I went to my friend John’s wife’s birthday party at a resturant in Strawberry Hill called El Rincon Columbian, which translates to The Columbian Corner. We had a great time and the food was excellent. My wife ordered chicken in a Columbian sauce of chopped onions, tomatoes, and saffron for which I am going to find a recipe. The boy asked for rice and got a tangy, tomatoey chicken friend rice-esque dish that he did not eat (it was red after all) but that Tina snacked on. I found a bit of the rice which was chicken free and had a taste. It was very good, though I could not place the tang. If I had to guess, I would have said red wine vinegar.
I ordered garlic shrimp which came with rice and tostones (mmm….tostones) which are pieces of plantain which have been friend, mashed, and then friend again. The garlic shrimp lived up to its name. It was served in a broth that was swimming with minced garlic. Fantastic.
I liked my dish, but I think that the star of meal was not the protein. The side dishes are what made the meal.
My wife and the boy’s meals came with this salad that was basically like Columbian cole slaw. It had lettuce, tomoato, and I believe a little celery smothered in a white sauce that may have been creme fraiche because it was not strong enough for sour cream nor sweet enough for mayo. My tostones were to die for as were the sweet friend plantains (cousins of the banana, though more starchy and less sweet.) We also ordered a side of yucca, which is a South American root vegetable that was served deep fried. Hands down, yucca makes some of the best french fries I have ever tasted.
It was a very pleasant experience. The food was good, the company was better, and we found a new restaurant. Tina wants to go back for more of her chicken and while I enjoyed the shrimp, I believe next time I will try to huevos (eggs) because they had some really good looking egg dishes.
If you want to go to El Rincon, the address is:
611 N 6th St
Kansas City, KS 66101