Cornwall family opens Newburgh restaurant
Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Indian, Mexican, and Spanish. The Hudson Valley offers a wide range of cuisine from other countries, but when it comes to Colombian food, two Cornwall residents saw a void which needed to be filled.
Since the Feb. 21 opening of Café Colombia, located at 350 Broadway in Newburgh, Olga and John Perez have seen an overwhelming response from the community.
“There’s nothing like this here,” Olga said. “There are no other full-service Colombian-style restaurants.”
She said one would have to travel to Rockland County or New Jersey to find a restaurant offering Colombian cuisine.
“We love the food,” John added. “We’re first generation Colombian. Our parents moved to this country in the late 1960s. We were born here and one of the things they really made sure they carried over from Columbia was the food.”
When the Perezes think about their childhood, they’re brought back to memories of celebrating holidays with family and food from the old country. That tradition has carried on with their own children. Their oldest daughter, now in college, has an attachment to Colombian food and comes to expect certain dishes, like Tamales, during the holidays. Olga’s mother lives with the family and when their kids were younger she would make Arepas (a corn-based dough cooked into cakes) served with Colombian hot chocolate — a traditional breakfast — on a Saturday morning.
Although Olga works as a manager of ATAX in Newburgh and John is a school psychologist in Rockland County, the family does not lack experience in the restaurant business or the kitchen.
John served as a bartender and waited tables for 17 years until he completed grad school. Olga brings her experience of cooking Colombian food in the kitchen, while John’s sister, Martha, works at the restaurant and brings over 20 years of experience in the industry.
When the Perez family decided to open a restaurant, they wanted to make sure the familiar flavors they grew up with would be part of the experience. They hired two Colombian chefs who bring their own seasonings and styles. The menu offerings are based on their recipes, as well as those passed down within the Perez family. Months prior to opening were spent taste testing a variety of dishes. The four spent a lot of time fine tuning the final menu.
The combination of Colombian influence has allowed for a menu which offers a number of regional dishes. There’s southern-style cooking. Olga’s family is from the Caribbean coast which is known for fish fries. John’s family lived in the capital region which is known for more hearty meals.
Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, on the menu, one can find typical Colombian dishes like Bandaja Paisa — steak, sausage, rice, beans, egg (Churizo), and pork belly (Chicherone), or the Perro Loca (crazy dog) which is a foot-long hot dog topped with lettuce, bacon, crushed chips and pineapple sauce.
Prior to opening, residents anticipated the infusion of Colombian cuisine into their community. The response has been astounding with some customers returning multiple times a day.
