Williamsburg’s This is Latin America (234 Grand St.) is a showroom featuring handmade goods like decor, tableware, jewelry, and textiles. It calls itself a “place to find the Latin American creations that you won’t find anywhere else.”
Now, it includes a menu locals won’t find anywhere else. Last month, chef Stephanie Bonnin opened a colorful new cafe called Patio Tropical hidden inside This is Latin America. The speakeasy-style setup is new for Chef Bonnin, who used to have a pop-up called La TropiKitchen at Williamsburg’s Smorgasburg.
Chef Bonnin’s permanent home comes with a culinary studio where other pop-ups and chefs can take over the kitchen for a night with chef residencies, workshops, and private dinners. The first chef residency was on Valentine’s Day weekend with Chilean pastry chef Ariel Millaman and Moeko Tamakawa. The “very sexy dining experience” offered a menu that celebrated “intimacy and indulgence.”
Chef Bonnin said that Patio Tropical isn’t just a cafe or culinary studio, but a “space for those who are passionate about food.”
The chef hails from Barranquilla, Colombia. Her everyday cafe menu at Patio Tropical celebrates her coastal Colombian and Caribbean roots, offering a variety of snacks, and breakfast and lunch dishes. The menu includes pan de bono, which is cheesy bread made with yuca flour, and pan dulce, which is sweet bread topped with cardamom and sour orange dust.
Patio Tropical’s menu includes two types of empanadas, one with beef and one with shrimp, plus plates like an arepa with egg, an avocado and tomato salad, beef skewers, and Colombian beef stew.
The cafe’s beverage menu includes typical coffee and espresso drinks, plus a coquito latte, which is quickly becoming a popular drink in the neighborhood. There’s also Mexican Coke, and Agua de Jamaica, which is iced hibiscus tea.
Patio Tropical’s cafe is open Thursday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.