From our friends at Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar...
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, located at 801 9th Street, NW, next to City Center, is pleased to announce the appointment of a new executive chef, Brad Smith. He will spearhead the kitchen in Washington, DC bringing the flavors of Old Havana and Cuba’s culture to the District. Smith is excited about the opportunity to reunite and cook with the two-time James Beard award-winning Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot.
A native Washingtonian, Brad Smith graduated with distinction from L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in 1995. He kicked off his culinary career serving as chef de cuisine at Raku in 1996. After one year, Brad relocated to Miami, Florida to serve as chef de cuisine of Red Square Restaurant, located in the heart of South Beach. He returned to the nation’s capital in 1998, to cook in two of Washington’s leading kitchens, Addie’s and the now shuttered Café Atlantico.
In 2003, Brad Smith accepted a position to serve as chef de cuisine of Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar’s flagship location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was here that he first had the opportunity to work under Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot. Smith cooked at Cuba Libre for three years, before moving to Swedesboro, New Jersey in 2006, to serve as executive chef of the Old Swedes Inn. He then went onto serve for two years as an in-store chef/instructor at Sur La Table in Marlton, New Jersey, which was followed by a two-year stint as a restaurant chef at Harrah’s Resort & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey and Metropolis, Illinois. Most recently Smith served for one year as director of dining services at Aspenwood Senior Living Community in Silver Spring, Maryland, before returning to work with his mentor Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot at Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar in Washington, DC.
New additions to Cuba Libre’s fall menu include the Crab and Corn Tamale, steamed fresh corn masa and crabmeat tamale with jumbo lump crab, smoked corn crema and corn-truffle salpicón ($11.25) and the Citrus Chicken, pan roasted marinated semi-boneless double chicken breast, served with plantain fufu, black bean sauce and chipotle aioli ($21.75.)
In addition to fall fare, Cuba Libre is introducing new libations for the season including the Puerta Muerta Mojito, Death’s Door White Whiskey, muddled cherry and orange ($11/glass and $55/pitcher); the Fresca Mojito, Death’s Door Gin, tonic and lime ($10.50/glass and $52.50/pitcher); the Piscojito, Macchu Pisco, cucumber-ginger puree, Guarapo, lime juice and mint ($10.50); the Mule del Sol, Tito’s handmade vodka, muddled cucumber and basil, lime juice and Barritts ginger beer ($10); the Patrón Mango Margarita, Patrón silver tequila, Patrón Citrónge mango liqueur, mango puree and lime juice ($11.50), and the Blanco Bay, Brinley Gold Shipwreck spiced rum and rum cream, Kahlúa and cream ($10.50.)
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Run Bar is located at 801 9th Street, NW (corner of 9th & H Streets) in Washington, DC. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar serves lunch weekdays, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays and dinner nightly. For more information please call (202) 408-1600 or visit www.CubaLibreRestaurant.com.
About Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar:
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar opened in Philadelphia in 2000, Atlantic City in 2004, Orlando in 2009 and Washington DC in 2010 to much acclaim, giving guests a passport to Cuba's intriguing flavors and culture. The restaurant’s name, which translates to “a free Cuba,” signifies a hope for the future of the treasured island nation. Two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot’s menus feature tantalizing tastes that reflect Cuba’s culinary traditions, as well as the emerging modern cuisine he is experiencing during his continuing travels to Cuba. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar is poised for expansion into other new markets. The restaurant is an affiliate of GuestCounts Hospitality which operates a diverse portfolio of restaurant, catering, and nightlife concepts in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Orlando and Washington, DC including, Brûlée Catering by Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix, and Gourmetro Catering. Principals Barry Gutin and Lawrence Cohen bring a unique combination of expertise to each of their projects and have been partners in the hospitality business since 1995. For more information about Cuba Libre, please visit www.CubaLibreRestaurant.com. For more information on GuestCounts Hospitality, please visit http://www.GuestCounts.com or call 215.922.3200 x132.
