(men singing in Spanish) (man singing solo) (men singing) (man singing solo) >> MISHA COLLINS: We're in Little Dominica, and we're trying to find Juan.

♪ ♪ Are you Juan?

>> I am.

>> COLLINS: Hi.

>> Misha?

>> COLLINS: Yes.

>> All right.

>> COLLINS: Okay.

(car honks) Sorry.

>> Why don't you park?

>> COLLINS: Okay.

I'm gonna get honked at.

Nice to meet you.

♪ ♪ >> Welcome to Washington Heights.

This is really the beating heart of what is known as the Little Dominican Republic, and what people identify as Dominican New York.

(people talking, horns honking) >> COLLINS: And you can hear it.

>> Hi, baby!

(talking in background) >> COLLINS: Can I try one?

♪ ♪ (knife chopping) I'm definitely going to have heart failure before we finish the show.

♪ ♪ In the 1970s, a young couple set out on the most epic road trip of all time.

Jane and Michael Stern were on a mission to discover every regional dish in America, and over four decades, they burned through 38 cars and published ten editions of their iconic guide, Road Food.

♪ ♪ Now I'm picking up where they left off, exploring what makes America's communities unique and what binds us all together.

And it's delicious.

>> Major funding for this program was provided by: ♪ ♪ >> Yours is a front-yard family.

Because out front... >> How're you doing?

>> ...is where all the neighborhood is.

And your neighbors know you well.

>> Mario, what's up?

>> They seen your robe, your run, even your bathing suit.

>> (laughing) >> They also know your home turf stays open to the whole street.

So you stay out front.

We'll stay real-brewed.

And the world just might get a little golder.

Gold Peak real-brewed tea.

♪ ♪ (shade rustles) (doorbell rings) ♪ ♪ >> (softly): Yes!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: We're in Little Dominica, Washington Heights.

We all know that New York City has lots of little pockets, little communities within it, villages.

This feels like a city within the city.

This is the largest collection of Dominicans outside of the Dominican Republic.

And the smells and sounds are the smells and sounds that I would expect to find in the Dominican Republic.

♪ ♪ This is my assigned seat.

>> It is your assigned seat, yeah, it has your name on it.

(laughs) >> COLLINS: Juan Rosa is a community activist.

He's Dominican, he's a resident of the neighborhood, and he is a huge fan of Dominican breakfast.

>> Somehow, something about Washington Heights is so special and so entrenched with sort of the development of the Dominican community here, in the United States.

And we didn't really originally came here.

We came originally to parts of Queens, lower in Manhattan, I was told, called Manhattan Valley.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> But it was really here that a mass of Dominicans got together in the '80s, really in the '90s, and changed the neighborhood, right?

This was an Irish neighborhood, a Jewish neighborhood.

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: Gracias.

So this is tres golpes.

>> Tres golpes, three hits.

So the word "golpe," right, is, it's hit.

In the morning, you need to, so, wire up.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> To get out and do your thing, right?

'Cause what do you need?

You need tres golpes.

So you have your cheese, you have your fried egg, and you have your salami, and this is mangú.

So it's just mashed plantains.

>> COLLINS: How often do you eat this?

>> I eat it as, as often as I can.

>> COLLINS: Really?

>> But mangú?

This, with the mashed plantains?

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> Every day.

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: That's great.

What are the changes that are happening now in Little Dominica, in Washington Heights?

Do you think that Little Dominica will be Little Dominica 15 years from now?

>> I think it will.

Cultural impact that this community has in the broader culture I think makes it so that it's not gonna be erased.

I think we over here in Little Dominican Republic, we hold on to our traditions.

Because we're not in the everyday of our homeland... >> COLLINS: Mm-hmm.

>> ...we have to keep onto our traditions that remind us of that homeland.

♪ ♪ Hello.

(man responds) >> (calling out) >> Hi, Dave.

>> (responds inaudibly) >> Good.

>> COLLINS: You know everyone.

♪ ♪ >> Hi.

>> COLLINS: Hola.

>> Buenas.

How much sugar do you want in your cafe con leche?

>> COLLINS: Well, I probably, I want whatever the appropriate dosage of sugar...

I put no sugar in my coffee normally.

>> Let's do one.

>> COLLINS: Okay.

>> Because they'll look at you weird.

♪ ♪ We really like the sweetened.

We said only one.

>> COLLINS: One what?

>> (laughing) >> COLLINS: One ladle of sugar?

Is that what I got?

(both laugh) >> All right, so let's just walk it off.

♪ ♪ We're on St. Nicholas Avenue, that for a long, long, long, long time was the main sort of commercial artery of the neighborhood, right?

Another thing I wanted you to, to notice, just the sheer amount of, of hair salons and barber shops, right?

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> So almost every block has at least one barbershop, right?

>> COLLINS: Wow.

>> It's one of the places that the Dominican American community, Dominican immigrants, could earn their living.

So now we're gonna go get habichuelas con dulces.

It's beans... >> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> But they're, they're cooked with some dairy, and they're sweetened, and people put other...

There's a controversy whether you put raisins in it or not.

>> COLLINS: Oh, definitely raisins.

I'm staunchly pro-raisin myself.

>> Saludo.

>> Saludo.

>> COLLINS: So is this, this is like your...

Your place is sort of a destination, how people... >> Yeah.

>> COLLINS: People know know about your stand.

>> Yeah, we have people coming from Miami, to take this.

>> COLLINS: No way, really?

>> Atlantic City, from Boston-- everywhere.

>> COLLINS: Why is yours so famous?

>> My grandma been here for 30 years.

>> COLLINS: Really.

>> She been making this.

Everybody... >> COLLINS: So your, your grandmother started this stand.

>> 30 years ago, yeah.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> (both laughing): No raisins.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> COLLINS: Yeah.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> They don't put the raisins in because people come from all over to get the habichuelas.

So in order to preserve them, it's better not to put the raisins, it makes them sour.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

Can I try some?

>> Yeah.

>> COLLINS: Okay, so... ♪ ♪ Is this plantain?

>> No, that's cookies.

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: It's almost like a hot chocolate.

>> Hot chocolate?

>> COLLINS: It does, it tastes sort of like a Mexican chocolate.

>> It's a lack of justice, habichuelas con dulce, having the world-famous Las Habichuelas De Nena... >> COLLINS: It's amazing.

>> You can't compare them to hot chocolate.

>> COLLINS: It's great.

Unlike anything I've ever had.

Is that más?

>> Yes, yes, those are all the coolers that we sell.

>> COLLINS: Oh, my God.

That's a huge amount of beans.

Where do you cook this?

>> If you see the pot over there, that the picture's on... >> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> That's the pot that they're cooking in.

>> COLLINS: That enormous vat?

>> Yeah.

>> That brings around nine buckets of those.

>> COLLINS: Amazing.

>> They will go through about 20 of these in sales.

>> COLLINS: Wow, amazing.

>> So she has sweet beans and a sweet corn.

We should probably get some of that, too.

>> COLLINS: Can I try that, too?

>> (laughs) >> COLLINS: Just going all in here.

♪ ♪ That's amazing.

I like the beans better than the corn.

>> Really?

>> COLLINS: It's got a little bit more... >> Just more sweet?

>> COLLINS: A little, like, a little more flavor.

Mucho gusta, thank you.

I've visited New York a million times.

I have driven past here and just had blinders up and I haven't, um, allowed myself to explore and experience and talk to people, and I feel like I am learning so much about how culture can be, how we could interact with one another.

So thank you.

>> There's more to see.

(both laugh) ♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: We are going to find Kelvin Fernandez, who is a chef, and he is just so passionate about Little Dominica, and food, and his mom.

He's great.

Kelvin.

>> Misha.

>> COLLINS: Hey.

>> How we doing?

>> COLLINS: Good.

(laughs) >> Welcome to Dyckman in Washington Heights.

>> COLLINS: Thank you.

>> Good to see you.

So, we're gonna try quenepas, or limoncillos.

My family calls it limoncillos, it's one of those, uh, it's a fruit.

So it's just a green shell.

See, he's even calling it sweet quenepa.

>> COLLINS: So you just eat it like this.

>> So basically, you would take one, right?

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> Break the shell, bite it, and then you'll pull off the skin and then you would just suck on this.

And so you get that sweet flavor.

And literally, you would do this all day.

>> COLLINS: That's really good.

>> What's up, papi?

How you doing?

This is one of my great friends... >> COLLINS: Misha.

>> Misha.

>> There's a reason they call it Little Dominican Republic.

This is where you can find all the great food.

They call her "La Reina," which means "The Queen of Chicharron."

So, let's see what we can get here.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> He said he's coming all the way from Jersey for the best chicharron, and this is where you need to come, so... >> COLLINS: What makes these the best chicharron?

>> Oh, the flavor and the crunch is the best.

No one else has the same chicharron.

>> COLLINS: Whoa.

>> Look at that, look at that.

That's the chicharron right there.

>> COLLINS: What is this, what cut of the meat is... >> So this is pork.

Chicharron is made from, like, the ribs, and then they'll, they'll chop it up into small little pieces for us.

>> COLLINS: Is that all deep-fried?

>> That's all deep-fried.

>> COLLINS: It looks like it's maybe breaded-- not breaded... >> That part, yeah.

>> COLLINS: But like, dusted in something?

>> It's brined in their marinade, which is why you have that color.

Traditionally, it is served with platano frito, which is green fried plantains.

>> COLLINS: Oh, yeah.

So this is basically a health food place.

>> 1,000%.

>> COLLINS: Got it.

>> You're not gonna come here after a workout.

You're gonna come here when you're not working out the whole week.

(both laugh) >> COLLINS: When you've decided to stop working out altogether.

>> You know what, I need, I need a break, I'm just gonna eat the greasiest, fattest deliciousness.

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: How many years have you been working here?

(speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> 20 years.

>> COLLINS: Do you have family that works here, too?

>> (speaking Spanish) >> No.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> She has seven kids.

>> COLLINS: Wow.

>> She doesn't want any of them working with her.

(laughs) >> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish) >> She was 38 years young when she got here.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> The reason she came here, like all Dominicans, we wanted to have hope for our family.

So she's so proud of her daughter who is a doctor, her son who's an engineer.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> They're all professionals, and giving them the opportunity for a better life.

>> COLLINS: Muchas gracias.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> Okay.

>> I think I'm ready for a full order now.

>> COLLINS: Yeah.

All right.

>> All right, so here it is.

You have your traditional chicharron con tostones.

Oh, yeah.

I'm just gonna dig in.

>> COLLINS: (chuckling) Mm, it's even better than the last one.

>> I'm happy now.

These are those, those nostalgic vibes.

>> COLLINS: Mm-hmm.

>> Like, I think about when I just get to Dominican Republic, the first stop is to get a cold beer and some chicharron on the side.

♪ ♪ >> People come here, and they're, like, "What is this?"

Like, it's so shocking to folks, because this is, like, the way that the Dominicans are.

>> COLLINS: One of our producers is Latina.

And I was asking how it is that this community has insulated itself from outside forces.

Like, how has this community maintained its integrity?

And she said, "No, we haven't insulated ourselves "to maintain our integrity.

"It's that we felt we weren't welcome other places."

>> Exactly.

>> COLLINS: "And we just were, like, staying where it was safe."

And that was, like, such a profound window into this, this world.

>> That's perfect, because I remember a time getting on a yellow cab, and the map of Manhattan only stopped in Harlem.

So Uptown is Harlem.

So that means that there was not another community that existed above Harlem, right?

And that's how we felt forever.

Right?

Any time having a conversation with friends that live in Brooklyn or whatever, I mean, there were, there were times that people was, like, "Oh, yeah, I live in the Heights."

And it was, like, "What is that?"

>> COLLINS: Mm-hmm.

>> It was, like, "Oh, that's too far."

And it's, like, well, you know, living in Brooklyn is too far, as well, right?

>> Too far, yeah.

(laughs) >> Like, depending where you're standing at.

Right?

So, like, we weren't insulated.

The thing is that people didn't care.

>> That's exactly... (vehicle horn honking loudly) >> It's so crazy.

>> Oh, we had dirt bikes all day.

This guy, this guy's a little upset right now.

>> That's part of Uptown.

(horn honking loudly) >> (laughs) Tony, thank you, my brother, God bless you.

>> Always a pleasure-- good to meet you, sir.

>> COLLINS: Good to meet you, take care.

>> All right, man, take care.

♪ ♪ >> Here she is.

Susana.

>> Hey, ciao, Kelvin, baby.

>> How are you, my dear?

Misha, this is the wonderful Susana.

>> Hi, nice to meet you!

>> COLLINS: Nice to meet you.

Susana Osorio owns Mama Juana and Mama Sushi and many other restaurants in Little Dominica.

She seems to be the queen of Little Dominica.

When we were asking, "What restaurant should we go to?

", everyone said we should go to Mama Sushi.

>> It's the ingredients that we use on the sushi what make us different.

We use a lot of Spanish ingredient.

You got to eat a sushi with pork, beef, bacon, chicken, it's either fried, grilled, or pan-fried.

>> COLLINS: This is what?

>> La chapiadora-- you don't... You want to know what's a chapiadora mean?

>> COLLINS: I do.

>> Okay, la chapiadora is a famous, beautiful girl that go into a restaurant, and she always want to ask, "What's this most expensive item on the menu?"

>> COLLINS: That's what I do... >> So you are a chapiadora.

>> COLLINS: Yes.

>> It's like a chicken teriyaki on top, you're gonna love it.

Mm.

>> COLLINS: Mm-hm.

Very good.

How old were you when you came to Little Dominica from Big Dominica?

>> (laughs) 15, a couple of months before my birthday.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> I came to this country.

My mother was here since 1978, because my mother have to come here when I was, what, five years old.

>> COLLINS: You started with this restaurant across the street over here.

>> We started in that one, like, 21 years ago.

That's the good thing about Mama Sushi.

That it's, it's a little bit for everyone.

And we put a lot of passion and love in what we do.

>> COLLINS: I can tell.

Shall we go next door?

>> Yeah, let's go to Mama Juana.

>> COLLINS: Let's do it.

So you started this with your brother.

>> With my brother Victor, and my ex-husband, too.

Hi, Alex.

>> Hi.

>> (speaking Spanish), please.

>> COLLINS: (chuckles) >> They never knew that I was gonna walk in.

Ha, if I just... (speaking Spanish) >> COLLINS: Employees see the boss walk in and they're, like... >> Yeah, you see?

Everybody's moving around when I walk in.

They wasn't expecting me.

>> COLLINS: (laughs) >> I still love them.

>> COLLINS: You work hard.

>> I think that I was, I was born as a businesswoman.

I used to cook when I was ten years old.

I used to take all of them, and put onions, garlic, cilantro, and all that, and I used to cook for my brother and my sister.

I love to cook.

Sometime-- hey, papi!

(man responds) Cállate!

(both laughing) I'm so sorry!

That's how Dominican people, we are!

But that's me, I'm very... >> COLLINS: I love it.

>> I love this, I love what I do.

Like, I want to work because I want to keep my lifestyle.

>> COLLINS: Mm-hm >> You know, I help my family-- it's not only about me.

My daughter, my son is...

I have a lot of family that works for me.

>> COLLINS: Who's, how much family work for you?

>> Yeah, I got, like, in between all my restaurant, I got, like, 30 employees that they are my family.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> But it's not easy, and it's got worse after the pandemic.

I thought everything was falling apart.

>> COLLINS: Mm-hm.

>> I get kind of sensitive when I talk about that.

I was, like, "What am I gonna do now?

What am I gonna do with all this employee?"

And it's not only that, it was a lot of them that they was going to get the benefit of unemployment, but a lot of them, they was not going to get the benefit.

And I say, "My God," it was, on Tuesday, I was, like, "How are we going to do it?"

(horns honking in distance) And I say, "Oh, my God.

I'm not going to close my door."

I start promoting, I took all the Instagram page, I start putting all we do in takeout, delivery.

I even start doing delivery myself.

It was crazy, God is good, God is great.

I was all over the place.

And then the second wave was fine.

What can I tell you after that?

Mama Sushi is a blessing.

Hi, Kelvin, I love you, papi!

>> I love you, too.

You're the best, thank you so much.

>> I'm so proud of having a Dominican in there representing us.

>> That means the world to me.

>> You want to see my neighbor?

>> COLLINS: Yes.

Who's your neighbor?

>> They're all my neighbors.

♪ ♪ Gus!

I love you, Gus!

♪ ♪ >> Hola!

>> Hey!

My guy!

>> (greeting) >> COLLINS: I'm thinking about how incredibly different this is from the community that I grew up in.

>> (speaking Spanish) That's GQ, my neighbor.

>> COLLINS: I was brought up in this small town where the most we would ever do to greet one another was a tight-lipped smile and a wave.

>> Look at how beautiful outside it is.

>> COLLINS: And here, everyone is just so ebullient and full of life.

It's so effervescent and so remarkably different, and it seems eye-opening and liberating all at once.

I love it.

>> (speaking Spanish) Hey!

Vecino!

Henry!

Open the window, Henry!

>> COLLINS: Henry, Henry, wherefore art thou?

>> Mwah!

(speaking Spanish) Ricky!

>> COLLINS: You're just yelling out people's names everywhere we go-- Henry, Ricky!

>> (speaking Spanish) >> COLLINS: She says we can go in, so whatever she says.

>> Of course, this is my place, too!

Okay, so let me have a little bit that one.

Let's try this one.

The frozen passionfruit.

Salud.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> COLLINS: Oh, that has alcohol in it.

>> Yeah.

(laughs) >> COLLINS: I thought it was just a smoothie.

(laughs) ♪ ♪ >> My mother always worked.

>> Yeah.

>> Because my father died when I was three months old.

>> Oh, wow.

>> And then my stepfather died in a car accident when we were over there.

So my mother, she's been a woman who has suffered a lot.

I thank my mother every minute of my life, because we're here because of her.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

>> What we have, because how she show us how to work.

>> COLLINS: But she, your mom is 80.

>> She's 81.

>> COLLINS: So-- oh, sorry.

>> She's the boss of the house.

>> Let's go, let's go on Facetime, you can see how she laugh.

One second.

>> (laughs) (phone calling out) >> COLLINS: You have to fix your hair for your mom?

>> Always, yup.

>> Yeah, no, she, because I look like her.

She always taking care of herself.

>> (over phone): Hello.

>> (speaking Spanish) (laughs) (speaking Spanish) (laughing) She want me to know... (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish on phone) >> Now you're beautiful.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> And she says you're very handsome.

>> You look handsome.

(speaking Spanish) >> And I will say to you, you also look beautiful from the nose up.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> (speaking Spanish over phone) >> My mother likes handsome men.

Mami, wait, look, let's take a picture.

Una, dos, y tres!

(phone camera clicks) (laughs) She likes the picture, she likes picture.

Bye, love you!

>> You gotta hold the phone up left, right.

>> I love Mommy.

>> That's what makes her happy.

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: It was actually kind of amazing, just to, like, it felt like you were bringing me into your family here.

You knew everyone on the street.

What do you want the world to know about this place?

And is there some sort of wisdom that this community can convey to the rest of America?

>> I think the key word that you said was family.

The community wants you to know that once you come into the neighborhood, you are a part of the family.

And Susana showed that just walking by the streets.

Everyone's saying hi to her.

She's saying hi back and forth.

People stopping us, smiling at strangers.

I think New York City missed that.

Everyone misses smiling at each other, and making that connection with strangers.

>> COLLINS: Yeah.

Little Dominican Republic, Washington Heights, Dyckman, you will find that.

The family, the love, and great food.

It makes me proud to be Dominican.

>> I love my community.

Now that my son is going to school, I wake up early every morning, and I'm around here 8:00.

And I love to see everyone walking around here, happy how they are.

>> COLLINS: What about you?

>> Hm?

>> COLLINS: What are you looking for in your life?

What do you want to see for yourself in the next five years?

>> Five years.

I would love to stay connected to people that are working to lift up this community.

We talk a little, we talked when we first met about even if Dominicans in big numbers start to leave the geography of Little Dominican Republic, I think the cultural mark has already been made and it won't be erased.

>> COLLINS: I hope this community doesn't dissipate, because it really is such a...

It's, I don't know.

For me, it was so lovely to come in, step into this place, and feel this new way of interacting with one another.

It's really different for me.

It's quite a special thing.

>> For us, the family's not nuclear.

For us, the family is everyone who would bring with that openheartedness into our circle.

And so I'm proud of this community.

Our community keeps showing up and not losing sense, again, of openness and joy, and that makes me very proud of being Dominican, of having grown up in the Dominican Republic, and fighting for it each and every day.

♪ ♪ >> You're gonna have a nice haircut.

>> (speaking Spanish) >> COLLINS: Wait, what are you saying?

Wait, speak... (laughs) No, no, no.

>> No, no, no.

>> COLLINS: In English.

>> In English-- John, listen, you're gonna cut his hair, something nice, something different, that he looks attractive.

>> COLLINS: (laughs) Something different so he looks attractive.

>> How we like, how we like the men, the Dominican girls.

Don't get nervous.

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: Okay, here we go.

I feel younger.

>> You're very sexy, Misha, now.

>> COLLINS: Now?

>> Hey, que papi.

(wolf-whistles) ♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: For your own Roadfood adventure, >> COLLINS: If you want to see extended footage of these conversations, or me spilling food on my shirt, or if you want to know more about the restaurants and recipes from this episode, go to roadfood.com.

In the 1970s, a young couple set out on the most epic road trip of all time.

Jane and Michael Stern were on a mission to discover every regional dish in America, and over four decades, they burned through 38 cars and published ten editions of their iconic guide, Road Food.

♪ ♪ Now I'm picking up where they left off, exploring what makes America's communities unique and what binds us all together.

And it's delicious.

>> Major funding provided by: ♪ ♪ >> Yours is a front-yard family.

Because out front... >> How're you doing?

>> ...is where all the neighborhood is.

And your neighbors know you well.

>> Mario, what's up?

>> They seen your robe, your run, even your bathing suit.

>> (laughing) >> They also know your home turf stays open to the whole street.

So you stay out front.

We'll stay real-brewed.

And the world just might get a little golder.

Gold Peak real-brewed tea.

♪ ♪ (shade rustles) (doorbell rings) ♪ ♪ >> (softly): Yes!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪