Ole ! La Comida Cubano

Cuban Pete's

The first thing I'm sure most anyone would comment about Cuban Pete's is the festive atmosphere and decor of the restaurant. Found on Bloomfield Ave. this place is a little Havana nestled in the middle of little Monclair NJ. Immediately entering the restaurant you walk through a small cove decorated in twinkle lights, palm trees (superficial), terra cotta pots, and outside dining tables. You can't help but take in the ambiance and feel as though la playa might be just a few steps away. Enter the restaurant and transcend the space-time continuum into 1980 Havana.

The only thing missing was a heavyset hairy Cuban guy in a wife-beater playing checkers (or at least that's how I imagine Cuba would be).

The menu offered a variety of cuban classics from ceviche, empanadas, tapas, mango salads, to cuban sandwiches and flan. Each entree came with a side of a sweet white rice soaked in coconut and black beans. There's an extensive drink menu with variations on mojitos (watermelon, lemon, peaches) and sangria or what they refer to as white or red punches (apples & cinnamon, banana, mangoes, coconuts). Although I didn't try any tonight I wouldn't hesitate to indulge on some of their fruity and tempting sangrias the next time I go.

According to other reviews of the restaurant issues with wait staff are very hit or miss. My personal experience was a definite hit but then again it was only a Tuesday evening in a half packed front of house. The waiters were all male (coincidence?) and dressed in light khakis, yellow linen shirts, and straw hats all to contribute towards the mood of the restaurant. The wait-staff uniform almost makes the restaurant tacky, like Castro threw up all over the place.


Tapas:
Chicken Empanada and Manchego Cheese & Spinach Empanada with Guacamole. Nothing too unoriginal about the chicken empanadas but the cheese & spinach really stole the show. Delicious! They were light just the way tapas should be with a perfect ratio of spinach to cheese. It's hard to find empanadas that don't give me that greasy feeling after scarfing down a few but these were lightly fried to perfection and came out quickly.


Pollo Tropicana :
Orange mojito chicken with a side of coconut yams and rice. It claims to be an orange mango chicken but frankly there just was not enough mango taste as I would have liked to sample in the dish. It was marinated in traditional spices and grilled to tenderness but there should have been a sweeter flavor to it considering it's a mango chicken.



Caribbean Flounder in Garlic sauce with white rice, sweet plaintains and black beans.
One of the most satisfying dishes I had in a long time. I have been so sick of eating fish lately but this dish made me forget about my no-meat diet. The garlic taste wasn't overwhelming as most dishes usually are when they're fried and sauteed in garlic sauce. But it was absolutely perfect combined with the black beans. A+ !!

Apparently my dish of choice the Havana Coconut Fish was so popular that they sold out...stay tuned til next time !



OVERALL:

Spoons : 4 out of 5

Service : 4

Food : 4

Ambiance : 5

Price for 2 : $43 plus tip.

Like the rest of those familiar with this restaurant, I look forward to the warmer weather to return and sip on sangrias outside =)

- evie