First things first: If you don't say Cuba like coobah then I hate you.
So, the stupid place wasn't where I thought it was. And I'm pretty sure that counts as strike one because generally nosheries should be placed in convenient locations to me. It took away from the atmosphere or something. Also, there was a movie being shot somewhere in Philadelphia so all the goddamn street parking was reserved or some stupid shit so we had to walk like 4 extra blocks which is ridiculous.
Anyway. We got into the place. The hostess was pleasant. I suppose. She seated us at at a table suitable for like four people even though we had six people even though our reservation was for four. Which made me pretty unhappy because I was touching knees with people and I'm very sensitive in my knees. Also, there was just loud enough salsa music and the smell of burning paper in the air which I'm pretty sure evokes book burning in communist Cuba so the atmosphere was just right. The lighting was moody and our fellow patrons spoke in hushed tones giving the entire experience a sort of super classy copacabana kind of feel. Which, unsurprisingly, is what I think they were going for. So. Success.
On an unrelated note, I'm relatively certain I saw Patrick Clarke eating at two tables over. I gushed. No one else gave a shit.
We ordered appetizers for the most part because the food was 25-35 for an entree and there was peer pressure to order appetizers. However. I made up for that by simply ordering a lot of drinkies. I do love me some sangria. Sangria always makes me think of Rome, the way the sun hits the buildings in the afternoon. Or something. And then I ordered some skewers of pork and shrimp. Excellently plated and quite delicious. Very tiny. They also had these cheese ball bread things with garlic olive oil. Or something. Also those were delicious. But also tiny. Probably from the rationing of foodstuffs in communist Cuba. Other people ordered some food too. And they also thought it was delicious and tiny. But, again, we all ordered appetizers like misers. And I don't even care. By the time I was done with my fifth glass of sangria, I wasn't all that hungry (drink dinners are the best dinners).
After dinner, most of us got some sort of desert thing. I, however, decided on more booze, specifically a flight of after dinner wines. Man. I'm going to rave about those. Fortified wines are the shit. Best things in the world. You can sip them for forever and they're strong enough to kick but they're so delicious and wonderful and mine were beautifully presented. I'm not entirely sure what I got. The nice lady brought them to me and I consumed them. Delicious.
Things I liked: Tasty food. Good company. Good atmosphere. Location is pretty sweet (there's stuff to do afterward). Patrick Clarke. Desert wines.
Things I didn't like: Price price price. Honestly thought the menu was a bit limited and nothing really jumped out at me like I had to have it.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Alma de Cuba
Alma De Cuba
Atmosphere
Alma de Cuba can definitely be described as a restaurant for date night. The loud latin music, dim lights and small tables cannot comfortably accommodate a group of ... let's say 6 people. While on one end of the table it was difficult to make out the voices on the opposite end of the table. Because of this the table broke off into 2 or 3 mini conversations as it was just difficult to keep a conversation going with the entire table with out yelling. If I were on a date the loud music and dim lights would make me feel isolated from the other tables in the restaurant and allow for a closer feeling with my date. So date good, group bad.
Service
The service was pleasant. As we arrived I was not sure if our party would be 4 or 6. I reserved a table for 4 so that if we needed the entire party present for seating we wouldn't need to wait for people who would not be in attendance. As you may have guessed our party turned out to be 6 people and our hostess gave us no troubles when we requested seating for 2 extra people. The waitress was friend and we definitely appreciated the warning she gave to each of us as we ordered our appetizers that they were small. So there weren't many surprises when our orders arrived and we sized for toddlers. You expect this from a restaurant of this caliber. Our glasses were always filled and we weren't left wondering if our waitress had left for the day. She was always a few steps away and never pestered us.Price
As the case of many upscale restaurants you get a little for a lot. Our party consisted of 6 people. Our tab rung to the tune of $313 including gratuity. Although one person ordered an entree the other members of our group only ordered one app (I'm saying it) each. The apps on the menu were around
10 to 20 dollars each. I decided upon the Tuna Tartare Tacos (pictured above) which were priced at 12 dollars. The pitchers of Sangria were 35 dollars and our table ran through 2. I myself ordered a delicious Mango Martini (pictured above), which I promptly spilled in my attempts to be fancy at such a nice restaurant.
Food
On to the part you have all been waiting for FOOD! I will admit I am not the largest fan of raw fish, but I decided upon the Tuna Tartare Tacos while dining at Alma de Cuba. From the description on the menu, "candied lemon and pickled onion," I was anticipating the taste of pickled onions of which I am a huge fan. I understand Tartare is in a nutshell is mush but this mush was just mush. It was good tasting mush, not very flavorful but still mush. The only thing I could really taste was the Tuna. There weren't any flavors that really jumped out at me or even tugged at my leg. I would not recommend this dish if you are looking for something unforgettable that encompasses everything that is Cuban. Desert on the other hand was delicious and definitely unforgettable. I am not a frequent smoker but I just had to have the chocolate cigar. Everything from the presentation to the last bite was remarkable! The display included a set of flammable candy matches, which were lit before my plate was placed upon the table, as well as label upon the cigar certifying the authenticity of my chocolate cigar. The chocolate cigar consisted of almond cake wrapped in chocolate mousse with a light cholate crust. The cigar was served with dulce de leche ice cream. As members of my party requested a taste of my chocolate cigar ;-) I requested that they must have a spoonful of ice cream at the same time. The de leche ice cream complimented the almond cake perfectly. I would definitely recommend getting a chocolate cigar if you ever visit Alma de Cuba.
Alma de Cuba
This upscale Cuban-American restaurant boasts a large selection of excellent ceviche as well as a number of tantalizing entrees that promise bold flavors. How they actually delivered on such promises will remain a bit of a mystery to this reviewer as I stuck with the ceviche on this occasion: specifically the "Rainbow Ceviche." This specimen was composed of tuna, salmon and black bass, all of which tasted quite fresh. The fish was marinated in lime juice and combined with a few sliced jalapenos and what seemed to be an occasional tangerine slice.
While both the jalapeno and citrus fruit worked exceedingly well with the raw fish, I found the flavor often overwhelmed by the healthy dose of soy sauce which nearly overpowered the subtle flavors of the fish. I am a huge fan of raw fish and was disappointed that they failed to present the delicacy of it. If I had wanted to have a mouthful of soy sauce flavored ambiguity I would have gone to the nearest Chinese food court for a fraction of the price.
That said, I did manage to get a few bites that had missed the soy soaking and those were quite enjoyable. The peppers in particular were a nice addition, providing an occasional change of pace from the sweet and sour with just a touch of heat. The dish was topped with crunchy shoe-string sweet potatoes which added an aesthetic element as well as a contrasting texture to the soft fish. Its contribution to the flavor, however, was not noticeable, and therefore left me underwhelmed.
The atmosphere was fun and just a little formal with well suited music with volume that, at times, made conversation difficult. Service was quite good and the food came with little wait. Overall, Alma de Cuba provided an enjoyable evening and I look forward to trying some of the other menu items.
While both the jalapeno and citrus fruit worked exceedingly well with the raw fish, I found the flavor often overwhelmed by the healthy dose of soy sauce which nearly overpowered the subtle flavors of the fish. I am a huge fan of raw fish and was disappointed that they failed to present the delicacy of it. If I had wanted to have a mouthful of soy sauce flavored ambiguity I would have gone to the nearest Chinese food court for a fraction of the price.
That said, I did manage to get a few bites that had missed the soy soaking and those were quite enjoyable. The peppers in particular were a nice addition, providing an occasional change of pace from the sweet and sour with just a touch of heat. The dish was topped with crunchy shoe-string sweet potatoes which added an aesthetic element as well as a contrasting texture to the soft fish. Its contribution to the flavor, however, was not noticeable, and therefore left me underwhelmed.
The atmosphere was fun and just a little formal with well suited music with volume that, at times, made conversation difficult. Service was quite good and the food came with little wait. Overall, Alma de Cuba provided an enjoyable evening and I look forward to trying some of the other menu items.
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