Cuba. A country that bring up thoughts of cigars, Tony Montana, Communism, and pretty dam cool accents. Me? No no I've never been there, but I like to sometimes imagine that I have. Yeah a little pathetic, but after trying out one of the city's very few (if any to my knowledge) Cuban restaurants, I have to admit that it would be a nice place to one day visit. Chan Chan Cafe Cubano, located in a little corner on the outskirts of (ironically) the Castro district, made me a believer that Cuban is not only a food choice but an experience all together. As I walked in the first thing I noticed was the sense of artistic appeal the restaurant had. Mismatched chairs, colorful postcard like decorated table tops, bright and dark painted walls with Cuban art and photographs accompanied by blazing music filled with conga drum beats and trumpets, all of which complemented the vibe. And to top it all off, (and the highlight of the room) a couple of clothes lines stretching from one side of the room to the other complete with hanging trousers, shirts, and undies. Pretty dam cool if I must say so myself.
The wait wasn't long, but still quite a few minutes before we were actually approached by what seemed like the only employee in the restaurant. Mitchelle, we learned his name was, looked like the Cuban Adam Levine (lead singer of Maroon 5) if i had to describe him. Surprisingly enough, he was also the cook. We decided to start out with a pitcher of Sangria not knowing what to order. Mitchelle was more than oblige to point out that Chan Chan does a special "surprise" menu for newcomers in which he chooses what to bring out based on popularity. If we like what we see, we keep it and he adds it on the bill. If we don't, he brings it back to the kitchen and brings on another plate. Game! bring it on Adam!.. I mean Mitchelle. The Sangria came and I was pleasantly surprised that it included a wide array of different fruits instead of just the typical apples and oranges, one of which was blueberry (my favorite!). After a good while and a couple glasses of Sangria later, our first two plates arrived: Bocadito (sun dried tomato smeared heavily on crostini bread) and Delicias de Hongos (Cremini Mushrooms sauteed in garlic, red pepper flake, and brandy). The verdict turned out to be absolutely delicious! The Bocadito was insanely good. A crostini slice of bread with a delicious crunchy outer crust, soft center, and topped with a sweet, tangy, and smoky sun dried tomato paste was a good way to start the meal. I'm a big fan of mushrooms, so naturally the Delicias de Hongos was incredible to me. I, along with my brother-in-law, honestly could have drank the brandy, garlic, and red pepper based sauce and would have been satisfied, but to add mushrooms to the mix was just completely unfair to the other tapas on the menu. A short while later our next plate arrived which turned out to be Antojo (sweet plantains on top of a mild cornmeal). Like the first two plates, the Antojo did not disappoint. The sweet fried plantains drizzled with sour cream worked very well with the lightly spicy cornmeal, tasting almost like an after meal dessert. Our fourth plate was classified as a "big tappa" and having already three tremendously delicious regular tapas in our bellies, it was hard not to get excited. The Ropa Vieja is tender and juicy beef sauteed in wine and herbs and served with black beans, rice, and yucca. I need say no more, the description says it all.
No mas senior. We were officially stuffed. So focused on our food, we hardly noticed that the small restaurant/cafe had quietly gotten packed, mostly locals from around the neighborhood I suppose. With a little bit of the Sangria left, my brother-in-law and I split and we clicked our glasses together (my sister had had enough). "To the only two straight guys in here" he said jokingly. Honestly... I wouldn't want to be anywhere else... Peace and love
