Open, Sexy Atmosp   here with plenty of Cuban Hospitality  

                                               

 By Sally Deering

La Isla Restaurant on Washington Street up the block from City Hall has been a Hoboken staple, serving Cuban cuisine in a tiny space where you have to step outside to change your mind. Riding on the success of its downtown location, La Isla Uptown located on 12^th Street and Maxwell Place takes Cuban cuisine to a whole new level in an atmosphere thatâ€s open, aery and filled with Cuban hospitality.

At La Isla Uptown, its more of a fine-dining experience compared to the luncheonette feeling of La Isla downtown, says wine director and general manager Andres Montoya. The uptown restaurant is huge and open with seating for one-hundred in the dining room, at the bar, and in the front of the restaurant that features a counter and stools for those who want to dine and dash. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls, marble floor tiles, and the ceiling fans in dark brown wood make a visitor feel as if they stepped inside a Havana bistro. Along with the beautiful décor, La Isla Uptown has a liquor license which means great wine, beer and Mojitos, Montoya says.

“We only carry Hispanic wines from Cuba, Spain, Chile, Uruguay,” Montoya says, “and our most popular Mojito is our Pineapple-Habanera Pepper Mojito. Its got a kick to it.”

Montoya, who is a Level-4 Sommelier, says La Islaâ€s success has a lot to do with great service as well as great food.

“Thereâ€s a certain magical feel about delivering an exceptional dining experience,” Montoya says. “Seeing someone taste our food with a glass of wine and seeing that they like those flavors, is very important to us. We want to give our customers the romantic flavors of Cuba.”

La Isla Uptownâ€s menu features appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. Hereâ€s a sampling: appetizers include Empanada de Pollo o Carne, pastry turnover filled with chicken or ground beef; Croqueta de Jamon, ground smoked ham and onion, breaded and fried; Ceviche de Camarones, fire-roasted tomato, citrus, cilantro, and red onion-marinated shrimp served with plantain chips; Black Bean Hummus, puréed black beans, sesame tahini, lime juice and olive oil, served with plantain chips; and Montaditos, shrimp and chorizo over tostones with red chimichurri. ($3-$10)

Entrees feature Camarones Enchilado, jumbo shrimp sautéed in olive oil, garlic, onion, peppers, olives and creole-style sauce; Arroz Con Pollo a La Chorrera, Cuban-style chicken and saffron risotto, green peas, pimentos, served with sweet plantain; Salmón Chino-Latino, black bean miso-glazed salmon served over Cuban-style fried rice and tostones; Bistek de Palomilla, sirloin steak pounded thin, seared and topped with caramelized onions; Churrasco con Chimichurri, marinated, grilled skirt steak topped with chopped raw onion, served with an Argentinean style steak sauce; and Robalo Entero, boneless pan-roasted whole Branzino served with coconut creole sauce. ($17-$28)

Breakfast is served Tuesday through Saturday and the menu features dishes from the griddle and served with organic 100% pure Dutchess County maple syrup, like Omarâ€s Stuffed French Toast, egg bread filled with strawberry/guava cream cheese, dipped in cinnamon batter and coated with corn flakes and almonds. Buttermilk Pancakes; La Isla Huevos Rancheros, two poached eggs, spicy tomato sauce in a fried tortilla shell served over black beans with a side of rice; Churrasco a Caballo con Arroz y Frijoles Negros, grilled skirt steak topped with red onion served with fried eggs, rice and black beans; and El Balsero, two poached eggs over shredded flank steak, rice and black beans. ($8-$15)

La Isla Restaurant Uptown has been open a year now; and business is incredible, Montoya says. The restaurant is open seven days a week with breakfast served every day except Monday. And on Sunday, brunch is served.  Thereâ€s also a Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 4-7 pm.

“At Happy Hour, you can have a Cuban Sandwich and a Mojito for less than $15,” Montoya says.

And, of course, a restaurant is only as good as the food it serves and owner and Chef Omar Giner and his talent are the real reason for the restaurantâ€s success. Formerly a pastry chef, Chef Omarâ€s desserts are out of this world, like the Flan de Leche Tradicional, Cuban crème caramel; Tres Leches, vanilla sponge cake soaked in three milks and rum, topped with meringue; Arroz con Leche, rice pudding; Pionono, sponge cake filled with dulce de leche and chocolate glaze; Torta de Limon Frisado con Almivar de Cilantro, frozen key lime pie with cilantro/lime syrup and toasted almonds; Torta de Queso y Mango, coconut mango cheesecake with mango sauce; and Empanada Guayaba, guava and cream cheese turnover. ($5.50-$7)

 “Most of the recipes are Chef Omarâ€s family recipes,” Montoya says. “Mamaâ€s recipes, old school, Cuban-style recipes. Chef Omar is as Cuban as it comes.”

Chef Omarâ€s culinary talents were challenged recently in an episode of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, where Chef Flay challenged Chef Omar to a French toast cook-off. Chef Omar won the challenge. Chef Omar was also featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri, where Chef Omar prepared Croqueta de Jamon, ground smoked ham and onion, breaded and fried.

Montoya says Chef Omarâ€s passion for cooking the dishes of his country are the true essence of La Islaâ€s cuisine.

“When you own a restaurant, you have to be passionate about food,” Montoya says. “Itâ€s all about the experience you want people to feel.”

If you go

La Isla Restaurant Uptown

25 12th St, HOB

(201) 659-6090

laislarestaurant.com

Hours: Tues-Sat, 8 am-10 pm;

Sun, 10 am-9 pm;

Mon: 5-10 pm

Reservations: opentable.com

Home delivery: seamless.com; grubhub.com

 

The post LA ISLA RESTAURANT UPTOWN HOBOKEN first appeared on River View Observer.

 With its sister restaurants Son Cubano in the Meat Packing District and Flor de Sol in Tribeca reaping the benefits of needing a Cuban fix in the city, it was no wonder the Duran-Gouchee family wanted to bring their success back home to West New York.

Alex, Diana, Eddie and Claudia – a tight knit group of siblings hailing from West New York, have risen from tough times in a cramped apartment to owning a multitude of successful ventures.
Edward Duran, their dearly departed father began a small business shuttling South and Central American merchants into New York City for shopping trips. From that simple idea, the family evolved the concept into a wildly successful freight forwarding business. Beginning to conquer the business world, the Duran sisters along with Kevin Gouchee, Dianaâ€s husband, began to sprout their success into the restaurant business when Kevin suggested opening up a small Cuban café in the city. Noticing that there was a niche to be filled with Latin restaurants in the trendy Tribeca neighborhood, they decided to ditch their idea to go small and to go all out. Taking advantage of this opportunity to fill a void, they began building their small Latin empire of restaurants starting with Flor de Sol and Son Cubano – making them one of the Meat Packing Districtâ€s first Spanish restaurants.
The restaurant business became a family effort when Alex, Eddie and their mother came on board and put their hearts and souls into making the trioâ€s dream a reality. Knowing the importance of Cuban influence, they wanted to do this right. They did their research and took a total of 10 trips to Cuba to better understand the culture and to bear witness to the struggle of the Cuban lifestyle. Growing up with little money themselves, it touched the family to see that even amongst political turmoil and harsh living conditions, the Cuban people still had an insatiable appetite for life.
Now years later, the whole family has come together to bring it all back to square one and open Son Cubano in their hometown. A deal two years in the making in a crumbling economy, the Durans and the Gouchees are now open.
Son Cubano
40-4 River Walk Place
West New York, NJ 07093
201.399.2020
reservations@soncubano.nj

ABOUT THE YA GROUPThe YA Group is a multicultural marketing communications agency that specializes in outreach for the US Hispanic market. With over 25 years of experience, The YA Group is made up of marketing professionals that are strategic and creative thinkers. The company has helped a wide range of clients create recognizable brands and messages that translate to the Hispanic community.

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The post Son Cubano Restaurant Now Open at The Shops at Riverwalk, West New York, New Jersey first appeared on River View Observer.

Smashing Opening for Son Cubano at The Shops at Riverwalk

Son Cubano restaurant celebrated its opening at The Shops at Riverwalk in West New York and promises more exciting events to come, including a New Year’s Eve celebration.

Pictured at Grand Opening Celebration for Son Cubano Restaruant Edward Duran, Claudia Caraballo, Alex Duran, Diana Gouchee and Kevin Gouchee    

Bergen/Hudson County, NJ, 22 December 2010 – After months of anticipation, the highly awaited opening of Son Cubano at The Shops at Riverwalk was a smashing success this past week.  The Duran-Gouchee family was able to bring the sweet sounds and flavors of the Caribbean to its latest restaurant venture in West New York.

Upon arrival at the opening, guests marveled at the fine décor of Son Cubano.  The spacious restaurant had dramatic lighting with sparkling chandeliers and candlelit tables that added to the alluring atmosphere.  The colorful paintings hanging on the walls were a representation of Cuban culture and tradition.  While the group, El Gallito del Son, provided musical entertainment for the evening that kept the guests dancing, comfortable tables and booths invited people to enjoy the variety of drinks and food while soaking in the festive atmosphere.

The glamorous evening was a true celebration of Cuban culture and, above all, culinary delights.  The focus of Son Cubano is to bring delectable Cuban dishes to its public and the opening delivered nothing but exquisite plates.  Hors d’oeuvres were handed out during the evening and kept guests satisfied with their bold Latin flavors and seasonings.  Guests spent the night devouring a plethora of drinks and dishes ranging from scrumptious empanadas de rabo encendido to lobster ceviche and croquetas de bacalao (cod croquettes).  Drinks were another huge crowd-pleaser as the bar was abuzz all night with guests enjoying a long list of drinks, especially the classic Cuban cocktail, the mojito.       

Son Cubano at The Shops at Riverwalk is off to a busy start with its successful opening and plans to continue with upcoming events like its New Year’s Eve celebration.  The restaurant plans to ring in the New Year with a prix fixe menu and open bar or guests can come and enjoy a cash bar.  Call 201.624.1150 to find out more information about the festivities, to make a reservation or to get a gift certificate that can be enjoyed at any time of the year.  If the opening is any indication, the New Year’s Eve event will be a celebration to remember.

The post Son Cubano – New Restaurant Opens in West New York, New Jersey first appeared on River View Observer.