This post is not sponsored.
So here’s a twist, how does a U.S. based Food/Travel blog do an article on a country that we are not allowed to go to? When I formed the idea for this blog, I knew there was a lot of countries that I would be covering that I have not been to personally. Ones that I didn’t have my own experiences in to put forth photos and first hand input were going to outweigh the ones that I did. For many reasons though, the inability to go to Cuba stings in more ways then one. Cuba was going to show up relatively early in the Passport’s journey because it showed up relatively early in my own. While I was fortunate to go to many restaurants growing up, Cuban cuisine never made it’s way onto my plate until Culinary school. It was one of the countries that I deeply connected with thanks to their cooking methods, development of flavors and the authenticity of dishes that were clearly made from love.
A person can go to Cuba if you fall into several categories including business, family trips, performances or to support the Cuban people in a humanitarian capacity. But if you are thinking of going to Cuba to just sip rum on a beach and relax, that’s not an option here. I won’t get into the politics end of this, though clearly it is to blame. But I will say that I find it unfortunate that we are locked in this travel ban for a country that has so much history and so much to offer for those who would like to explore it. Ironically, the day the Covid-19 travel band was scheduled to lift for Cuba was … today, August 15th. It seems a bit fortuitous that the day I planned on releasing the travel post of Cuba week is the day the country was originally planned to open back up. Sadly, like most places, that date has been pushed back further as Cuba is still in a level 4 Covid-19 protection plan. So while we can’t go to just check things out, I’m going to dig in to some other options in the states that have made me fall in love with the cuisine and style of Cuba.
The first kitchen that I worked in, The Pelican Club in Cape May, dipped it’s toe in Cuban flavors and was the first one to originally introduce me to some of it’s well loved ingredients. Shortly after I stopped working there, I heard word that Philadelphia’s Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar would be opening a location in Atlantic City. I jumped at the chance to go up there and get a bigger taste of what this country had to offer on a plate. After choosing it for a Birthday dinner, it was clear with the complex flavors, mix of spices and colorful decor, Cuba Libre celebrates what Cuba is most known for. Apparently I wasn’t the only one because this restaurant franchised out now to several other cities, including Washington DC and Orlando.
I’ve been to both their Atlantic City and Philadelphia locations multiple times and can’t say anything but good things about my experiences. It isn’t just a restaurant, but a rum bar as well with so many options to chose from, including tastings. Want a mojito? They have 9 different options, available by the glass or dangerously, by the pitcher. Insider fact: a lot of bartenders do not enjoy making mojitos at normal bars, mostly because it’s time consuming. You know what you are signing up for working here. Off the menu, the Levanta Muerto Seafood Soup (which means, “Raise the Dead”) is to die for, but my recommendation is to take a bunch of folks, order a bunch of food and try everything! And make sure to go to one of their Latin nights and try your hand at Salsa dancing.
Once I was hooked on Cuban cuisine, I was excited to share it with my family. We frequently would make trips to New York City to take in everything my favorite city had to offer. Upon one trip, we spotted Havana Central while looking for a late night snack after a Broadway show. I knew this was a great chance to introduce my family to some food items that they weren’t very familiar with. It ended up being the perfect spot for some mojitos, empanadas, croquettes and flan.
We’ve stopped back here several times over the years as a last minute spot to grab some quick Cuban eats and a quality cocktail. Is it the most authentic Cuban food in New York City? No, it’s not. But if Cuban food is new to you and the options in NYC seem overwhelming, this is a perfect gateway drug into an amazing cuisine.
Obviously, I’m past the gateway drug entry of Cuban cuisine and am a full addict at this point. A good hit of Cuban food is still some of my favorite international options out there. So when we were traveling to Miami a few years ago on vacation, I knew there was one place I had to go to while we were there: Little Havana.
When you have gone to the two restaurants above as some of your main tastes of Cuba, stepping in to a place like Little Havana can come as a bit of a shock. Is it dolled up all cute and stylish for your dining experience? No. Does it look like the 1950’s when Havana was a sexy, gambling travel destination? No. It’s not either of those things. It’s authentic. This is the Cuban heart of Miami, which boasts the highest concentration of Hispanics in the city. It was the main landing area of many Cubans in the 1960’s once Fidel Castro starting taking over and today has many businesses that are still Cuban owned. Locals are fiercely proud of this neighborhood as many can be found in their restaurants, theaters and even in Domino Park, playing but of course, Dominos.
While in a cab in Miami, we asked where to eat in Little Havana and we were told we absolutely had to go to Versailles if we were looking to eat anywhere while in the neighborhood. So off we went to this legendary establishment that I had heard about on several Travel Channel and Food Network shows.
First off, this place is massive. Not only does it have a full service restaurant, but it also has a big old bakery too! But more on that later. Beings the Jersey folk we both are, it invoked the vibes of a diner at first. And if you are from Jersey, you love a good diner, which we do. We went in and planned on just getting a few things to try because we wanted to save room for what else Little Havana had in store.
A Cafe Con Leche was first up on the menu, which is coffee and milk. If you like sweets, try the Cortadito which is the same thing made with condensed milk instead. Both are extremely popular drinks to the locals and are a must do when in this area.
Because the Cuban Sandwich is believed to originated to what it truly is in Miami, we had to try one of theirs. Versailles has several different variations on the classic but we went with their own Famous Cuban Sandwich. You can’t go wrong with something so iconic and from such an institution such as Versailles. It was delicious with the bread being slightly sweet and very crunchy. We paired this with some Empanadas, which I can honestly never say no to. Part of me wished we did a full meal here as I saw massive servings of food being brought out to near by tables. I loved seeing the mix of people dining here. Some were clearly locals as they traded friendly banter with the serving staff, reading their newspapers and drinking their coffees. Others were like us, tourists that had been directed here to get a true taste of what Cuban transplants had brought to Florida.
I mentioned that Versailles has a bakery. I didn’t mention that they have THE bakery of more options then I could have dreamed of. Versailles Bakery is loaded with traditional Cuban baked goods, both savory and sweet, as well as more traditional American known desserts. Want a whole cake? You got it. Croquettes to go? Sure. 16 guava pastries to sit and eat while you binge watch Shark Week on your couch? Absolutely and I’m not judging you nor do I know anything about that from experience.
We could have literally stayed here for days. The options were all homemade, impressively presented and wonderfully fresh. We visited not long after Hurricane Irma and this bakery was still full of folks, both locals and visitors, hurrying to get some goodies to take with them. If you can make only one food stop in Little Havana and want a taste of Cuban cuisine, stop at the Versailles complex. Can’t wait? Then get your fix through Goldbelly and make your own Cubans at home.
We went down to Calle Ocho, the heart of Little Havana, which was declared as a “National Treasure” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. There are many shops along here, ranging from Art Galleries, Restaurants, Souvenir shops and maybe the most popular, Cigar shops. You can even find employees in some rolling cigars right in front of you. Don’t leave Little Havana without picking up some coffee to take home. It’s some of the best you can find. My favorite stop was at Ball & Chain, an iconic nightclub from the 1930’s-1950’s which has hosted many famous names from Billie Holiday and rumored appearances from Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong. This place is loaded with history and prior to Covid-19, still hosts live music acts alongside with classic cocktails and Cuban favorites. Stop here and have a cocktail, or four and take in the gorgeous decor, live music and fun vibes.
Hopefully, one day, Cuba will open back up to us Americans properly for tourism. Aside from Covid-19, Cuba welcomes American passports but it’s our end of things that puts a kink in it. Their food, culture and historic roots all deserve to have more people exposed to it and be able to enjoy it in it’s own native land. Thankfully, as in many countries that most of us can’t readily travel to, there are wonderful immigrants who have brought what has ran through their veins for years here for the rest of us to experience. These are some of the places I’ve been to that has helped me fall in love with this cuisine. So go, try a new place, doesn’t have to be Cuban but make it something that has intimidated you. Ask these amazing folks what they recommend on the menu and go for it. Order lots and try it all. And if you don’t like something, at least you tried it. When I started Culinary School, I made a rule that I would try all food once, forming an even ground to create an opinion on. It’s been almost 20 years and I still have that rule. Try it yourself. You’ll be amazed what you will find when you go into it with an open mind. That’s what this is all about after all, isn’t it?