As loyal readers may recall (or not) I had visited Bogota during my last trip but way too briefly. As I thought about somewhere to go next on my work a week remotely, Bogota became a prime candidate. When I found the same deal (more or less) that led me here the first time which happened to coincide with a major, uh shift, in my country, it was an easy choice.

The catch was that my flight this time from LAX was at 7am. That, of course, meant getting up at 4:30am (ouch) and then a 5 hour at DWF, which allowed me to check out various Admirals Clubs. Terminal A was my favorite as it wasn’t very full and had some retro charm to it.

I eventually arrived in Bogota and once again made it very quickly through customs thanks to our almost midnight arrival. Soon thereafter, I was at my home for the next 8 days and after being up for a very, very long time crashed immediately.

After a fitful night of sleep, I was hungry and needed a nice, hardy brunch. Fortunately, a mere 2 blocks from me was a place that seemed to fit the bill. La Boutique de las Carnes looked like a typical parrilla and the smell of various cooked meats on an open flame soon filled the air. Since it was so nice out, I chose a table on the outdoor patio, which was shaded and had a nice cross breeze.

I had already viewed the brunch menu online and had immediately been drawn to the starter of pork and turkey breakfast sausages with a mini cheese arepa. This was just what I needed, and I eagerly devoured the smoky and flavorful sausages. Delicious.

For the main event, there was really only one choice – their version of steak and eggs. In this case, it was sliced carne asada, roasted potatoes and 2 fried eggs. Sí señor!

When the skillet full of goodness arrive, I was very pleased, especially since a large spoon had been placed on the side to mix everything up together. The steak had a nice char and a perfect medium rare. The potatoes were nicely seasoned and crunchy, which even stood up to the yolks and whites that I combined with the steak for the perfect bite. Delicious.

I made my way back to the apartment to take advantage of the massive 70” HDTV and watch the NFL playoff games. There was no live TV but an app called DAZN had the offer to pay $8 for the rest of the playoffs. Not a bad way to spend a lazy Sunday.

Eventually, I headed down a couple of blocks to a well regarded local spot Attic & Keller. It was now fairly cool outside so I declined sitting in the patio and instead chose a seat on the banquet across from the large bar.

Given I was still acclimating, I eschewed the extensive cocktail list but vowed to return later in my trip to try something. Next to me was a group of very large men, including a guy who looked like out of central casting from a Viking movie, who was speaking perfect Spanish to the server. I tried to pick up what language they were speaking with each other and eventually just asked the Viking – Norwegian ofc. I introduced myself and after telling them I was from Los Angeles they asked if the fires had affected me. Thankfully no I told them.

Soon, it was time to eat. First up, arancini with octopus with dollops of olive mayonnaise and a Romesco sauce. These reminded me a bit of the Japanese octopus balls except much crunchier. A nice starter.

Since I had gone pretty meat heavy for lunch, the roasted cauliflower in a mushroom ragú was a nice contrast. The cauliflower was nicely spiced and paired great with the surprisingly rich ragú. The arugula added a nice peppery note. A great dish.

I wasn’t initially going to get dessert but it’s hard to turn down a carrot cake. This version, especially the frosting, wasn’t as sweet as typical but that was offset by the excellent vanilla ice cream on the side. Not the best carrot cake ever but a nice way to conclude the meal.

I made the quick jaunt back to my pad and after watching the last quarter of the Ravens Bills game, ended my night with a quick soak in the jacuzzi on my patio. I didn’t make it quite hot enough but enjoyed the bubbles. This made me very sleepy so dried off and then drifted off. Tomorrow would be back to the digital salt mines during the day and a return to a spot I loved last time.