Foodcrawling: Brooklyn, NY

It should come as no surprise that New York City’s most populous borough has more than a few killer restaurants. With a thriving Hispanic-American community, it’s easy to find a variety of Latin restaurants, but the hard part is choosing just one. Here are a few of our favorite places for perfect ceviche, flavorful arepas, spicy pupusas, and more inspired by countries like Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay.

Habana Outpost. 757 Fulton Street. 718-858-9500

It’s hard to say what I love more about this place – the spicy, cheese-coated roasted corn or the container garden hanging over the sink in the bathroom.

Habana Outpost is Brooklyn’s first solar-powered restaurant. The vibe is like a food truck party that got so big, a restaurant sprung up around it. I opted for two tacos – pork and chicken – and their famous grilled corn. The tacos were quite tasty and came with two different kinds of salsa and plenty of lime and cilantro. The corn is served “Mexican-style,” covered in a thick layer of Cojita cheese and chili powder.

Next time I’m giving their traditional Cubano sandwich a try – with a side of that corn, of course.

Bogota Latin Bistro. 141 5^th Avenue. 718-230-3805

Bogota has a huge menu, but I can make a meal out of the appetizers alone. Empanadas are filled with salted codfish and roasted corn, skirt steak and aji sauce, or guava purée and cream cheese. Arepas are topped with chorizo or morcilla (blood sausage), and a plate of patacones (fried green plantains) are topped with shrimp and hearts of palm. Honestly, who needs entrees?

Then again, house specialties like seafood paella, Colombian BBQ ribs, and whole fried snapper with coconut rice and tostones do merit serious consideration. Plus, Bogota has an impressive list of cocktails (including a stellar caipirinha) and imported Central American beers. Maybe the key is to just keep going back until I’ve tried the whole menu.

Coco Roco. 139 Smith Street. 718-254-9933

Looking for ceviche? This Peruvian restaurant has a full ceviche bar with several options. I recommend the crab marinated in spicy yellow pepper sauce, but you can also choose from tuna, salmon, snapper, clams, and mussels. Coco Roco’s menu is extensive – seafood lovers should try the Jalea (fried seafood platter with delicious yuca), while the Chicharrón (juicy roasted pork with sweet potatoes) will satisfy diners who are feeling more carnivorous.

The cocktails are also worth mentioning – while the traditional Peruvian Pisco Sour is on the menu, I recommend giving the Diablito a shot. The chili pepper-rimmed glass of blood orange and passion fruit with tequila añejo makes for a great kick-off to your meal.

Bahia Restaurant. 690 Grand Street. 718-218-6081

“Try the pupusas.” I heard this more than once before venturing over to Bahia Restaurant. The recommendations were completely justified. Two will fill you up – but at $2 a pop, why not order three (or four)? Think of it this way: you can sample the Revueltas (pork with refried beans and cheese), the Queso con Ayote (cheese and zucchini), the Pollo con Queso (chicken and cheese), and the Queso con Loroco (a type of edible flower – just try it) all at once!

Tabaré. 221 S 1^st Street. 347-335-0187

Traditional Uruguayan cuisine made with local, organic ingredients is hard to find, but it’s hard to go wrong here. If you’re feeling adventurous, start with the cacerola de pulpo for an appetizer; grilled octopus with beans, paprika, and a citrusy aioli. For entrees, the milanesa de polla (tender, breaded chicken cutlet and fried sweet potatoes) is fabulous, as is the juicy skirt steak with chimichurri sauce.

Splurging on dessert is always recommended, but especially at Tabaré. The alfagor rustigo – cookies layered with dulce de leche, chocolate ganache, and caramelized walnuts with sea salt – is guaranteed to end your meal on a high note.