Los Toldos

COLOMBIA 🇨🇴

Has Los Toldos existed since before any of us were on Earth? Somehow it has this feeling, a charming place full of regulars and Colombian home cooking right in the center of a Colombian stronghold on Northern Boulevard. The interior is a hodgepodge of tables bought at one place, chairs at another, and a designer using wood and thatch to replicate a feeling back home. Three bar stools that must have come from a diner going out of business complete the look, but honestly it is the massive plates of food that everyone is focusing on here.

When the first visit was made about a year ago, decisions were based on how many items could be on just one plate for a solo diner. Colombia's solution to this is always the bandeja paisa, a plate of food born from more modern interpretations of peasant diets, so full of protein for someone working hard all day.

The most prominent piece of a bandeja montañera ($12, above), as the variation is called here, is always the curving arc of chicharrón, a long hunk of pork skin fried to perfection. Red beans cooked with pork and rice lay the foundation and are covered with a fried egg, sweet plantain, thin cuts of beef, and a small arepa. It is advisable to choose the fresh juice with water and not milk when eating such a dish.

When the chance finally came, the cazuela los toldos ($20, below) stuck out from the long list of seafood dishes offered. They also offer the familiar coconut milk-based cazuela de mariscos, but since they stuck their name on this one, it seemed worth a try.

Nothing within the casserole was a disappointment, with fresh hunks of shrimp, squid, and fish throughout in a thin but very tasty soup. It pairs perfectly with rice, and would seem a no-brainer on a return visit.

The lomo de cerdo a la plancha ($12, below) also popped out and was ordered, a thin steak of pork that is griddled. This tasted very good, but may have remained cooking just a bit too long.

It and many dishes come with a plate of their porky red beans and white rice, which pair well with everything and possibly call for a second side order for those that love beans.

Daily rotating soup specials seem to be very popular here, an economical meal priced $6.50 for a small bowl and $7.50 for a large. Good fruit shakes made fresh are only $3, a steal really. Try the lulo, a citrus-y tasting fruit only available in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panamá.

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JACKSON HEIGHTS Queens

84-01 Northern Blvd