Location: 408 West 15th Street, New York, NY 10011
Cuisine: Cuban
Cost: $$$
Overall: A sexy new eatery with live music, fabulous food, and great atmosphere. An impressive option for your next date night, business dinner or celebration.
Chef Carl Ruiz gives New York City a new slice of Cuba with his latest restaurant La Cubana. The restaurant is in a prime location just across from the famed Chelsea Market. The entrance is flanked by lush tropical plants accented by an ornate gilded divider. Beyond the divider is a luxurious dining room with rich wood and metallic accents and comfy tufted booths. The look gives us glamourous vacation vibes as if we’d wandered into Havana’s hottest bistro. The menu like the decor is a tribute to Cuba, with an assortment of the best Cuban dishes. Favorites such as Ropa Vieja and savory empanadas are given the upscale treatment with quality ingredients and beautiful presentation.
Frituras de Maiz
Frituras de Maiz or Corn fritters are a popular side dish or starter made with fresh corn. At La Cubana, the fritters are served with oddly hot pink, the spicy creole sauce that adds a nice kick to the sweet corn bites.
Empanadas de Picadillo Classico
Everyone loves Empanadas. From the savory filling to the crispy crust, empanadas can be a whole meal or a simple snack. La Cubana serves several varieties of Empanadas we chose the beef version and it was divine. The filling is well seasoned shredded beef with onions, garlic, and briny olive flavor.
Carne Con Papa
This is a dish of braised short rib served with potatoes and carrots. The short rib is impeccable melt in your mouth goodness. This is one of the best short ribs we’ve had in some time. The meat is fork-tender and practically disintegrates on impact.
Fried Egg Rice
Though the Carne Con Papa is served with potatoes we ordered a side of Fried Egg Rice for the table. The rice is served in a tiny egg pot with a fried egg on top. Eggs with rice is a familiar combination and surprisingly tasty.
Lechon Asado
Roasted pork is a staple in many Latin countries. For this dish, pork shoulder is slow roasted and served with Moro Rice and Maduros or sweet plantains. The pork is juicy and well seasoned, absolutely delicious.
Cordero Frito
We weren’t familiar with this dish but lamb is one of our favorite proteins, and we thought having fried lamb leg would be a real treat, we were right! The fried leg is served shredded and tossed with peppers and onions. The flavor is intense and satisfying.
Cocktails
La Cubana has a full cocktail menu of classic and specialty cocktails. For a sweet fruity beverage, we suggest La Pasion, a flavorful mixture of tequila, lime juice passionfruit, and hibiscus. For a strong and sweet option, we like the Batista. This drink is made with authentic Cuban Rum, Mezcal, ginger, pineapple, and lime juice. For a lighter cocktail, we suggest El Malecon, a mild tasting cocktail of Belvedere, muddled cucumber, St. Germain and lime.
In addition to nightly dinner service, La Cubana plans to kick off their signature live-music weekend brunch in Fall 2019. Chef Carl Ruiz has done a lot with his 25 years of culinary experience. He has worked on television, radio, and Youtube. Ruiz’ latest venture is a small but important part of his growing legacy. La Cubana is a celebration of Cuban culture that honors the flavors, artistry, and hospitality. For more information on La Cubana, head over to lacubananewyork.com.
Cheers!
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