Since the hurricane scare caused our school to cancel the first day of classes in order to accommodate move-in day, we had the day to our selves. With the privilege of having a car on campus this year, Aaron and I decided to venture out into the city.
My sister had mentioned that Uzu Sushi on Market Street (Old City) has great lunch specials. We love sushi. We love specials. Good for us, right?
Wrong.
After a drive into the city in which Aaron and I were not paying attention, we accidently drove to New Jersey via the Ben Franklin Bridge and were subjected to its miser-toll.
We parked, walked to the restaurant, went to open the door, and…oh, it was locked. And no hours were posted, neither did anyone answer the phone. Very Twilight Zone.
Luckily, Market Street has a million and a half restaurants just in its first couple of blocks. We began to browse menus and look for a place to eat, when we stumbled on Cuba Libre.
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| Courtesy Hercampus.com |
Okay, I know, this is not necessarily the little out-of-the-way place. But, oh is it good!
If you know Philadelphia, you know that Steven Starr is our restaurant mogul who owns just about every cool and unique place from Buddakhan, to Dandelion, to well, Cuba Libre.
This wasn’t necessarily the cheap lunch we were looking for, but hey the beginning of the school year is a special occasion right?
I had no idea that a Cuban Tapas (or Piqueos) restaurant could be so good. Yeah yeah, I’ve heard about this place forever, but I’ve never got to go until now.
Cuba Libre is also a “rum bar,” so to get the full experience we order two of their signature cocktails.
I ordered the Pomegranate Mojito.
Aaron ordered the Papa Doble Daquiri.
They offer some well priced lunch specials, including the Cuban Bento Box with a pre-chosen selection of three tapas and a dessert. The selection changes every week and I wish I could have this again.
Black Bean soup with a Cuban corn cake stuffed with cheese. I couldn't help digging in!
An arugula salad tossed in a tangy lime dressing, topped with marinated grilled shrimp, capers, and served with plantain chips.
Marinated Skirt steak topped with sautéed onions and mushrooms on top of mashed plantains.
Since I do not eat beef, Aaron got to devour this part, but I ate greedily ate the amazing mashed plantains that were below!
And for my dessert: Caramel Flan with a seasonal Berry Salad. Yummm….
Aaron had the Miami Frita Sandwich which is described on the menu as:
“Cuban burger of ground beef, pork and Spanish chorizo stacked with tomato, lettuce, mojo de ajo and mustard. Toasted Cuban bread. Kennebec shoestring potatoes”
I helped him with his large portion of shoestring potatoes. Out of love of course.
If that wasn’t enough, my darling Aaron who usually doesn’t get desserts suggested we try the “Tres Leches de Banana.”
As the waitress put it, "I know you have technically had dessert, but would you like to see the dessert menu." You would think this woman had met me before since she knoew me so well!
As the waitress put it, "I know you have technically had dessert, but would you like to see the dessert menu." You would think this woman had met me before since she knoew me so well!
Ay… dios…mio….wow.
It is described on the menu as “Vanilla sponge cake soaked in three banana flavored milks. Chocolate banana mousse and caramelized banana.”
I am usually wary of banana-flavored desserts, but this was amazing. The sponge cake is moist and light and the chocolate mousse on top was incredible. Not to mention the caramelized banana on the side. My meal was amazing but I would go back just for this dessert. (And next time I will get an order to myself!)
Overall our meal was incredible. Tapas can sometimes get pricey but with our selections, the meals themselves were not too badly priced. But since we hardly ever go out, this was a nice treat. We promised ourselves no eating out until Restaurant Week. That’s fair, right?
And plus, as a true college student, our dinner consisted of one chicken breast split in two separate plates with boxed couscous, so about $ 3.00 a person for dinner. That makes up for it.
Review: I will definitely go back to Cuba Libre. It was incredible! Everything was flavorful and memorable. And while I understand the concept of tapas and gastronomical cuisine with its little bits of flavor, well, I’m a girl that prefers TO EAT. So for us, the Bento Box and their sandwiches are prefect. When I get the courage and supplies, I would like to attempt to make my own Tres Leches de Banana and possibly bath in it. But no, that would be wasteful because then I wouldn’t be able to eat all of it.
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| Courtesy Drinkphilly.com |
Review: I will definitely go back to Cuba Libre. It was incredible! Everything was flavorful and memorable. And while I understand the concept of tapas and gastronomical cuisine with its little bits of flavor, well, I’m a girl that prefers TO EAT. So for us, the Bento Box and their sandwiches are prefect. When I get the courage and supplies, I would like to attempt to make my own Tres Leches de Banana and possibly bath in it. But no, that would be wasteful because then I wouldn’t be able to eat all of it.
If you are looking for a special occasion and want to get the full experience of this amazing menu, GO! It was quiet when we went at 1:30pm on a Monday, but I’ve heard that Friday evenings can get packed, so act accordingly and consider a reservation. The service is good, the décor is really cool, and the food is beyond words. And to think all I wanted was a Sushi lunch special.
Enjoy!
Love,
The College Cuisiner
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