Cuba Fe a welcome addition to city’s ethnic array
Cheerful service a little sketchy at times
Even though it already has enjoyed notice in a number of local publications after a few months of operation, Cuba Fe offers its customers the delicious sense of personally discovering one of those magic hole-in-thewall eateries off the beaten path.
It’s worth finding your way to this relatively new addition to Santa Fe’s culinary scene, with a few caveats. As of our mid-July visit, the location did not have air conditioning. While open doors and fans helped keep the air moving, diners found limited respite from the mid-90-degree temperatures outside.
The Cuban music playing in the background created a festive mood, along with the happy chatter and the community table that projected down the center of the room.
Service, provided by the owners themselves, was friendly and informative, but they seemed to struggle a bit in keeping up with the needs of their customers, who kept popping in for late lunches even well after 1:30 p.m. For example, no effort was made to offer refills of the drinks on a day when additional cool liquid would have been welcome.
The food itself, though, won kudos from our table of three. The selections were limited, but tasty, providing a welcome addition to Santa Fe’s ethnic palette.
One guest tried the picadillo ($11), a mix of spiced ground beef, onions, green peppers and potatoes with a side of rice and beans. He detected some sweetness in the combination, saying that it reminded him somewhat of a meaty Italian bolognese sauce.
The rice and beans, which received a thumbs-up and could be ordered as a full meal for vegetarians, also accompanied another guest’s lechon plate ($11). Lechon is pork marinated in mojo, a sauce that includes citrus, garlic, oil and seasoning such as cumin. The pork is slowcooked for nine hours, according to Cuba Fe’s website. The meat was very tender and the spicing perfect, according to my happy guest.
I considered ordering the arroz con pollo, promised to be fresh out of the oven, but it seemed a little overwhelming for a hot day. Instead, I opted for “The Little Cuban,” ($8) a half-sandwich comfortably lined with pressed roast pork, ham, melted Swiss cheese and a pickle. The medianoche, an eggy bread, was thin and grilled to a slight crispness, added a little crunch to each bite. Accompanying it was a fresh salad of spinach, carrot, cucumber, mushrooms and tomatoes (unfortunately of the hothouse grocery store ilk). The sandwich, a traditional Cuban combo, was satisfying, despite a lingering salty aftertaste.
We all raved over the side order of cornbread ($2.50), which had a raspberry-chipotle sauce on the bottom and a honey glaze on top. The mix of fruity sweetness and slight, slow heat, together with the sweet bread itself speckled with whole kernels of corn, had one guest raving, “I could eat that all day!”
Our drinks included standard iced tea, along with a watermelon drink that was made only from liquified watermelon. Yummy!
The meal, which co-owner Robert McCormick assured us was made up of food that would be served in his own Cuban grandmother’s kitchen, came to a satisfying conclusion with a house-made flan ($4). Sweet, smooth and custardy, it disappeared quickly.
Much more is on the way, said McCormick. He and partner David Michael Tardy are looking to add a soul food line, with shrimp and grits, gumbo and greens planned. Plans also are to add veggie juices made on the site, he said.
And, yeah, air conditioning is another goal, he said.
We definitely will return to try some other menu items, such as the chicken or the Cuban Eggs Benedict, or maybe even the fried bananas. But probably on a cooler day.