On a frigid Friday in January, my wife and I decided to order up a couple of cones. For dinner.

The cones caught our eye on the menu of Tostones Cafe in Cape Elizabeth, which opened in the fall in the Pond Cove Shopping Center. It’s run by the owners of Tostones on the Beach in Old Orchard Beach and has a menu that includes a variety of Latin flavors, namely from Colombia, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela. So there are tostones (fried, unripe plantains), arepas (stuffed cornmeal cakes) and lots of other dishes I had never tried before.

The “Latin cones” on the menu were cones made of fried plantain and then filled with ingredients representing a variety of cuisines, for $11 each. I tried the Carribbean cone, which was filled with shredded beef, avocado, sweet plantain, black beans, hoga’o sauce, mayo-ketchup and sour cream.

The shredded beef was very tender. The sweetness of the plantains blended well with the more savory elements. It was not hot, spice-wise, just intensely flavorful. The cone itself was delicious and did a great job of holding everything together. My wife and I quickly agreed that Latin cones from Tostones were our new favorite take-out food.

My wife had the Creole cone, which included carnitas pork, rice, sweet plantain, corn pico de gallo, avocado, garlic and avocado aioli. My daughters both had arepas – specifically, the Arepa Mi Tierra, a stuffed cornmeal cake that looked like a large sandwich, for $16. Both had avocados, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and soft white cheese. My daughter Sophie got hers with steak, while Dinah’s had grilled chicken.

Arepa Mi Tierra with steak, from Tostones Cafe in Cape Elizabeth. Photo by Ray Routhier

We also tried an appetizer called tacachos, which were two large balls made of mashed plantain mixed with pancetta, roasted garlic and scallions over guacamole, for $10.50. The combination of flavors worked well. They were soft but with a little chew from the pancetta.

The menu includes a variety of tostone dishes, including one with sirloin cubes and one with carne asada and chicharrones (crunchy pork). There are also burritos, various bowl combinations, a quesadilla and a Cubano sandwich, plus a kids menu. Appetizers include yuca fries, an empanada sampler and a taco sampler. There’s also a large beverage menu, featuring coffee and chocolate drinks, frozen drinks, juices, smoothies and tropical drinks.

Tostones Cafe in Cape Elizabeth is in the same shopping center as the Pond Cove IGA. Photo by Ray Routhier

Cafe Tostones is located near the center of town in the same shopping center as the IGA market. The interior is bright and open, with a yellow and blue decor and seating at tables and a counter. It also has an online ordering system, something I’ve become dependent on during the pandemic. I like the fact that during a lull at 3 p.m. (when I’m procrastinating), I can order my food to be ready at 6 p.m. and then just forget about it for a while. When I arrived at 6 p.m., my order was bagged, paid for and ready to go.

Tostones Cafe is right on Route 77, which means it’s on the way from Portland or South Portland to a variety of beaches and green spaces. My wife and I definitely plan on grabbing some Latin cones and heading to Kettle Cove or some other oceanside spot for a picnic when the nice weather comes.

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