Cuban cuisine at Carlos Cafe

Forgive the alliterative overkill, there.

Several years ago, while Heather and I were still engaged, I took her to eat Cuban cuisine at a restaurant in Charlotte (Pineville, to be exact) called Siboney’s. At the time, I was doubtful about the idea of Cuban cuisine, although I know Cuba has a rich potpourri of agrarian delights. Sugarcane, rice, citrus, tobacco, beans, and potatoes, among other things, are all grown there. That dinner turned out to be the most memorable of our “courting” years. Unfortunately, Siboney’s went out of business not long after we ate there (bad location in a city of bankers... go figure).

Luckily, we found a local joint called Carlos Café and decided to eat dinner there tonight, since Abigail spent the afternoon/ evening with “Nana.” Wow! What a place. (If you’re local and want directions, e-mail me.) We walked in to speakers serenading us in traditional Cuban music, consisting of guitars, tambourines, conga drums, and maracas. On the walls were autographed album covers of popular Cuban bands from times bygone, many of the bands from the 1970s with their long sideburns and flair pants. The wall of fame, shall we say, reminded me of a Cuban version of the décor at Mert’s Heart and Soul in downtown Charlotte. Although the restaurant is located in a strip mall (except for banks and business parks, what around here isn’t?), from the time we walked in I felt transported to a little dig that could have been a block off the Cuban coast.

Although I had the option of a glass of watermelon or natural pineapple juice, I opted for a can or Ironbeer, a nonalcoholic Root-Beerish type soda with a pleasant touch of citrus. The can explained:

“On a summers [sic] afternoon in 1917, a mule-drawn, wooden wagon arrived at a popular cafeteria in Havana, Cuba. It delivered the first four cases of a new soft drink that would soon be called ‘The National Beverage’. Now more than 80 years later, Ironbeer is still enjoyed for its refreshing flavor with just a hint of island spices. A lot can change over the years - but not the original flavor of Ironbeer!”

Should I live there one day (How old is Castro now?), it is a drink I could enjoy for breakfast on occasion, and definitely for lunch and dinner (and I’m not a big soda person).

Because we were under time pressure due to Abigail’s impending return home, we regrettably skipped appetizers and a bottle of one of their Vintage wines, but we shall return in the near future when we have more time. For dinner, Heather had a “Cuban Sandwich,” which the waiter patiently explained could be distinguished from the “Special Cuban Sandwich” only in size. The sandwich had ham, pork, mustard, and pickles on Cuban bread that was then pressed firmly between two grills, which deceivingly compacted the sandwich. Heather could not finish the second half of the regular “Cuban Sandwich.” Heather now regrets not forgoing the sandwich for a regular entrée.

I had fried pork chunks topped with sweet onions along with rice, black beans, fried plantains, and bread. In all, there were three pork chunks (really, the name chunks has unfortunate connotations), and they were filling and delicious. The plantains complemented the spices used to cook the pork, and all of it was complemented with intermittent sips of Ironbeer. Unfortunately, I could not finish the black beans because the helping was generous, and I wanted to save room for dessert.

For dessert, Heather and I each had a Cuban espresso coffee with sugar, and I had the traditional Cuban treat called natilla (Heather refrained for lent). Natilla, or Rum Custard Cream, is similar in substance to flan. Natilla is a sweet custard with a few dashes of cinnamon on top, and this particular kind had liquid caramel at the bottom. I kept promising Heather my facial expressions were not to tease her, but I truly could not be helped. On the seventh day, God rested and treated himself to natilla.

When you come to visit, we shall surely go back to eat, drink, and be merry, for after all, some tomorrow sooner than later we shall surely die, and you wouldn’t want to miss trying Cuban cuisine (or having Cuban cuisine again, as the case may be). We have been pleasantly surprised both times.

So that was our little adventure for the week. I am counting the days until Castro kicks the ole bucket…