A Taste of Cuba at Little Havana

While in Miami, we were driving around looking for a place to eat an early dinner and my brother went to a website and found a spot where they served Cuban food for reasonable prices. Little Havana was unassuming and had a large parking lot with plenty of spots open.

We were seated within a few minutes and the server didn’t take long at all to come over. To start our meal, my dad ordered Chicken Soup. He let me taste it and it was flavorful and had large chunks of shredded chicken and soft noodles. It was a large serving so it was definitely worth it for $5.

Chicken Soup

My brother always wanted to taste yuca so he ordered the Fried Yuca as an appetizer. I didn’t like the dip because it was basically all cilantro and I think cilantro tastes like soap. The yuca bites were really good though. They were like little pillows of potato, even though they were made of yuca which is a little coarser than potato. We all enjoyed them, even the kids.

Yuca Bites

My mother and TK both ordered the Chunks of Chicken. They didn’t realize it would be on the bone but enjoyed it anyway because they were crispy and full of flavor.

Chicken Chunks (Chicharrones de Pollo)

My dad ordered the Shrimp and Chicken Combination in Creole Sauce. It came with rice and plantains that he mixed in a bit to make it even more enjoyable.

Shrimp and Chicken Combination in Creole Sauce (Combinacion de Pollo y Camarones)

I ordered the Cuban Trio because I couldn’t decide if I wanted to order meat or pork, so I got both and added another option. I liked the pork the best of the three because the saltiness and spices were on point. In second place was the shredded beef which I mixed with the white rice to balance out the flavor. Then, in third place was the ground beef but it was still good. The beef didn’t lose, it earned the bronze. I liked the beef, but I would want to pair it with fried plantains (tostones). I loved the white rice. Even though it looks plain, Cuban and Puerto Rican white rice has a definite flavor. The other items that came with my meal were the sweet plantains (maduros). I prefer the tostones, but of course, I still ate them.

Cuban Trio (Trio Cubano)

Cuban food is the most similar to Puerto Rican food, so we were familiar with a lot of the flavors and options and were all satisfied with our meals.

Little Havana Restaurant, 12727 Biscayne Blvd., North Miami, FL, 305-899-9069

Gloria Estefan knows what she is doing at Bongo’s

Lechon Asado with Tostones and Moro Rice

Shredded Beef with White Rice and Sweet Plantains

Cuban Style Steak with White Rice and Sweet Plantains

Paella

On the last night at Walt Disney World, we rushed to our reservation at Bongo’s Cuban Cafe in Downtown Disney. The parking was a bit of a nightmare because they were doing construction to turn Downtown Disney into Hyperion Wharf, a new waterside dining, shopping and entertainment center for families.

When I checked in for our reservation, we had to wait a little bit because they said they had a table outside for us, but with the baby and the chill in the air, I figured it was not a good idea to be outdoors. So, Tom and I went to the bar for a couple of drinks. I got a Bongo’s Cuban Original Mojito and it was very good, but strong and I’m no lightweight.

When we were finally called in, we sat at a long table and ordered a few appetizers. We ordered two Bongo’s Combos with Fried Stuffed Potatoes, Pork Tamale, Cuban Mojo Marinated Fried Pork Bites, Traditional Cuban Ham Croquettes and Stuffed Yuca Cups. I enjoyed the Stuffed Potatoes and the Stuffed Yuca Cups the most. I love when my father makes Stuffed Potatoes, so I was ready for them to be delicious.

For my entrée, I got the Lechon Asado with Moro Rice and Tostones because Cubans know pork and it was delicious. I always get fried plantains (tostones) instead of sweet plantains because I’ve always liked the salty better than the sweet. My cousin Georgie got the Paella and it was insane. It came out with an entertaining lobster and a lot of delicious shrimp, chicken, sausage, clams, mussels and other seafood that I can’t remember all that well because I only ate a little bit of it. The moral of this story is that when a menu item says “Market Price” and “for Two” it may be a bit pricey. The paella was $75, but, from what I ate, it was good.

Unfortunately, we did not get anything for dessert, even though I hate Flan, so we finished the meal and headed back to the room. As you may already know, I am always down for Hispanic food, being a Hispanic myself, and Bongo’s is a great place to have some because they even have some great live entertainment.

Bongo’s was a great way to finish up our family vacation and I was very happy to end it with one of my favorite cuisines.

As Close as I’ll Get to Cuba

After they closed the Victorian Manor in Lemont, Pennsylvania (right outside of State College), my favorite restaurant became Victor’s Cafe on 52nd and 7th in New York City. It serves food that I am accustomed to because I am half Puerto Rican and Cuban food is very similar. Also, everything they serve is delicious.

In 2010 we ate at Victor’s for our second wedding anniversary and really loved it, so I suggested revisiting it for the bachelorette party in the city. I remembered that I was in love with the Lechon (shredded pork) in 2010, so this time I decided to get the Taste of Cuba which is one of their prix-fixe options and included a number of Cuban classics. Honestly, I am pretty pleased that I allowed myself to try everything.

The first course came with Croquetas Corral con Salsa Lulu (ham croquettes), Chorizo (sausage) and Papas Rellenas (stuffed potato puffs). All of them were delicious and a nice intro to a fabulous meal. My father makes the Puerto Rican version of Papas Rellenas and it is one of my favorite things to eat.

The entrée portion included Lechon Asado (roast suckling pig), Camarones Enchilados (shrimp in creole tomato sauce), Ropa Vieja (shredded black Angus steak) and Platanos Maduros Fritos (sweet plantains). The Lechon also included a couple of pieces of Chicharron (crispy pork skin) and it was crunchy and flavorful. All of the options were a little more than three bites worth and completely delicious. It was awesome to have all of those options instead of choosing just one. Sincerely, at Victor’s, it is like Sophie’s Choice trying to pick something to eat because I know I will love what I chose but wish I could have it all. By the way, the entrée is served with white rice and black beans, which I could eat also because there was not an exorbitant amount of food, not because I am a porker, even though that is true too.

To complete this delicious meal, the dessert plate came out with three Cuban specialties. The Flan de Huevo (caramel custard) I am not a fan of, so I gave it away, but the Arroz con Leche (rice pudding) and the Guayabitas de Maria (guava cobbler) were both small and delightful. Sometimes you can only stand a few bites of dessert anyway, so this was the perfect amount of sweets.

The beverage of choice for my meal was a Dragonberry Mojito. It was so good and not overly sweet. I also didn’t have a problem getting mint leaves out of my teeth, which I find happens to me every time I order a mojito. Another tasty beverage option is the fruity sangria, even though I had it in 2010 and not on this night, I know it is great and now so does most everyone I had dinner with. You can order the red, the white or a champagne version.

A meal at Victor’s is always pretty expensive but I can’t be disappointed because I loved every part of it and plan on going back because there are still things on their menu that I haven’t eaten.

Victor’s Cafe, 236 West 52nd Street, New York, NY, 212.586.7714