NYC, from A to Z: B is for Bolivia

Baby's first time having Bolivian food

Planning a perfect Saturday in NYC can be a daunting task. There’s so much to consider — how many modes of transit do I need to take? Is this plan also convenient for my friend(s)? Am I really going to decide I want to go to Sailor for french toast two weeks in advance? Unlikely.

If you know me, you know I love a jam-packed weekend filled with plans from morning to midnight. But undoubtedly one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday in the city is exploring a new neighborhood without a rigid schedule.

I was fortunate enough to have one of these impeccable days with

Madeline Marcella

last Saturday. We ventured to Sunnyside, Queens — both of our first times visiting the neighborhood — and started at a spot that’s part of the latest bakery boom. We waited more than an hour in line, but it was honestly worth the early-morning wakeup call. Don’t worry, there will be more details in my monthly favorites next week 😉.

After ordering an obscene amount of donuts and downing our iced lattes (an essential part of a perfect Saturday), we strolled around the neighborhood and followed our hearts’ desires. We stumbled into a thrift shop and the most adorable baking supply store, walked around even more and ended up yapping for hours on a park bench.

With our appetites worked up again post-yap, it was finally time to go to the spot that inspired our Sunnyside trip in the first place: Bolivian Llama Party. I had never had Bolivian food and while I had visited Bolivian Llama Party a few times at Smorgasburg, that was more than a decade ago and I only ever ordered drinks. I was due for a taste of Bolivian food…

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Bolivian Llama Party

• Location: 44-14 48th Ave in Sunnyside

• Transportation: 46 St-Bliss St 7 or B24, Q39/60 Buses

• Cost: $52.83

A true hole in the wall

This unassuming Bolivian restaurant has window-service only and just a few black folding tables and chairs on the sidewalk, but the colorful exterior and almost unusually friendly staff (it is NYC after all…) made me feel right at home. We placed our order and posted up at a table, complaining about the clouds that had just covered the sun.

The order:

🍯 Bomba hot honey broster ($13.50)

🍗 Chicken salteña x 3 ($17.97)

🧀 Mac and queso, medium ($7)

🍹 Maracuyá matcha, medium ($5.95)

As I mentioned, this was the first time that I’d tried Bolivian food. I was so excited to try a new cuisine, but truthfully, I wasn’t sure what to expect or if we had ordered properly. I knew that salteñas, a popular Bolivian hand pie that’s similar to an empanada with a soup dumpling-like filling, were a must — but was it silly that we’d ordered a fried chicken sandwich and mac and cheese? Then, as soon as the food showed up, the sun came out. Coincidence? I think not.

The food was quite literally glowing. The hot honey on our sandwich, the sheen from the egg wash on the salteñas, the gooey queso in the mac, all glistening in the sun. It was quite the sight to behold and I think Madeline and I both knew right away that we were in for a treat. Once again, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Look at that filling and delicate pastry dough!!!

We broke into the salteña and some of the chicken stew instantly flowed out. The stew itself was rich and savory with chunks of chicken, potatoes, carrots and peas studded throughout, and the ever-so-slightly-sweet dough — which isn’t too heavy since it’s baked and not fried — soaked up the broth without getting mushy. Truthfully, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to eat an empanada again without wishing it was a salteña. And make sure to dip each bite in the llajua (Bolivian-style salsa) that’s served alongside for a little bit of heat.

Our food was literally glowing

Both the chicken sandwich and mac and queso looked unassuming, but I was blown away by how much punch each one packed. The sandwich is served on a toasty bun with lettuce, bread and butter pickles, a whopping piece of fried chicken and homemade sage-infused hot honey. This was definitely the juiciest piece of fried chicken I’ve had in a moment, likely because of the beer-and-buttermilk marinade, and there was also a little kick from the habanero powder sprinkled on the fried skin. Each bite was a little salty, sweet and spicy — everything a girl could want in a fried chicken sandwich.

The mac and queso surprised me the most, though, and someone even stopped by our street-side table to ask what it was before heading to the window to get some for himself. A mixture of creamy cheese sauce made with cheddar and Monterey Jack fills each pasta shell, and there’s a smokiness and spiciness from the aji amarillo — a Peruvian/Bolivian pepper paste — that nicely balances the richness. Paired with the toasty breadcrumbs and a slight bite from the chopped scallions sprinkled on top, the mac and queso was the best mac and cheese I’ve had in recent memory.

Even my maracuyá matcha beverage had no notes. The drink wasn’t too sweet, had just a hint of tartness from the passionfruit and was extra refreshing on the first hot day of the year. Though I didn’t get much matcha flavor, it didn’t feel like anything was missing.

Bolivian Llama Party was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

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Next month, I’ll be moving on to C and am looking to y’all for Cambodian, Columbian or Cuban spots (or other C countries/regions!). Feel free to comment below or respond to this email with your recommendations. Also, I promise I’ll eat a vegetable for this next time…

As always, thanks for reading and I’m so glad you’re here. If you enjoyed this, please consider hitting the heart below or recommending Lindsay’s List to a friend (or two!). I’ll be back next week with my April favorites.

Xoxo, Linds