Walk into Cubana Cafe on Smith Street in
Carroll Gardens on a Friday evening and the place is so jammed,
that you’d think the bartenders were serving free mojitos.
The patrons pack the bar two deep, and the narrow row of tables
are placed so closely together that you could find yourself sipping
the cocktail of a patron at the nearest table. To allow an incoming
customer to sit down, the cafe’s affable owner, Steven Mousterou,
must first wriggle a table into the center of the room, then
push it back into place once they are seated.
As you can imagine, the cafe throbs with animated conversation
set to a background of salsa music. And the setting – pink walls,
pale blue tiles, tables covered in mismatched plastic, flowered
tablecloths – implores diners to relax and not take anything
too seriously.
The easygoing feeling of this cafe, opened in November and affiliated
with the SoHo restaurant of the same name, translates to the
menu as well. There, the sunny flavors of Cuba and Mexico rein
in big, inexpensive platters of tasty, if inconsistently prepared
food.
The dishes, created by consulting chef Dan Forte, are, according
to Mousterou, "Lightened Latin fusion with a nouvelle cuisine
twist." Upon tasting, they’re fairly straightforward renditions
of traditional Latin American fare, and as far as they’re being
light, well, how light can rice, beans and a good amount of cheese
be?
Order a minty mojito ( a Cuban rum and mint cocktail) instead
of the overly pulpy, sweet mango martini and pair it with two
exceptional appetizers: ceviche (seafood "cooked" in
citrus juice) and an unusual slaw made of jicama (a crisp, slightly
sweet root vegetable), green apples and cotija cheese. The ceviche
featured sweet shrimp and tender rings of calamari, their flavors
brightened with lime, garlic and cilantro. The salad’s crisp
textures, its sweet, clean apple flavor and sharp, salty note
of the cotija cheese made a perfect preamble to the entrees’
bold flavors.
After the appetizers, the meal became a rumba of sorts, with
some lively elements on each plate, and others a wan disappointment.
A mound of tomato mango salsa added moisture and a spicy, cinnamon
taste to its platform of underseasoned, slightly overcooked filet
of red snapper. On the plate is a sweet mound of pureed plaintains
with a strong apple flavor that I didn’t love, and two pieces
of spicy, creamy "elote" – grilled corn-on-the-cob
slathered with chipotle and chili pepper-enhanced mayonnaise
and topped with cotija cheese – that I did.
Slices of roasted pig were lacking the brittle skin and rich
fattiness that this dish is known for. Its side of yellow rice
was fine and the black beans that accompanied the pork were tender
and richly spiced.
For dessert, opt for the flan. It’s dense and rich, and the puddle
of caramelized sugar syrup the little disc sits upon has a slightly
bitter edge that cuts through the dessert’s sweetness. Or ask
for the "tres leches" cake, a moist sponge cake soaked
in a mixture of three milks – sweetened condensed, whole and
heavy cream – with just a sprinkle of cinnamon. Someone in the
kitchen had a heavy hand, coating the cake with a thick, cough-inducing
layer of the spice.
While the cafe serves lunch and dinner, they offer a breakfast
menu that can be ordered anytime. On the menu is the "Cubana
benedict," poached eggs and chorizo sausage over toasted
Cuban bread with chipotle-spiked hollandaise sauce. It would
give your cardiologist heart palpitations but will keep you smiling
for most of the day.
Are you going to have the best Latin American meal of your life
at Cubana Cafe? I doubt it. But for what they charge, it’s a
small amount to pay for a good time.
Cubana Cafe (272 Smith St. between Sackett
and DeGraw streets in Carroll Gardens) accepts cash only. Entrees:
$7.50-$14. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily. Brunch
is served from 10 am to 3 pm on weekends. Delivery is available
in immediate neighborhood. For more information, call (718) 858-3980.