New menu marks 10th anniversary for Cuba Libre

Without a doubt, the experience of dining at Cuba Libre, 10 S. Second St., is breathtaking.

From the moment you walk in, you are transported to an irresistible pocket of Cuba in the heart of Philly, thanks in no small part to the impeccably detailed décor and traditional Cuban music (played by a DJ). When the weather is nice and the windows are open, the airy space lends itself to both casual post-work nightlife or a dinner fancy enough to impress. The latter became apparent as we were seated next to former Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell the night we dined there.

Cuba Libre’s concept chef, Guillermo Pernot, recently visited Cuba to get a feel for the cuisine and it shows. The new Cuban menu — debuted for the 10th anniversary — is every bit as impressive as the restaurant’s decor.

That said, make sure to remember the menu is Cuban. One member of our party got a slight but friendly case of the stink-eye from the waiter when asked if they served margaritas.

“That’s a Mexican beverage,” he pointed out.

Point taken. Please forgive us. We won’t insult your honor again.

We came to find out that one can live a happy life on mojitos, of which Cuba Libre serves many varieties and flavors.

We almost didn’t get to try an entrée because we were completely seduced by Cuba Libre’s small plates. The homemade bread was amazing too, served with a generous portion of mango butter. Seriously, we wanted to buy a tub of this stuff and take it home so we can try it on waffles and bagels at our leisure.

The ceviches are some of the best you can find in the city, especially the coctel de camarones ($10.50), a Cuban take on a shrimp cocktail that is spicy and better than any shrimp cocktail has a right to be. The carne de cangrejo ($12) isn’t too far behind, mixing luscious crab meat with cheddar cheese and a tomatillo and peanut salsa. It’s safe to say we’re going to make a point of ordering ceviches each and every time we go to Cuba Libre.

Another strong competitor for our tastebuds were the empanadas ($5.50 each). They are not-to-be-missed prime examples of comfort food. The ground beef and raisin empanada was pleasantly spicy while the chicken empanada with corn, peppers and jack cheese gave us flashbacks of the best chicken pot pie we’ve ever eaten.

The sopa levanta muerta, or “raise the dead soup” ($6.50), was a warm and inviting convergence of seafood in a coconut-milk broth. And it is aptly named: We could easily envision ourselves chasing away a hangover with this flavorful soup.

Having gorged on small plates, we had little room left for an entrée, but we did manage to squeeze in the lechon asado ($22.50), slow-roasted pulled pork perched high atop a bed of smashed yucca and a black-bean broth. The result was flawless. The pork was tender and spicy, mixing well with the heartiness of the yucca and black beans. It almost made us regret filling up on small plates.

Almost.

We nearly skipped dessert but were stopped dead in our tracks at the mention of torta mentirita ($9), a “rum and Coke” cake. It was even better than it sounded: a rum-soaked cake topped with lime sorbet and Coke sauce. The huge portion was intimidating to look at, but the cake was light and airy and the sorbet and sauce hit all the right spots in our alcoholic and sweet-tooth pleasure centers.

If Cuba Libre were an island, we’d gladly make a raft out of scrap plywood and swim there. Thankfully we don’t have to.

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