If you didn’t know that Suffolk County has one of the largest Colombian populations outside of Latin America, you might be surprised when you see La Chiva. The colorful spot is tucked away in a strip mall in Lake Ronkonkoma, surrounded by tall trees and a lush patch of green grass.
It was formerly the Lake Ronkonkoma Diner and then a Greek falafel shop, but sat empty for about a year until it was taken over by Juan Urquilla and Harry Caldera. The pair own Elegance Lighting, where they designed lighting fixtures for restaurants and hotels. They were inspired to open their own restaurant by Urquilla’s wife, Esperanza Carmona, who hails from the city of Armenia in western Colombia (known for its Armenian immigrant population, but also a major center of Colombia’s coffee-growing industry).
The partners carried out the renovations themselves, immersing guests in a bright yellow scene filled with Colombian flags and a decorative faux balcony that is a trademark of Colombian restaurants as it is reminiscent of the Spanish colonial streets of Cartagena.
La Chiva in Lake Ronkonkoma has an interior reminiscent of Colombia. Photo credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Colombian restaurants tend to have extensive menus, but this one is simpler. There are some grilled and fried chicken dishes, as well as the familiar beef and seafood dishes like bistec encebollado, or grilled steak with onions ($24.95), and mojarra frita, a whole fried sea bream fish with cassava, rice and beans ($29.95). A meal starts with a complimentary plate of mini arepa cakes, along with a braised tomato and onion sauce called hogao. Beef empanadas are served with a raw tomato-ají sauce that is still quite mild.
The showstopper is the iconic Colombian dish Bandeja Paisa ($29.95). The country man’s platter typically consists of a sumptuous assortment of meats served on a plate with beans, rice, and a grilled corn cake arepa. It’s like the South American equivalent of a Denny’s Grand Slam breakfast. But La Chiva is the rare place that serves its version on a multi-tiered stand pointing skyward.
It’s a recent phenomenon that speaks to bandeja’s popularity among younger generations. The platter is laid out like other platters on Instagram. The bottom tier, made of cast iron, is the most sumptuous, with a grilled flap steak, sweet plantain, arepa, and half an avocado spread out on a bed of white rice. In the middle, you’ll find a pot of red beans topped with fatty pork so flavorful it’s a challenge to get it from spoon to mouth. On the top tier (above head height) lies a spread-out chicharron pork rind and a hefty piece of Spanish chorizo. Bandeja is always a gentleman’s feast, but this treatment makes it a spectacle.
The partners designed their own stand for the Bandeja Paisa using materials imported from Colombia.
“You need three floors to fit all the food in there,” Urquilla said. “It’s a very explosive dish, it blows people away.”
La Chiva, 966-B Portion Rd., Lake Ronkonkoma, 631-846-6749, instagram.com/lachivany/?hl=en. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and doesn’t know where she’s going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
