cafe con leche
my cousins and i are on our way becoming downright regulars at cafe con leche. two marathon meals, inside a two week period. not too shabby. and i'd happy go back again tonight, if i thought i deserved that much goodness in my life!
cafe con leche is the kind of place that allows you to set the mood. the first night we met there, our convivial reunion matched the lively atmosphere. on sunday night, it was considerably more subdued. our party of 15 secured a table in the rear dining area, by the kitchen. the waitstaff handled our staggered arrivals with kind attention, made it easy for everyone to settle in. our particular party got a little bit loud--yet we didn't feel like we were a spectacle, or making a spectacle, which was nice.
ccl's tasty mojitos will start any evening off nice and proper. they also offer a nice red sangria and cervezas, if that's more your style.
there are some absolute must haves: picadillo (cuban style chopped beef, sweetened just so, with a scattering of raisins) and grilled pork cutlets "al limon." one of the joys of group dining is that you can order your favorites, and still roam the menu for something new. one night, two of us were seduced by the sound of the specials--pork cutlets in tamarind sauce. it was a bit too sweet for my taste. (the pinnacle of tamarind dishes, to my humble tastebuds, remains the tamarind glazed squab, at cendrillon. having tried gamely and unsuccessfully to find its peer for many years now only serves as a reminder that it has been too long since i've dined there. coincidentally, the nytimes reviews cendrillon this week, a surprise after so many years of flying below the radar ). most of us agreed the tamarind sauce was tasty, but it didn't mark you the same way that the pork al limon surely does.
ccl serves the standard rice and beans, as well as perfectly caramelized, gooey, sweet plantains. i could have those every night. mofongo--a mash of green plaintains and crispy pork rind, was good, but had cooled a bit too much by the time it arrived at the table.
everyone was a bit shy about ordering dessert. in part, because, well, we all ate a hell of a lot. but truth be told, the dessert offerings are thin and a bit uninspiring--flan is an acquired taste, tiramisu seems a bit out of place, and the sound of rum cake doesn't quite send me. but do yourself a favor and try the rum cake. (unless you positively abhor the taste of any sort of liquor , of course.) everyone was deeply skeptical (me, slightly less so) but sweetness and light! it might be one of the best (and biggest) slices of cakes i've had. ever.
cafe con leche is the kind of place that allows you to set the mood. the first night we met there, our convivial reunion matched the lively atmosphere. on sunday night, it was considerably more subdued. our party of 15 secured a table in the rear dining area, by the kitchen. the waitstaff handled our staggered arrivals with kind attention, made it easy for everyone to settle in. our particular party got a little bit loud--yet we didn't feel like we were a spectacle, or making a spectacle, which was nice.
ccl's tasty mojitos will start any evening off nice and proper. they also offer a nice red sangria and cervezas, if that's more your style.
there are some absolute must haves: picadillo (cuban style chopped beef, sweetened just so, with a scattering of raisins) and grilled pork cutlets "al limon." one of the joys of group dining is that you can order your favorites, and still roam the menu for something new. one night, two of us were seduced by the sound of the specials--pork cutlets in tamarind sauce. it was a bit too sweet for my taste. (the pinnacle of tamarind dishes, to my humble tastebuds, remains the tamarind glazed squab, at cendrillon. having tried gamely and unsuccessfully to find its peer for many years now only serves as a reminder that it has been too long since i've dined there. coincidentally, the nytimes reviews cendrillon this week, a surprise after so many years of flying below the radar ). most of us agreed the tamarind sauce was tasty, but it didn't mark you the same way that the pork al limon surely does.
ccl serves the standard rice and beans, as well as perfectly caramelized, gooey, sweet plantains. i could have those every night. mofongo--a mash of green plaintains and crispy pork rind, was good, but had cooled a bit too much by the time it arrived at the table.
everyone was a bit shy about ordering dessert. in part, because, well, we all ate a hell of a lot. but truth be told, the dessert offerings are thin and a bit uninspiring--flan is an acquired taste, tiramisu seems a bit out of place, and the sound of rum cake doesn't quite send me. but do yourself a favor and try the rum cake. (unless you positively abhor the taste of any sort of liquor , of course.) everyone was deeply skeptical (me, slightly less so) but sweetness and light! it might be one of the best (and biggest) slices of cakes i've had. ever.
Cafe con Leche Cuban, Caribbean, Latin American726 Amsterdam Ave, New York 10025
Btwn 95th & 96th St
Phone: 212-678-7000
(and for you lucky ducks that live in the nabe, they deliver!)
posted by lahat at 1:05 PM
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