Good Spanish / Tapas restaurant recommendation?

citizen jane wrote: If you're willing to go to Manhattan, I really like Pipa, inside ABC Carpet & Home. They are busy at night and kind of a scene, and on the expensive side, but great tapas and margaritas.

La Paella in the East Village is also really good but, remember, Beast was too far for this person...

stacey wrote: SCD there is a Cafe Habana not too far from here in Ft. Greene.

i've almost gone to Havana Outpost a bunch of times but, from what I've read, there's not much food to be had there. very interesting concept with the alternative energy sources, etc.

I was at Cafe Havana in Soho once and, while it was good, it really had nothing to do with Cuban food. that's my issue with so many places in NYC. they have some sort of Cuban theme to them, don't serve anything that even approximates authentic Cuban food, and the fact winds up completely lost on most of the patrons.

the only authentic places i've seen in all of NYC (Jersey, of course, being a completely different deal) are the trio of Cuba, Old Havana, and Azucar in the W. Village and Midtown, as well as El Sitio in Woodside. i still haven't been to the new place on Henry St. in Brooklyn Heights, so i reserve reservation but don't hold out much help for that place.

and, yes, i am cuban!!

cuban food: I don't think I've had any good cuban food in NYC at all. basically everywhere here cuban restaurants are disguises for puerto rican or dominican food, which isn't the same at all, or some bizarre mexican/pan-latin-ization of cuban food.
my favorite cuban fusion place, though, is asia de cuba. I know that place isn't to everyone's taste, but they get so many of the cuban details right in their fusion dishes that I don't mind the fusion aspect. my favorite example is their black bean soup dumplings. hrm. maybe I should walk over there now ...

alafairnadia wrote: cuban food: I don't think I've had any good cuban food in NYC at all. basically everywhere here cuban restaurants are disguises for puerto rican or dominican food, which isn't the same at all, or some bizarre mexican/pan-latin-ization of cuban food.
my favorite cuban fusion place, though, is asia de cuba. I know that place isn't to everyone's taste, but they get so many of the cuban details right in their fusion dishes that I don't mind the fusion aspect. my favorite example is their black bean soup dumplings. hrm. maybe I should walk over there now ...

I still haven't been to Asia De Cuba *sigh*

I'm totally with you on the above. I do think the Cuba/Old Havana/Azucar trio are pretty close to good, as is El Sitio.

The worst giveaway of a "Cuban" restaurant not knowing their head from their ass is places serving yellow rice with black beans and calling themselves authentic. I couldn't believe it when I was at Cafecito in the East Village, a place whose menu looked promising and decor was great, and was served that monstrosity. You would never EVER find a place in Miami trying to pass that off to you.

Then again, fusion is good and not-so-authentic doesn't really mean bad. I've had a great time at the Havana Centrals and Cafe Cubanas of this world, even if they weren't on a par with the places I grew up with in Miami. I took my hardcore Columbian friend to Bogota Bistro and she fell in love. Even bringing a small piece of your culture to the masses is worth them thinking pico de gallo is a Cuban dish.

lovemynabe, I've driven by Mojito. always thought it was the oddest local for a place like that.

alafairnadia wrote: I basically live in endless disappointment (I grew up in Miami, too). If I am in a 'Cuban' restaurant and I can't start my meal with good Cuban bread and either a Materva, Ironbeer or Jupina, I get cranky. and when they bang down the hot sauce I get crankier.

i've only found Materva at the National Cafe down in the East Village and at a TINY dive which I think was right off the 14th st A/C/E stop. I THINK.
Cafecito might have it as well.

as for Ironbeer, forget it....go to Jersey. i can't believe you can't find these things in the most obviously latin of grocery stores here in the city.

i'm telling you....Azucar in Edgewater....it's on a par with Larios and the best Miami places. it's worth the trip.

we need an authentic cuban, but still trendy, place right there on 5th ave somewhere. open up a little coffee window in the morning for breakfast and charge $0.75 for a colada. have a nice bar at night, serve people all the mojitos they want, pump up the music, and keep the food simple, cheap, and good. if i knew the first damn thing about restaurants, i swear i'd do it myself.

J0518 wrote: i've only found Materva at the National Cafe down in the East Village...

That's the place on the east side of 1st ave just below 14th st, right? Is it still open? I haven't been in a while, but I used to work near there and loved going there for lunch.

yeah. it's way down on C and 13th. i work in the LES as well.. i can't way i can justify going there when i can get a better cuban sandwich at the original Castillo De Jagua on Rivington for 1/3 the price.

there's someplace on C and 13th whose name I can't remember (but it's right across from the place that I called the 'avec pharmacy' rather than 'avenue c pharmacy' one night when wasted) -- they start out promising and have materva and ironbeer (I opted for materva) but then they degenerate. they have yellow rice (blech), their ropa vieja is SWEET (how the fuck did that happen?) and they do the classic "and here's your hot sauce" routine. infuriating.
yes, I should go to jersey, but my lack of vehicle impedes that solution.
Ideya on west broadway that is NOT cheap but has fantastic mojitos and a great chef. it's pan latino (I think the chef is mexican but I could be wrong) and each dish is either decent fusion or an accurate recreation of that particular flavor of latin food. it's great. I went there with my folks last year after watching the 9 parts of desire (with accompanying weepage) and thorougly enjoyed their roast pork entree and a few mojitos made with brugal's anjeo (the same rum, incidentally, that milk & honey uses for their mai tais and mojitos - oh sweet jesus, it's happened again). yum!
has anyone found a decent:
vaca frita or pan con bistec (with the appropriate toppings)?

J0518 wrote: i got mixed up w/ Carnivore's post. National Cafe is right off 1st. Cafecito is down on 13th and Ave C.

ah.....vaca frita.....i'm almost positive its on the menu at Cuba on Thompson St., but don't hold me to it. don't know if it's any good either, but my one experience with the place was pretty good and the executice chef used to work at the Nacional Hotel in Havana, so that's some sort of pedigree.

on another "this gets further and further from a good tapas place recommendation and more a Cuban Power thread" note: i was just at Juicy Lucy's on 5th & Ave A. The owner is Cuban and made my day by having an article posted up on her wall as to why those idiotic Che shirts every hipster and Rage Against The Machine drummer wears might be a bit offensive. great coffee too.

nice! I'll check out juicy lucy's.

cuba on thompson ... it's above houston, right? their vaca frita was emulating real norteno fajitas. in other words, it was a steak. no thanks. it wasn't bad, but I think my friend and I actually left there and walked to Ideya for drinks after dinner, rather than hang out. it was also packed with NYU students which is a big turn-off for me.

J0518 wrote: Cuba is on Thompson, right off Bleecker. it would suck if the vaca frita was that bad because we were in there on one random Sunday afternoon, just wanted some mojitos, mariquitas, yuca frita, and tostones, and had a blast. i felt like it could just be the place.

that's the place. vaca frita - not so good. black beans - lousy.