Las Calenas Colombian restaurant opens in Hempstead

Shortly after I announced I was moving to New York, recommendations for green sauce started pouring in. "Buy it by the gallon!" a woman wrote referring to a mysterious aji pepper blend served at the Manhattan Peruvian restaurant Pio Pio alongside its famous pollo a la brasa. Little did I know the green sauce is famous. Several recipe writers have attempted to recreate its spicy creamy majesty using everything from cilantro and lettuce to jalapeños and mayonnaise. 

But now that I've tasted the aji verde at the new Colombian cafe Las Calenas in Hempstead, I understand what the green sauce fuss is all about. By the end of my meal I was asking for extra to-go tubs so I could slather it on my griddled corn cake arepas and mix it into beans for an extra herbaceous oomph. It's hard to tell what exactly is in the punchy South American sauce, but that's just part of the allure. 

Of course, sauce is not what people are coming to Las Calenas for. It's more likely the hearty South American country meals at budget prices. Like the steaming bowl of sopa de pollo in a rustic black mug, its flavorful chicken broth a miracle drug on a windy winter day. Or the Colombian grilled meats such as bistec and beef churrasco, often served on banana leaves with pyramids of white rice and freshly sliced tomatoes. 

I would cross multiple states for their bandeja paisa, a combo platter that's considered the national dish of Colombia. This is a standout bandeja, with a snappy log of Spanish chorizo along with a stunning variety of pork and beef cuts, all pulled together with another steaming bowl of juicy beans. 

This corner of Hempstead Turnpike actually gained two restaurants in the past several weeks: Las Calenas Bakery Restaurant and Reyna's Kitchen, a Central American deli next door that looks like it serves a mean Honduran baleada. I can already tell I'll be back to try more dishes and sauces from both restaurants. Because next time I know someone who moves here, I want to make a really good recommendation. 

Las Calenas Bakery Restaurant, 719 Fulton Ave., Hempstead. Open Sunday through Wednesday 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.; 516-246-9657.

By Andi Berlin

andi.berlin@newsday.com

Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.