Cafe con Leche is a quaint restaurant that is located on Amsterdam Ave.
It specializes in Cuban and Caribbean cuisine.
It’s very colorful has a soft atmosphere, attentive service, our waitress was very beautiful and courteous. My friend was very happy to recognize her Colombian accent.
We were a group of four. We each ordered a different dish from the menu– that way, we were able to taste different dishes.
I ordered one of my favorite Caribbean dishes, Ropa Vieja (Tattered Clothes) it’s shredded beef slowly sautéed with onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, sweet peppers and tomato sauce, then is simmered in the sauce until you get a gravy consistency with a side dish off white rice and beans.
I grew up in Puerto Rico eating Ropa Vieja, and I must say this was exquisite, reminding me of experiences in Puerto Rico associated with this dish.
A friend followed my suggestion and ordered the Pastelon. As I explained the dish to him, it is sort of a Caribbean version of lasagna, without pasta.
It has ground beef sautéed in tomato sauce, raisins and spices reminiscent of a stew, which is then layered between sliced ripe plantains (Amarillos). The task of the spices and the sweetness of the plantains went well with a side of Yucca fries, which were battered in corn meal and deep fried (yucca, a root vegetable, is very similar to Taro). This preparation was a pleasant surprise, as he expressed expecting a different preparation of Yucca (boiled, then sauteed with onions and Mojo Sauce).
Another friend ordered the Steak Fajitas. The flavor was good, and he enjoyed it very much.
My partner ordered as an appetizer Fried Yucca, but it was a different preparation from the Yucca side dish that my friend ordered.
This was served with a spicy dipping sauce. As an entree, he ordered a Lobster dish, stewed in tomato sauce, onions and peppers accompanied by yellow rice and black beans.
For dessert we ordered Tres Leches, which was served in a Martini glass. It was more like a wedding torte rather than a moist dessert. I have been searching for the moist Tres Leches dessert for some time, but so far I have not found one that reminds me of the one I ate at family parties.
The Flan was small. I even suspect it was store bought and not made on premises. It was extremely sweet.
I definitely will return and taste other dishes. Overall, we enjoyed laughs and conversation over a tasty meal. We had a good experience.
Buen Provecho
Nelson Gonzalez-Gonzalez
https://www.whyinside.com/cafeconleche/menu/
Directions to Cafe con Leche
https://maps.google.com/maps?expflags=enable_star_based_justifications:true&ie=UTF8&f=d&daddr=Cafe+Con+Leche,+424+Amsterdam+Ave,+New+York,+NY+10024&geocode=CcaPvbJBPywCFfdQbgIdMjCX-yFuKsup9WulJw&gl=US&hl=en