Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, located in Old City District, has introduced its summer menu, featuring 14 brand new classic and contemporary Cuban dishes by executive chef Jennifer Salhoff and chef-partner Guillermo Pernot. The menu was inspired by Chef Pernot’s bi-annual culinary travels to Cuba.
The dinner menu features a new For-Two section, including massive meat entrees with ample Cuban sides designed to share between two people. Cuba Libre’s menu overhaul also includes new hand-crafted cocktails, brunch dishes and a build-your-own burger lunch option—Eat-A- Frita—with customizable burger patties and toppings paired with a Cuban-style milkshake.
“I’m thrilled to introduce so many new flavorful, unique and authentically Cuban items to Cuba Libre’s menus,” said Chef Pernot. “While the signature favorites remain, our new dishes range from impressive platters for two to innovative ceviches and tapas recipes passed down for generations. I believe that our guests, both new and recurring, will absolutely love the new additions.”
The Cuban restaurant’s new menu features several large meat dishes for two, such as the Crispy Pork Pata, a 48-hour slow-cooked Berkshire pork shank, served with grilled seasonal vegetables and Moros y Cristianos in a citrus pan reduction, and the Ribeye Jibaro Doble, a 32 oz. salmuera-rubbed bone-in rib-eye steak served with “boniato bravas” and grilled broccolini.
Notable dishes in the new Latin Steaks and Chops section include the Vacio Steak Argentino (grilled Argentine-cut bavette steak with Moros y Cristianos, tostones and Argentinean chimichurri) and the Puerco Cha Cha Cha (three pork favorites in one jumbo cut—a bone-in loin chop with meaty rib and crisp pork belly—with “boniato Bravas,” charred herb salsa and chipotle aioli). A tropical seafood dish, the Pargo a la Plancha (olive oil griddled Florida red snapper over coconut basmati rice and candied cashews, with mango salsa and red curry sauce) has also been added.
Authentic Cuban tapas like the Chicken Croquetas, Cuban Tamal, Crab Guacamole, Ceviche de Pescado, Padrón Peppers, Albóndigas Cubanas (or Cuban meatballs) and Octopus a la Parrilla are sure to impress guests as well.
An effervescent new hand-crafted cocktail, the Second Street 75, made with Macchu Pisco, simple syrup, lemon juice and sparkling wine, makes for the perfect pairing for the new dinner menu.
The Old City lunch favorite has also introduced a build-your-own-burger with a milkshake pairing, available weekdays at lunch. The new “Eat-A- Frita” section features five different Miami Frita-style burger patties, including a vegetarian option, with topping add-ons and served with shoestring fries. As is customary in casual Cuban dining, the Frita burger pairs best with one of six flavors of Batidos, or tropical milkshakes, made with fresh fruit, whole milk and Franklin Fountain ice cream. Guests can add a shot of rum for just $3.
Additions to Cuba Libre’s weekend brunch include the Pollo y Waffle (crisp fried boneless chicken thighs, quinoa waffle, mango salsa and dark rum-molasses syrup); Brunch Paella (crispy boneless chicken thigh, chistorra sausage, kale, poached egg and saffron long grain rice); Banana Quinoa Waffle (quinoa waffle, sliced bananas in rum syrup, whipped cream and chocolate shavings); Chupe de Camarones (creamy shrimp and lobster bisque, peas, roasted boniato and lobster caviar salpicón); and the Pan con Jamón Slider (fried egg, country ham, crisp bacon, cheddar, chipotle-onion marmalade).
For more information on the brand new menu, visit Cuba Libre online.
Find Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar at 10 S. 2nd St. in Philadelphia; phone: (215) 627-0666.
- Photos: Cuba Libre
