|
Cover
News | blog
Music | blog
Lazy I
Film | blog
Theater | blog
Art | blog
Sports
Lifestyle | blog
Dish | blog
Books | blog
Culture
8 Days
Heartland Healing
Hoodoo Blues
MoJoPo
News of the Weird
Television
Letters
|
|
|
Home - Dish
|
Mucho Gusto!
|
Gusto Cuban Cafι offers great food and fun
by Melissa Aden
Before visiting Gusto Cuban Cafι on 79th and Harrison, my only exposure to Cuban food and culture was what I’d gleaned from watching the movie Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. While I wasn’t expecting to find a hot underground salsa club, I was looking for an escape from reality for a few hours. Thankfully, my visit to Gusto provided the respite I desired.
Spotting straw umbrellas on the outdoor patio, I knew I was in for a far-from-the-ordinary treat. I couldn’t help but be happy surrounded by the tropical dιcor of particle-board-lined walls, palm trees, wooden furniture, and fake fruits and parakeets.
According to Roberto Meireles, owner and chef, the dιcor is to remind guests of an outdoor Caribbean retreat. After getting divorced in 2006, Meireles quit his Miami job as an architect and moved to Omaha to pursue his dream of opening a Cuban restaurant.
“I wanted the restaurant to resemble my backyard in Miami on a smaller scale,” said Meireles. “That’s why I made all the tables and chairs and decorated the restaurant myself. I want guests to feel they are welcome to stay for a while, like it’s my house.”
My friend, Laura, and I certainly felt welcome and immediately ordered a refreshing mojito ($7). The restaurant is said to have “D’Best mojito in Omaha.” Meireles took it a step further claiming, “We have the best mojitos in the world!” With the perfect blend of lime, rum, sugar and mint, I’d have to agree.
After navigating the menu of unfamiliar dishes, we decided to entrust server Sonia Roca’s recommendations of two appetizers: the Yuca Frita ($4.75), fried slices of Yuca root, and the Masitas de Cerdo Fritas ($6.99), square cuts of fried pork marinated in Gusto’s mojo (pronounced moe-hoe), a citrusy sauce of olive oil, cumin, oregano, sour orange and lots of garlic. Eating Yuca root sounded adventurous, but it looked and tasted like thickly-cut fries. The Masitas de Cerdo Fritas was delicious the pork perfectly seasoned, juicy on the inside and crispy outside.
Next, Roca recommended two popular entrees: the Ropa Vieja ($13.99), a dish of tender shredded beef in a tomato-based sauce of garlic, wine and creole seasonings, and the Lechon Caribeno ($14.99), pork roasted in mojo sauce. The dishes were served with rice and black beans or red beans, a sort of savory kidney bean soup, and a serving of sweet plantains.
I loved the slightly sweet sauce of the Ropa Vieja, and the meat of both dishes was flavorful and super tender. I also was surprised that I enjoyed the sweet plantains, with a texture and syrupy flavor I’d liken to bread pudding.
After our hearty meal, we skipped dessert for a round on the dance floor. Servers had cleared the dining room of tables and chairs, morphing it into a dance club complete with disco ball. Ritmo Suave DJ Arturo gave a quick lesson on meringue and salsa basics, and soon we were shimmying around the dance floor with the ever-growing crowd of regulars.
Jorge Alayon, a Cuban who was born and bred in Miami, gave me a dance lesson all his own. He taught me how to “dance like a real Cuban,” saying it’s less about technique and more about “letting the music run through your blood and feeling it in your bones” so you can “dance with your soul.”
This seemed to be the running theme of the night. It’s clear that Meireles puts his soul and passion into every aspect of Gusto Cuban Cafe, from the delicious food to the great service and ambiance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
