Azafrán Colombian Restaurant in St. James: First bites
Rotisserie roasted chicken at Azafran in St. James. Credit: Newsday / Joan Reminick
Azafrán Colombian Restaurant in St. James is simple but attractive in design. You may recognize the site as the former home of Red Tomato and, before that, Attilio’s Grill. Outside the place, a life-size statue of a chef greets customers.
The house specialty, rotisserie roasted chicken, is what you want to get. I had it as part of a “bandeja,” ($11) or platter, that also included chicken soup with vegetables and giblets. Instead of fresh cilantro, though, it was laced with dried parsley, a shortfall. The accompanying salad was standard fare; fries were pre-frozen — pale and limp. On the other hand, a special of a fish fillet (tilapia) with shrimp in garlic sauce ($19) turned out to be a winner.
Azafrán Colombian Restaurant is at 430 N. Country Rd., St. James, 631-686-6506, azafranrestaurant.com.
