FOODIE
A Taste Of The Mountains
By Brian Rafferty/ brafferty@longislandernews.com

The outside is just as colorful as I remembered it from my first visit to Huntington a couple of years ago; the bright orange exterior made the place stand out from the outside in just as vibrant a way as the food at Fonda Coyoacan stood out behind the small bodega that took up most of the first floor.

Today, Fonda and the bodega are both gone, but a delightful, similarly themed restaurant has taken its place – El Picacho Catracho, which translates directly into Honduran Mountain.

Open just three months now, this flavorful Honduran restaurant creates new dishes that have helped retain the regulars from Fonda while breathing new life into the stretch of Huntington Station and opening its doors to a wider audience.

Vibrant colors fill the relatively empty eatery, with walls painted in banana yellow, melon and an earthy red. The tables are simple, as are the place settings – a perfect mix with the authentic peasant food that is as rich in flavor as the country it hails from is in culture.

I started with fresh Nachos con frijoles fritos, queso mantequilla ($3); the chips were clearly homemade with a perfectly-sized side of refried beans topped with sour cream. Just as I finished the last of them, came the main dish of the day – Pollo frito con tajadas de Banano verde, repollo y chimol salsa casera ($9).

Essentially, the dish is fried chicken with sliced green plantains, cabbage, a spiced relish and the delectable house sauce that adds fruit and a kick to the dishes it accompanies.

The presentation was fantastic; starting at the bottom was a layer of sautéed plantains, which was then covered by the repollo (a cabbage slaw in multiple colors) followed by the fried chicken; all of which is topped with the special house sauce and a dollop of the chimol relish, which is similar in theme to Mexican salsa, but with more cilantro and lemon.

The plantains, known to typically be firm and often served fried, were softened by a sauté that brought out the natural fruitiness and took away some of the green banana’s bitter flavor. The shredded cabbage slaw, with bits of purple radish popping out from the green and white, had a delightful sour tang. The chicken was meaty, with a crisp batter that could withstand the drenching it got from the slaw below and the sauce on top.

Add to all that the salsa, and you’ve got a typical Honduran dish – a wide range of flavors and textures that incorporate protein, vegetable and starch all on one plate while having a delightful combination of colors and dancing on different taste buds all at once.

So stop in for some soup, a little Spanish TV or simply some of the most authentic Honduran food this writer has tasted in some time at El Picacho – and enjoy.

El Picacho Catracho Grill
1026 New York Avenue
Huntington Station, NY 11746
631-683-4224

Cuisine: Authentic Honduran
Atmosphere: Relaxed
Hours: Lunch and dinner (and late breakfast)
opens at 10 a.m. 7 days

Main Menu