La Finca

It's amazing that the Colombians are not the largest people on earth when you consider the national dish: Bandeja Tipica (also known as Bandeja Montanera or Bandeja Paisa) consists of breakfast (eggs), lunch (rice & beans) and dinner (grilled steak), all in one entree. All this can be yours at La Finca for $9.95. And there are dozens more hearty, reasonbly priced items on the extensive menu: rotisserie chicken, chicken with rice, grilled steaks, tongue in tomato sauce, fried pork cutlets, whole fried fish and seafood paella. Appetizers include empanadas, arepas (corn cakes), chicharron (pork rind) and maduros (fried sweet plantain.)

A native of Colombia, chef-owner Jose Ramiro Villada cooked in the U.K., France and New York City before moving to Long Island where he worked at Benny's in Westbury and Cafe Picasso in Williston Park. In 2002 he decided to focus on the food of his homeland and opened La Finca. The restaurant has become a gathering spot for the Colombian ex-pat community; La Finca presents all Colombian soccer matches and league matches via satellite.