd like this one when I first saw it but I think I preferred it to the steak with plantains which was also really good and dressed in a similar fashion to the chicken. Dessert options like cupcakes and cookies are baked in-house and instagram worthy milkshakes are also popular.  

Chicken Sensation (Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Corn, Cheese)

King Plantain (Grilled Steak, Plantains, Garlic Sauce, Cheese, Parsley)

Sugar Blow
3409 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 857-0160 
Website

Pizza Y Pan Pa' Ya

-Grubbing in Chicago

Colombian Treats in Albany Park 

Chicago's Latin American food scene seems to be thriving. I'm noticing places popping up from a variety of Latin American countries. Colombia being one of them. Today's stop goes by Pizza Y Pan Pa' Ya and it's in the always interesting Albany Park. I first found out about this Colombian bakery / pizzeria from none other than Mike Sula in the Reader (Click HERE for story). It's definitely a gem.

Locals Favorite in Albany Park 

So as the name straight up tells you this place is a bakery and also a pizzeria. But it's actually more than just that. They also make a few home cooked Colombian dishes and have an impressive list of fresh juice from fruits popular in Colombia as well as Colombian coffee. It's the type of spot that can serve you at all hours of the day. In the morning the Colombian pastries are the way to go. One in particular to seek out is the buñuelo. In the Reader review these get lots of love and rightfully so. These fried balls of dough are slightly sweet with a nice hint of cheese. I could eat them all day.

Assortment of Snacks with Sauce at Pizza Y Pan Pa' Ya (buñuelo > empanada > papa rellena)

As mentioned they make a few traditional Colombian dishes as well. So of course they have stuff like empanadas and arepas on the menu. Their empanadas make for a great snack if driving by and you want something quick but not McDonald's. I much prefer when the arepas are stuffed so I got one with beef and cheese and it was perfect.  I loved the shredded bits of tangy beef with hints of pepper.

Beef Arepa at Pizza Y Pan Pa' Ya

Then there's the pizza. This was the most fascinating part of this place to me. Of course pizza is big pretty much across the entire globe but Colombia has a deep fondness for it that I did not know. They even like to make fruit pizza and you can try it at Pizza Y Pan Pa' Ya. I haven't given it a go but Mike Sula did in his review and if you can get past the fact it's not supposed to be hearty like marinara and sausage you may just enjoy it as a dessert. I did give the popular Colombian combo of chicken and mushrooms a try, and came away pretty damn impressed. Not so much with the combo of toppings, I thought they loaded too much on including the cheese. But as the Reader article told me the crust would be something worth the visit and it was. It reminded me alot of Barnaby's in Northbrook. It may even be gluten free as corn seemed to be prevalent. I'll back for a sausage pie and more snacks.

Colombian Pizza at Pizza Y Pan Pa' Ya

Pizza Y Pan Pa' Ya
3125 W Montrose Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 463-2617