A major benefit of the Roanoke Valley's increasingly diversepopulation has been a recent explosion in the number of ethniceateries. The past year has seen the opening of locally ownedrestaurants serving Korean, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican and Thaicuisines.
Since October 2010, Marily Hernandez and her husband, GeronimoMartinez, have operated El Cubanito, Salem's only Cuban restaurant.According to Hernandez, a native of Cuba, she has been cooking allof her life and worked in a restaurant for years before moving tothe United States in 2000.
The vibe
From the stone patio (a word with Spanish origins, by the way)outside to the vividly painted interior, a tropical vibe pervadesEl Cubanito. The Spanish music wafting lightly in the backgroundand the walls in bright shades of blue, orange and yellow reinforcethe Caribbean feel. Sadly, the festive and cheerful surroundingstook on a lonely quality when, during both visits, every table satempty save mine. Though El Cubanito is not lavish, it is clean andorderly.
The food
A mishmash of African, Caribbean and Spanish cuisines, Cuban foodrevolves around staples such as pork, rice and beans. Cuban food is comforting fare for the common man (or woman).
My first meal began with a personal favorite -- sweet friedplantains known as maduros ($2.99). Although I liked thesecaramelized banana-like fruits as an appetizer, I preferred themfor dessert. On the other hand, I found the dried maraquitas(plantain chips) virtually tasteless.
Although El Cubanito offers beef and chicken dishes, Cuban foodis uniquely suited for abetting my love affair with pork. Myfavorite was the large chunks of lean pork known as masas de puerco($12.99). These savory medallions are first braised in water,onions and pork fat before being deep-fried and served with sauteedonions. The result is deliciously moist, lean pork with a slightlycrispy exterior.
Entrees come with a salad and a choice of side. Unfortunately,the "salad" was little more than a bowl of iceberg lettuceaccompanied by uninspiring dressing; I did not finish it. Sidesinclude white rice, black beans or red beans, but I chose thewonderful congris, a hearty, smoky blend of white rice, blackbeans, pork fat and bacon.
My friend ordered the puerco asado ($12.99), a slow-roasted Cubanpork that has been marinated in a mixture of lemon, lime and orangejuices with garlic and other spices. The tasty dish reminded me ofchopped Southern barbecue with a citrus twist.
On my second trip with two friends, we selected pork sandwichespaired with differing condiments. Each warm sandwich arrived on ahearty, exceptional bread from On the Rise bakery in downtownRoanoke. The sandwiches, like the entree portions, are large.
The El Cubanito ($7.99), a sandwich with both ham and roastedpork (I told you Cuban food was pork-centric) also had meltedcheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. It was warm and delicious,though I should have asked for a little more mayo.
The pan con bistec ($7.99) and pan con lechon ($6.99) weresimilar to the El Cubanito. The former consisted of thinly slicedpork topped with caramelized onions, lettuce and tomatoes. Thelatter was simply shredded pork and grilled onions. They weresimilar in taste, and both had a light film of mayonnaise. Thefries that accompanied the sandwiches were standard fare, so Iordered a bowl of the hardy red beans, which needed nothing but a dash of salt.
For dessert, we shared the flan ($3.99), a rich baked vanillacustard smothered in caramel sauce. It has a texture that issomewhat more gelatinous than creme brulee. El Cubanito's versioncompares favorably with other flans I've tried.
The service
El Cubanito is a family affair. Our waiter on each occasion,Hernandez's son, was generally attentive and filled drinks quickly.On one occasion, however, I had to motion for him. As we were theonly patrons, I think he was understandably having a hard timewalking the line between attentive and smothering, but he wasalways polite and discrete. The only other glitch occurred on thefirst visit when our entrees arrived much too quickly, within a fewminutes of our appetizers.
The bottom line
The bright colors, meat-and-potatoes-style pork dishes and momand pop entrepreneurial spirit of the Hernandez family give dinersa chance to enjoy a Cuban experience that is locally unique.
El Cubanito
311 E. Seventh St., Salem
375-2778
Web Site: Find it on Facebook.com
Cuisine: Cuban
Prices: Sandwiches, $5.95 to $6.95; entrees, $8.95 to $15.95
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Delivery: No
Reservations: No
Payment: All major credit cards accepted
Handicapped accessibility: The Blue Ridge Independent LivingCenter has determined this restaurant is not accessible accordingto the Checklist for Existing Facilities.
Kid-friendly: Yes
Alcohol: Beer, wine, liquor
Patio seating: Yes
Parking: Yes
Wireless Internet: No
Vegetarian dishes: Yes
Live music: No
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