New Long Island restaurants serving Caribbean food

Not an expert on Caribbean food? Don't beat yourself up — the region has 26 countries, half a dozen official languages and flavors from all over the world.

There are dishes like mofongo, a dome of mashed plantains. But also mondongo, a heady soup that's laced with tripe. There's pernil, plantains and arroz con pollo ... spicy sauces, Indian curries, hearty bean dishes and simple fresh seafood. The more restaurants you visit, the more you realize that Caribbean food is not a monolith, and the only generalization you can make is that it's more popular than ever. 

"There's a huge increase in Caribbean food and restaurants," said Rudy Acosta, co-owner of the legendary Cuban restaurant Rincon Criollo, who just opened his second Long Island location, in New Hyde Park. "There's so many taco and margarita places, it's just become as popular as Italian food on the Island. ... But to have the variety, the Colombian foods, the Haitian. I love Haitian food. There's plenty to go around for everybody." 

If you use the broader definition of the Caribbean and include Central and South American countries that touch the Caribbean Sea, at least 10 new eateries have opened on Long Island in the past few months alone. Here are four places that stand out: 

Trini Street Food

2034 Green Acres Rd. W., Valley Stream

This Trinidadian food truck makes the trip to Walmart a bit more interesting. Parked outside the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Trini Street Food makes up for its utilitarian location by serving intensely flavorful dishes like spicy corn soup and curry chicken with roti ($12). It's best to get this flatbread roti on the side, so you can dip it in the richly spiced chicken. The truck is owned by Long Island resident Tiffani Sahai, who grew up at her father's restaurant Trini Delight in South Richmond Hill, Queens. Her husband, Dillon Ali, helps out at the counter, which is great because there's a constant crowd milling around. 

Trinidadian food draws from a diverse tapestry of influences, including India, West Africa and Latin America. So it's no surprise that many of the dishes are vegetarian, the most popular being the doubles ($2.50). Similar to an overstuffed taco, doubles are so named because it takes two fried bara flatbreads to hold the mixture of curried chickpeas and sweet chutneys on top. Eat them fast, because the parking lot has no tables or anywhere to sit. But they're so tasty and snackable, they're worth the trip alone. More info: instagram.com/trinistreetfoodny/?hl=en

Los Panas Venezuelan Food

274 Atlantic Ave., East Rockaway

It's easy to miss, but the small counter service spot is putting out some of the finest Venezuelan street food around. The word "pana" is a Venezuelan expression that connotes friendship and coolness. And you can tell even before the food comes out that this is a place you want to get to know. It's all about the attention to detail. The shop is clean and keenly decorated. Many Latin places serve fresh juices, but this passion fruit juice ($6) is one of the tastiest concoctions in recent memory. Slightly blended with ice, it's frothy and bursting with tangy sweetness. 

Arepas are made fresh daily, and the kitchen stuffs the crispy corn cakes with so much filling that you have to pull some away before you can bite in. Customize your own with black beans and sweet plantains, but don't skip the famous shredded chicken and avocado arepa that goes by the name reina pepiada. How can something so large taste so fresh and light? The kitchen also makes a mean cachapa, a sweet corn cake stuffed with gooey fresh cheese that's like a grassier mozzarella. It looks like an omelet but it's more of a cheesy pancake. And the empanadas here are not to be skipped. The behemoths are deep fried to puffy transcendence and stuffed with ingredients like shredded beef and lush melted cheese. More info: 516-218-2428, lospanasfood.com

Lucas II The Dominican Spot

3115 Long Beach Rd., Oceanside

Lucas II may be the loudest and largest Dominican restaurant on Long Island. The strip mall spot in Oceanside features a barrage of geometric Spanish tile and neon signs, including a mural of merengue instruments like tambora drums, an accordion and a güira scraper. On weekends, it becomes a space for live salsa, bachata and other styles of Latin music and dancing. 

The kitchen is run by chef Hipolito Rosario, who owns the restaurant with his son Francisco. His menu is vast and almost diner-like, with multiple preparations for each type of meat. The iconic soup sancocho ($11.99) is a nice way to start out. A medley of different meats like pork and chicken on the bone float around a savory vegetable broth. It's both mild and comforting. But the highlight of the menu has got to be the pernil, slow-roasted pork shoulder that involves a multistep process of marinating and baking for several hours. Some slivers are darker and crunchier, others are savory and juicy. Even if you don't like bachata music or Dominican rum, this pork is worth a trip by itself. More info: 516-208-7295, facebook.com/LucasDR101

Rincon Criollo

2232 Jericho Tpke., New Hyde Park

This legendary Cuban restaurant has been wowing customers in Queens since 1976. Last year, the Acosta family decided to close their storied Queens restaurant and reopen in New Hyde Park, their second on Long Island after Huntington Station. After a year of building repairs, they've managed to bring their entire staff to the new location. 

The large and cavernous space on Jericho Turnpike is packed with old family photographs and vintage paintings, including a signed portrait of the iconic Cuban singer Celia Cruz. The menu includes many of the classic Cuban dishes that founder Rudesindo Acosta served since the '50s in Cuba, like the roast pork dish lechon asado ($19.95), the ground beef stew picadillo ($15.95) and the slow-cooked shredded beef dish ropa vieja ($26.95). But there are also lesser known stars of the Cuban kitchen. Rabo encendido ($29.95) is a homey dish of slow-braised oxtails in a red wine tomato sauce. Rip off a piece from the bone with your fork and spoon the velveteen sauce over the white rice — it's magic. Make sure to ask for a side of spicy green sauce, whose clean habanero kick cuts through all those rich flavors. 

More info: 516-506-1653, rincon-criollo.com

By Andi Berlin

andi.berlin@newsday.comAndiBerlin

Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.