DISH OF THE WEEK: Achiote Roasted Chicken at COLONIA VERDE

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

I am so spoiled living and eating in this city. I used to be afraid to order roast chicken when going out to dinner at a nicer restaurant. Not anymore. But now I have certain expectations that the chicken will be soft, juicy, and tender, which are not words always associated with poultry. You can almost always judge how good a chef is by their chicken. And we have lots of good chefs in this city.

There are two chefs at Colonia Verde – co-owners Felipe Donnelly and Carolina Santos-Neves. They rebuilt this beautiful restaurant (which features both a garden for outdoor summer dining and an indoor porch for colder weather like now) after a devastating fire put them out for close to four months.

I can only talk about the food post-fire (since I never made it out here before) and the Latin-kissed dishes are quite good. I especially liked the unique take on grilled octopus with the flavors of al pastor (chiles and pineapple) and a fantastic coconut yucca cake for dessert.

Even if I hadn’t tasted any of those other dishes, I knew this was a serious restaurant because their roast chicken was phenomenal. The meat here was buttery and supple beneath a browned skin, which might blow the minds of those who have never had perfectly cooked chicken before. The flavors were richly composed too, including the earthy and smoky achiote marinate and the accompaniment of kale, quinoa, mushrooms, and the surprising addition of dried blueberries.

Now that I’ve tried the chicken, I can confidently say anything you order at Colonia Verde (where they are known for their steaks) will probably be comforting and delicious. You are in good hands.