Restaurant of the Month: Cúbaro

Each month Yucatan Today visits a restaurant in order to describe what it has to offer. This is not a review; it is a summary of the menu, service, ambience, prices, and opening hours.

May 2007

Cuisine: Latin fusion.  Chef: Gabriel Panti.  Menu: a la carte.  Setting: sidewalk café with view of Monument to the Flag.  Seating: 75.  Schedule: daily 5.30 pm – 1 am.  Avg. price x 2 incl. 2 drinks: $350 pesos. Location: bustling Paseo Montejo.  Credit Cards: Visa, MC.  Specialty drink: traditional mojito or fruit flavored mojito.  Popular dishes: venison and plantain banana chips.  Parking: no.  Telephone: 926 6587.

There is nothing more romantic or vacation-like than eating in a sidewalk café on a busy avenue in a foreign country.

Cúbaro is a small, Latin, umbrella shaded sidewalk café restaurant bar located on the Paseo Montejo smack in front of the Monument to the Flag! Their spectacular location fits the bill for their menu which is a mixture of Latin flavors. They are also known for serving the best mojitos in town! Try the Tostones con Venado – fried mashed plantain banana, topped with shredded venison garnished with cilantro and radish, or the cheese sticks breaded in black and white sesame seeds smothered in a kiwi sauce, or the shrimp carpaccio (paper thin slices ofshrimp), or a creamy spinach dip. This list goes on.

There are two soup choices on the menu. The traditional Yucatecan sopa de lima is served daily; the other choice, a cream soup, changes daily and might be broccoli or vegetable or some other delight.

The variety of fresh salads includes those with chicken, shrimp, salmon or greens, veggies and more greens. Salad dressings are traditional (blue cheese, Italian, etc.) or tropical!

If you are in the mood for seafood, the chef certainly understands that grilled tuna steak should not be overcooked and dry. He does it perfectly! Actually, chef Gabriel is quite proficient not only with his cooking and flavoring, but also with his garnishing and presentation of his dishes – each is a work of art. The flamed shrimp is another popular choice.

Tasty grilled Rib-eye and New York steaks will keep all the meat lovers happy. Or venison might be what you fancy. Dessert at Cúbaro is always a pleasure. Between cakes and pies and ice creams and fruits, you won’t know what to choose. And all are delicious.

Plan an evening visit to the Monument to the Flag, then cross the street and have dinner at Cúbaro. Or have a horse-drawn buggy drop you off! Bon Appetit!