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| Crispy Pork Pata at Cuba Libre |
From our friends at Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar...
Cuba Libre Introduces New Summer Dishes & Seasonal Cocktails From Executive Chef Angel Roque
A number of new additions are ideal for sharing as the portion sizes serve two
Two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot is pleased to announce tempting new dishes being introduced on Cuba Libre's summer menu, created in partnership with Executive Chef Angel Roque. With the guidance of his friend and mentor, Roque’s new summer menu offers the flavors of Old Havana and Cuba’s culture to the District. Dining at Cuba Libre brings the richness and authenticity of exploring Cuba directly to the nation’s capital.
A number of new additions are ideal for sharing as the portion sizes serve two
Two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot is pleased to announce tempting new dishes being introduced on Cuba Libre's summer menu, created in partnership with Executive Chef Angel Roque. With the guidance of his friend and mentor, Roque’s new summer menu offers the flavors of Old Havana and Cuba’s culture to the District. Dining at Cuba Libre brings the richness and authenticity of exploring Cuba directly to the nation’s capital.
Executive Chef Angel Roque's rich Cuban heritage and extensive culinary experience are showcased throughout his new menu with standout brunch, lunch and dinner items that are sure to please. Tempting aperitivos, tapas, and sides include Crab Guacamole with blue crabmeat, avocado, grilled golden pineapple, roasted jalapeños, fresh lime juice and extra virgin olive oil, served with crisp plantain chips; Ceviche de Pescado with hamachi-yellowtail, organic grape tomato salad, leche de tigre and Thai basil vinaigrette; Cuban Tamal, fresh corn masa filled with chicken, bell peppers, cachucha chiles, and roasted corn sauce; Albóndigas Cubanas, beef, pork, pine nut and raisin meatballs and Creole tomato sauce, served with grilled Cuban bread; Chicken Croquettes, Abuela’s creamy roasted chicken croquettes and roasted cachucha pepper aioli; Padrón Peppers, Spanish-style blistered padrón peppers with flaky salt and lemon mayonnaise sauce; Octopus a la Parrilla, truffle and citrus marinated grilled baby octopus with smoked potato crema, crispy garbanzo beans and Spanish paprika; Grilled Broccolini with lemongrass mojo, as well as Moros y Cristianos, traditional black beans and rice pilaf. Tapas, aperitivos, and sides range in price from $6 to $31.
New additions to the entrée section of the menu include Citrus Chicken with pan-roasted marinated semi-boneless chicken breast, yuca mash, grilled broccolini and mango-passion fruit sweet and sour sauce; Puerco Cha Cha Cha, bone-in loin chop with meaty rib and crisp pork belly, "Boniato Bravas,” charred herb salsa and chipotle aioli; Vacio Steak Argentino, grilled Argentine-cut bavette steak with Moros y Cristianos, tostones and Argentinean chimichurri; Ribeye Jibaro, 16 oz. salmuera-rubbed bone-in rib-eye steak with “boniato bravas,” grilled broccolini and Cuba Libre steak sauce; Pargo a la Plancha, olive oil griddled Florida red snapper with coconut basmati rice, candied cashews, mango salsa and red curry sauce. Additionally, Chef Roque recently added a number of entrées that are ideal for sharing as the portion sizes serve two. Highlights include the Crispy Pork Pata, 48-hour slow-cooked Berkshire pork shank, grilled seasonal vegetables, Moros y Cristianos and citrus pan reduction; Ribeye Jibaro "Doble,” 32 oz. salmuera-rubbed bone-in rib-eye steak with “Boniato Bravas,” grilled broccolini and Cuba Libre steak sauce; Plato Gaucho, mixed grill with all natural black angus skirt, Argentine-cut bavette steaks, jumbo shrimp, marinated chicken breasts, Cortez chorizo sausage, red hot onion rings, Argentinean chimichurri, Cuba Libre steak sauce and salsa criolla. Entrées range in price from $19.75 to $70.
Cuba Libre’s bountiful Unlimited Tapas Brunch, served on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 AM until 2 PM, also affords guest the opportunity to experience numerous small plates with unlimited dining for $29 per person, excluding gratuity and tax. New menu items include the Huevo al Horno with poached egg, chorizo, smoked ham, asparagus and Creole tomato sauce; Chupe de Camarones, creamy shrimp and lobster bisque with peas, roasted boniato and lobster caviar salpicón; Pan con Jamón Slider with a fried egg, country ham, crisp bacon, cheddar and chipotle-onion marmalade, served with yuca fries; Tabla de Trucha with smoked trout salad, pickled cauliflower, radishes and okra, served with Cuban bread crisps; Brunch Paella with crispy boneless chicken thigh, chistorra sausage, kale, poached egg, saffron long grain rice, Serrano ham chips and roasted piquillo pepper salad; Crepa de Puerco with pulled leg of pork and queso añejo in an oven-roasted crepe with corn and truffle crema, rocoto pepper oil, and herb salad; Pollo y Waffle with crisp, fried boneless chicken thighs, quinoa waffle, mango salsa and dark rum-molasses syrup, as well as the Banana Quinoa Waffle with quinoa waffle, sliced bananas in rum syrup, whipped cream and chocolate shavings. A la carte brunch dishes range in price from $6.75 to $14.75, and can be enjoyed from 11:30 AM to 3 PM.
Cuba Libre's “Bento Box Lunch,” priced at $16.75 per person, and “Rapido Lunch” service, priced at $13.75 to $17.75 per person, includes tempting newcomers such as Chicken Croquettes Salad with Abuela’s creamy roasted chicken croquettes, romaine, grape tomatoes, red onion, seedless cucumber, and roasted cachucha pepper aioli; Mamá Amelia’s Empanada with hand-chopped chicken, corn, jack cheese and aji-sour cream dipping sauce; Chicken a la Plancha, Cuban marinated boneless chicken breast “a la plancha,” with white rice and mango-passion fruit sweet and sour sauce; Black Bean Soup with traditional Cuban black bean soup with rich authentic flavors; Jardín Salad with watercress, baby spinach, romaine, grape tomato, kalamata olives, red onions, red wine vinaigrette and boniato chips; Spanish Coca Flatbread, crispy flatbread with grilled zucchini, portobello mushrooms, onions, roasted piquillo peppers, eggplant, tomato and tetilla cheese; Levanta Muerto Seafood Soup, “raise the dead” seafood soup with shrimp, bay scallops, crabmeat, mussels, coconut milk fortified “Chino-Cubano” broth and truffle oil, as well as Shrimp Cóctel, Cuban-style shrimp cocktail, Latino cóctel sauce and avocado. A la carte lunch items range in price from $7 to $19.25. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 AM to 3 PM.
For the perfect pairing, guests can enjoy new house-made cocktails inspired by the flavors of Cuba such as the Blanco Bay with Brinley Gold Shipwreck spiced rum, Tito’s handmade vodka, Kahlua and cream; the Second Street 75 with Macchu Pisco, simple syrup, lemon juice and sparkling wine. Two new rum flights are also available for guests and include the Tour of the Dark Side of Rum, a tasting flight of dark rums for those that prefer flavors of molasses and cocoa with Cruzan Black Strap, Coruba Dark Rum and Ron Miel, and The Rum Classic, hand-curated to showcase the flavors and complexity developed through the art of aging with Bacardi Solera, Cuba Libre 15 Yr and Cuba Libre 21 Yr. Cocktails and rum flights range in price from $9.50 to $19.
Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar is located at 801 9th Street (corner of 9th & H Streets) NW, Ste. A, Washington, DC. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar serves lunch weekdays, brunch on Saturdays, Sundays and dinner nightly. For additional information, please visit www.cubalibrerestaurant.com.
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.
