Colombian restaurant opens in Port Washington
Dolce Restaurant, serving, per its awning, “typical Colombian cuisine,” has opened in the Manorhaven Boulevard spot that was most recently ¡Ay Que Rico! (and, before that, Livorno and Nick & Pedro’s).
Co-owner Martin Tobon said that he and his partner were originally planning on a New American-Italian menu, hence the name Dolce. But while putting the restaurant together, he said, local residents were vocal about their desire for something that Port Washington didn’t have. Tobon, a native of Colombia, decided to change directions — though it was too late to substitute “Dulce” for “Dolce.”
Dolce’s menu is straight-ahead Colombian and is headlined by that country’s belly-busting national dish, “bandeja paisa,” comprising rice, beans, steak, chicharrón (pork rind), chorizo sausage, fried eggs and an arepa, a fat little tortilla.
Dolce’s large bandeja paisa is $13.95 (small is $11) and the rest of the menu offers comparable value: None of the main dishes tops $20, most are less than $15. Rice with shrimp (plus salad and fries) is $12.95; grilled fish filet with rice, salad and green plantains is $14.95; arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) is $10.95.
Dolce Restaurant is at 95 Manorhaven Blvd., Port Washington, 516-472-7500