Al Rusinque owns and operates the three Bagel Crust Cafes in the State College area, all popular spots for breakfast and lunch. But a few nights a week, one of those locations transforms into an entirely different kind of restaurant.
On Friday and Saturday nights for the past month, the Bagel Crust at 460 Westerly Parkway has become BCC El Gloton.
‘It’s Latino food with a Colombian flair,’ Rusinque said.
A native of Colombia, Rusinque moved to the United States about 26 years ago. But, of course, the distinctive cuisine of South America has always stuck with him. About three years ago, after the first of his bagel shops opened, he saw an opportunity in the State College area.
There are some fine options for Mexican food, but little in the way of fare from the rest of Central America and South America.
‘The more I thought about it, the more I thought we needed it,’ he said. ‘We have a lot of Latinos, not just from Colombia or South America. We just don’t have that [food]. Mexico is different than the others. I like Mexican, but it’s not the same.’
Rusinque considered finding a location exclusively for his idea for a Latin American restaurant, but wasn’t sure if there would be enough interest. So he started slow, utilizing one of his existing restaurants that already had a kitchen and dining room.
At 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, the Westerly Bagel Crust closes. Then a mostly new staff comes in to get to work, Latino music plays, and Bagel Crust becomes BCC El Gloton (BCC is Bagel Crust Cafe; El Glotón translates literally as ‘glutton,’ though Rusinque uses the more charitable, ‘someone who like to eat a lot.’)
Rusinque is part of the culinary team, but the kitchen is led by other chefs, one also from Colombia.
‘I’ve been here too long that I’ve forgotten. I know how to cook Hispanic food, but not like that,’ Rusinque said.
The menu, for now, is fairly limited but illustrative of what Rusinque wants to bring to the area. There are steak and chicken empanadas, arroz con pollo, carne en bisteck (steak with sauteed onions and tomato) and lomo de cerdo (a grilled pork), served with salad and sides of yucca, plantains or black beans.
There are also two particularly notable soups. Ajiaco is a Colombian chicken soup made special ingredients, including guasca, an herb native to Colombia that is critical to the soup’s unique flavor. The sopa de menudo is made with a variety of vegetables, herbs and spices, and tripe.
A kids menu offers salchipapa (sausages and fries), grilled ham and cheese and chicken nuggets. For the grown-ups who choose to imbibe, the restaurant is BYOB.
Rusinque said items will be added to the menu over time, and that’s not all he hopes will expand. First he hopes to add a few more nights of operation, ultimately having BCC El GLoton open at least five nights a week.
‘The idea is that in the future we’ll have our own [separate] building for this,’ he said.
Response has been good, though not overwhelming so far.
‘This isn’t just for Latinos, it’s for everyone, and that’s what we’ve been seeing here,’ Rusinque said. ‘We’ve seen a lot of locals – American, Asian – coming in and that’s pretty much why we’re doing it. We cooked it at home because we don’t find it anywhere in this area.’
BCC El Gloton’s current hours are 5:30 to 9:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, and while walk-ins are welcome, Rusinque encourages customers to make a reservation by calling 814-308-9321 or online at the restaurant’s Facebook page or website
