Florida Cafe Cuban Restaurant

To satisfy that craving for authentic, flavorful, tasty, and zesty Cuban meal, don't overlook the Florida Cafe Cuban Restaurant, a modest eatery in decor and ambiance but intense in the flavors of Cuba.

Sergio Perea, chef/owner, operates this cozy 50-seat establishment with the assistance of his wife, brother, and mother, a family affair indeed. Sergio was employed in hotel restaurants in Havana prior to his arrival in Vegas, where he worked in an area Cuban restaurant before setting out on his own in 1996.

Choices for apetivos (appetizers) include an authentic papa rellena ($3.99; rolled browned mashed potatoes filled with a tangy meat stuffing) which may appear delicate but has a long finish.  The entremes jamon y queso ($4.95; rolled up ham and cheese) is a marriage of two ingredients that tempt the palate, and suitable to quench your taste for entrees that are colorful and tantalizing.

Cuba captures the flavors of the Gulf of Mexico, the West Indies, and the Caribbean Sea, which explains their passion for mariscos (seafood).  The enchilado de camarones ($9.95) consists of a generous portion of jumbo shrimp in a colorful Spanish sauce with well balanced seasoning, and is served with that famous Cuban accompaniment of black beans and white rice.  An absolute delight. Other patrons enjoyed the Bacaloa a la Vizcaina (cod fish in Spanish red sauce) and Salmon Rojo al Ajillo (red salmon in garlic sauce).

If your taste does not lean towards seafood, Cuban cuisine abounds in beef and chicken dishes.  The filetillo salteado ($7.99) is sliced prime beef sautéed in garlic, onions, green pepper, and tomatoes, served with soft french fries mixed with these ingredients, and is the best among those served anywhere.  This entree is also available as a chicken dish.

Cuba is definitely Spanish influenced, and the king of that cuisine is paella, a rice dish cooked with a variety of meats, sausage, shellfish, and assorted vegetables, flavored with garlic, onions, and saffron, but the exact ingredients are improvised by the chef. Paella is rarely found in Las Vegas; however, Florida Cafe will prepare it upon special request and advance notice (please call ahead).

The service is friendly, the ambiance homey, the prices are moderately reasonable, and most importantly the cuisine is extraordinary. A selection of beer and wine is available, as is an excellent assortment of desserts.

The Florida Cafe Cuba Restaurant is located inside the Howard Johnson hotel at 1401 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (7:00am - 10:00pm).  Telephone (702)385-3013.