RESTAURANT REVIEW
Flavors of Puerto Rico Having been to many backyard cookouts since Memorial Day, a friend and I spent an early August afternoon searching for something beyond burgers and hot dogs. We recalled seeing a charming mural during our previous travels, and it turned out that colorful mural was the façade of a new restaurant in Bogota, the county’s smallest town by square mileage. It’s on the town’s main street, and it specializes in cuisine and cocktails from Puerto Rico—fare that’s quite the opposite of the all-American barbecue foods we’d been consuming. Inviting from the outside, Bistro Taino is more than welcoming once you walk in. Visitors get an immediate dose of the territory’s proud culture, thanks to festive music and a display of bright ceilingmounted umbrellas (traditional décor meant to signify the strength of Puerto Rico’s citizens). We were warmly greeted, shown to a booth and presented with menus by our host, and the selection was exactly what we wanted. There was beef, of course, but also options for pork, chicken, fish, seafood and vegetables. I’ve often heard the acclaim for chefs from Puerto Rico, the best of whom are skilled in “the art of pork,” which includes mastery of all the edible parts of a pig. So it was a no-brainer that our first appetizer was chicharron de Bayamon, or fried pork belly. Bistro Taino’s dish is a less greasy version—which was much appreciated—of lechon kawali, a staple in many Filipino kitchens, including my own. Each piece had plenty of melt-in-your-mouth pork fat, tender meat and crispy skin that, when bit into, delivered the if-you-know-you-know crunch. I’d say the limited number of bitesized morsels was a drawback (I counted eight), but I reminded myself that filling up an apps isn’t the objective at dinner. That was especially true because of our hearty second shared starter, bacaloutos. My friend and I were equally excited when we saw this offering, which is essentially light
BISTRO TAINO 107 E. Main St., Bogota, 201.678.0787; bistrotaino.com
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cod fritters, but in retrospect we could’ve ordered fresh ceviche instead of a second fried dish. Live and learn. But, boy, were we living. Feasting on the flaky, moist fish was a delight, and the texture and taste (including the accompanying sweet and spicy ajilimojili sauce) was a welcome alternative to all those summertime burgers we’ve been eating. Entrées at Bistro Taino include Puerto Rico skirt steak, ribs, fish, chicken and pork. On this night, I skipped red meat for my main and went with traditional mofongo with camarones and vegetables. The plate is topped with a large portion of mashed green plantains that’s molded in a mound just like mashed potatoes. Atop and around the plantains were generous amounts of shrimp and veggies, each bite delectable on its own but just as delicious when scooped up with a forkful of the flavorful mofongo. My friend, meanwhile, maintained his pork excitement when he caught sight of more meat on the menu. Tempted by the skirt steak with chimichurri, he ultimately went with the center cut pork chop, which was gorgeously and wonderfully crisp on the outside and super moist on the inside. He didn’t regret it. A mix of Puerto Rican spices and sauteed onions gave the dish aroma and flavor that seemed to fill the entire dining room. Dessert wasn’t available on this date soon after the restaurant’s grand opening, but we were told that after-dinner sweets will be added in the future. That didn’t mean, however, that we weren’t in for a treat. After thanking our server and paying our tab, we migrated over to the ornately decorated bar, where an Instagram-worthy floral display shared wall space with shelves of spirits. Bistro Taino offers a wide array of wine, cocktails, sangrias and more. My friend and I raised our glasses—two margaritas—and toasted the summer and a great new dining option. —Darius Amos
Photos courtesy of Bistro Taino
The island’s rich cuisine is showcased well at Bogota’s new Bistro Taino. (Pork, anyone?)
SEPTEMBER 2024
8/21/24 3:55 PM