Make a culinary escape to the Caribbean
Cuban Island Restaurant in Roanoke has a great vibe and delectable island fare.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
What better way to break the cold weather blues than a visit to the tropics?
Because jetting off for an island vacation is not economically feasible for most of us, a taste of the Caribbean will have to do. For that, I recommend a trip to Cuban Island restaurant.
Even on a blustery day, a visit to the Williamson Road eatery feels warm and inviting. Caribbean tunes pour out of the kitchen, inspiring at least one person besides me to bust a few salsa moves while waiting at the counter. Light streams through the big, open windows in front of the small dining room and customers are greeted with a bright smile from owner Estela Gonzeles.
On my first trip to the Island, I ordered what most Americans would consider the signature dish of a Cuban restaurant: a Cuban sandwich ($6.50). I was thrilled when I saw the pressed sandwich, which was longer than my forearm and accompanied by a softball-size mound of aromatic rice with red beans ($1.75).
My side dish was soon half gone because I could not stop eating it. The rice and beans were tender and mildly seasoned with chili, garlic and cilantro. A few more beans in the mix would have made it perfect.
When I approached my sandwich, I anticipated that perfect combination of the expected components: roasted pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese and mustard on softly toasted Cuban bread. The bread was indeed delightful — crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. The cheese was creamy and the portion of sweet ham was generous.
Unfortunately, the roasted pork was missing.
When I peeked inside the bun, I was stunned to find only ham , which caused me to question everything I thought I knew about a Cuban sandwich. I order them wherever I find them on a menu, in any city, including central Florida, and they always have both pork and ham. Was I just accustomed to an Americanized version? I quietly ate my pressed ham and cheese sandwich and, though it was very tasty, I felt confused and disappointed.
I returned to the office, where I shared a guava pastry ($1.25) with a colleague. The sweet, citrusy marmalade and buttery crust soothed my mood. Then I did as much research as I could on Cuban cuisine. That sandwich, as good as it was, should have had roasted pork.
My second trip to Cuban Island was a Saturday night dinner with my husband, and we fared much better. The place was lively and again the music had me grooving in my seat.
We shared three Cuban tacos ($5.75) for our appetizer and they were delicious. Shredded beef, diced onion and fresh cilantro were tucked inside warm, soft tortillas and served with house-made pepper and cilantro sauces. Gonzeles, who was our server, gave us fair warning that the pepper sauce was hot, and she meant it. Just a few drops added an habernolike sweet heat to the tacos; the pureed cilantro sauce offered a cooling counter note.
My husband’s entree was ropa vieja ($6.25), shredded beef brisket in a tomato-based sauce. I chose the fried pork ($6.50). Our side dishes included the rice and red beans and a choice of fried plantains or yuca. We both opted to pay $1.50 extra to get both the plantains and the yuca.
My husband’s beef was tender and juicy with a rich sauce that contained bell peppers and onions. My pork dish included four big slices of pork loin, deep fried until just crispy on the outside but still tender on the inside. The fried plantains were simply the best I have ever had — crisp, yet still creamy inside and not at all greasy.
Yuca, also known as cassava, is a root vegetable similar to a potato and was something new to both of us. My husband really liked the simple steamed veggie, while I found it to be watery and bland.
We finished the evening with two dessert orders: flan ($1.75) and Cuban bread pudding ($1.25). The flan is served chilled in a disposable aluminum cup. The sugar crust on top covered a creamy custard with liquid caramel underneath. The Cuban bread pudding was also served chilled. The pudding was baked with brown sugar, vanilla and a hint of cinnamon, all of which gave the dessert a rum flavor. We almost came to blows over the last bite.
I made another lunch trip to the Island on a day when snow flurries were blowing sideways and pounding my face, and again felt transported somewhere warm. My sopa de mariscos (seafood soup, $5.80) was exactly the comfort I needed to warm my chilled bones. Generous amounts of calamari added ocean freshness to the garlicky broth that included potatoes, plantains and yuca, which I found much more appetizing in this dish. I also indulged in a beef empananda ($1.50), a deep-fried hand pie with a mildy spicy beef filling and a savory crust.
For a great vibe and a culinary escape to the lands of sandy beaches and palm trees, wander to Cuban Island. Just be aware that the only pork on the Cuban sandwich is ham.
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
9. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
10. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
THE ROANOKE TIMES
