4. La Reina Del Chicharrón
After the stand, Collins met up with chef Kelvin Fernandez and they hit up a produce stand to try quenepas, also known as limoncillos — a Spanish lime. Later, they headed to La Reina Del Chicharrón, which Fernandez translated to “The Queen of Chicharrón.” Fernandez quipped, “There’s a reason they call it Little Dominican Republic. This is where you can find all the great food.” But it’s not only the locals who head to the area for great food. When Collins and Fernandez entered the restaurant, a customer from New Jersey explained that he came to La Reina Del Chicharrón for the “best chicharrón.” Collins asked a worker what makes it the best, and he said, “Oh, the flavor and the crunch is the best. No one else has the same chicharrón.”
So, what exactly is chicharrón? The worker explained that it’s made from the ribs of pork and chopped up. Then, the restaurant deep-fries it before it’s brined in their marinade. He noted that it’s traditionally served with plátanos fritos (green fried plantains). Collins joked that you should “Come here when you’ve decided to stop working out altogether.”