When Colombians get together, they roll deep. So when we went to Bogotá to sample former Mario Batali-pupil Daniel Castaño’s classical Italian fare at his restaurant, Emilia Romagna, we brought a big-ass bus to cart around the crew. And true to form, we filled the bus with a rowdy bunch of sous chefs, friends and other restaurateurs.

After sampling Bogota’s eclectic range of culinary styles – including Memphis barbecue, Spanish tapas and of course, Colombian grilled meats – Daniel and his buddies were pouring an anise-flavoured sugar cane liquor called aguardiente (a national specialty) down each other’s throats on our way back to his Brooklyn-inspired restaurant, Gordo, where he whipped up some late-night grub.