La Fonda Antioqueña~ 4903 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90029 ~ (323) 957-5164

Ever since a beautiful Colombiana stole my heart, and introduced me to her welcoming extended family in the birthplace of the cumbia, the process of seeking out Colombian restaurants in the southland has become a bit of an obsessive pastime. And, since going to one of these restaurants is a usually a special occasion, we tend to over-order, taking home the leftovers to make use of them for the rest of the week.

We started off the mini-feast with an appetizer of empanadas, in this case, spiced ground beef surrounded by fried corn-meal. If that doesn’t evoke enough of an idea, just think of it as the most delicious hot pocket you could ever imagine. And the condiments for this delicious hot pocket, you ask? Instead of what we might think of as pico de gallo or salsa, the equivalent Colombian condiment is a mix called ahí, which still has spicy chili bits in it, but is much lighter on the tomato and heavier on the parsley and green onion. Personally, I love the stuff and lovingly tilt a spoonful of ahí onto each bite of my empanada. Empanadas are frequently served with a lemon wedge, as many believe that a squirt of fresh lemon enhances the overall empanada experience

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656 N. Virgil Ave. ~ 323-664-7723 ~ Silverlake, CA 90004 (TACO Map)

Cha Cha Cha has major juice in this hood, as could be attested to by their locking down their entire Virgil block for a 20th Birthday jam. I don’t think Wolfgang Puck could get the street shut down in front of Spago as quickly as the Anaya family could in front of their Silverlake legend which has been serving home-style Caribbean eats with flair and heart for two decades.

Porkpie hats, chilly stunners, prestigious friends, buttoned Guayaberas, earthquakin’ booties, upscale suits, ghetto superstars, hungry freeloaders, and a very cordial Mayor Villaraigosa passed through, the latter even stopping for a peek at the ship-shape kitchen. Drummers pounded out a streetside jam with military precision and favella funk. Artwork by two Hola Youth Photographers hung from the corrugated tin walls. Carnivale dancers triggered nalgitas on bodies sprung so tight they raised temperatures in summertime Los Angeles. Then they were all dripping sweat and hyperventilating outside, which was slightly less hot….

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Cha Cha Chicken ~ 1906 Ocean Ave. @ Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 581-1684

I’ve been to Jamaica over ten times in my short life and Cuba once, both possessing a bounty of beauty in land, culture and souls, despite brutal political and economic oppression. A place like Cha Cha Chicken does not exist in either locale, although oil drums, bright colors, handcrafted artwork and shady palms are legion.

Whereas Cha Cha Chicken is a tropical oasis in a small stretch of smog-choked cityscape by the sea, most Jamaican eateries are frames in the dusty earth, with a simple grill and maybe a counter where chicken quarters are cleaved by a scarfaced butcher like ganja on a surru board, the latter often available behind the kitchen. Cuba on the other hand, has very few commercial enterprises at all and the motherland itself is not currently known for its cuisine due to a shortage of most high-quality foodstuffs, though its recipes and culinary traditions are marvelous.

Authenticity aside, Cha Cha Chicken does give you that 96 degrees in the shade escapism that we dream of when going dun south. Brightly colored bamboo fencing and pastel barrels form a perimeter from the cars zooming along Ocean; Peter Tosh’s “Arise Black Man” and Bob Marley’s “Africa Unite” fill the space; banana leaf-fringed palapas shade diners while brightly painted masks, trinkets and artwork peek from the bushes. And the food is quite simply delicious and soulful.

Ropa vieja and jerk chicken enchiladas are soft and savory; the jerk is decent and good, though probably wouldn’t pass muster inna di yard; coconut fried chicken is crisp with its own subtle tang; and breakfasts are a scramble of soft eggs, mozzarella and hearty sauces… (continued below)

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