With Covid variants bringing the summer travel surge to a serious slowdown and international visits becoming considerably less appealing to many (again), it may be time to return to the pandemic’s chief comfort: food. Fortunately, thanks to vaccinations and mask mandates, restaurants are better equipped to handle greater crowds this time around, bringing you much better chances of scoring a reservation and returning the indoor tables that were sorely missed during 2020/2021’s winter of outdoor dining. Around a single intersection in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, you can escape to Mexico, Greece and Latin America (with a decidedly Colombian emphasis) with three popular restaurants from Mil Gustos Hospitality Group, and with festive feels and eye-catching ambiance at each, more than your tastebuds will catch the taste of travel you may otherwise be missing this fall and winter. Here’s what you’ll find at Bogotá Latin Bistro, Miti Miti and Medusa Green Taverna, all within steps of each other on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn.
Bogotá Latin Bistro
Bandeja paisa
Mil Gustos Hospitality Group
The first Park Slope restaurant from partners George Constantinou and Farid Ali-Lancheros, Bogotá Latin Bistro opened in 2005, offering pan-Latin cuisine that honors both of their heritages: Constantinou is half Costa Rican and Ali-Lancheros was born in Colombia. Despite a massive menu of traditional dishes and old family favorites, the celebratory atmosphere, from vibrant artwork to upbeat tunes, is likely as responsible as the food for repeat visitors. It’s impossible to feel unwelcome at Bogotá. Start with empanadas (Colombian cornmeal or Argentinean wheat) or Colombian arepas, or take the soup and salad route with chicken and pork rib sancocho soup and pom palm salad of pomegranate, mango, avocado and palm with a cilantro dressing. Mains include a Colombian chicken and root vegetable stew; marinated red snapper with coconut rice and tostones; seafood and chorizo paella; Colombian barbecue ribs; and a taco menu, but the crowd favorite is the bandeja paisa. Loosely translated as “mountain platter” because of its prevalence in Medellín, it’s more literally translated as the “national platter” and includes skirt steak or chicken (grilled or rotisserie), pork chicharron, white arepa, rice and beans, and a fried egg, along with accompaniments of avocado, maduros and cabbage salad. Still, the most popular items at Bogota may come from the flavored margarita and mojito menu (including lulo, a tangy Colombian fruit), with all day happy hour pricing daily.
Miti Miti
Ten years after refining Bogotá’s successful formula of food and fun, MGHG launched Miti Miti less than a block away. The menu here is modern Mexican, and the restaurant’s communal concept is alluded to in its catchy name: Miti Miti is short for “mitad y mitad,” which means half-and-half, and often refers to sharing. The bar program here is similar to Bogotá’s with a considerable collection of margaritas and mojitos but extends its focus to highlight a healthy library of tequilas and mezcals. Try the pico pepino for a spicy mix of tequila and mezcal with cucumber jalapeńo purée. Miti Miti offers more than a dozen tacos including the green goddess (roasted Brussels sprouts, crispy kale, mushroom and jalapeño hummus with salsa verde); crispy chicken thigh with tangy cabbage escabeche and avocado tomatillo salsa; and beer battered white fish tacos with chipotle aioli. There are, of course, birria taco selections, too. Shareable starters include Mexican street corn, shrimp and chorizo mac and cheese, and fried calamari with salsa verde and spicy ranchera salsa, with additional mains found on the fajita, enchilada and burrito menus. Save room for desserts like churros with chocolate sauces, tres leches cake or xangos, a fried cheesecake taquito dipped in cinnamon sugar with vanilla gelato.
Medusa Greek Taverna
Across the street from Miti Miti, Medusa Greek Taverna is the newest offering from MGHG, bringing a chic selection of traditional Greek plates alongside some updated Mediterranean cuisine, honoring Constantinou’s Greek heritage. While the atmosphere here remains social, the design shift from explosive color and traditional party elements to darker tones and statement chandeliers separates it from the group’s earlier restaurants with more of an eating club scene than a backyard fiesta. You’ll still find the group’s signature margaritas, but with flavors like green apple, pomegranate and blue ouzo instead (there’s an ouzo mojito, too) and wines, including several Greek bottles, are featured more heavily here. For shareable meals with friends or family start with an assortment of Greek dips, plus selections from a dozen meze platters from zucchini chips with tzatziki to spanakopita or Greek octopus mac and cheese with orzo, halloumi and feta. Heartier entrées include moussaka; pastitsio (Greek baked ziti with kefalotyri cheese and meat sauce); lamb yiouvetsi (braised lamb stew in tomato sauce with feta); and grilled salmon with lemon oil and capers. For dessert, consider traditional baklava or opt for the chocolate tahini mousse with pink peppercorns and halva crumble.