To my surprise, there were very few Cuban restaurants in the Denver area. I was able to explore two of the restaurants three Cuban restaurants in Denver. First I went and explored El Bohio cafe in Lakewood. The owner Elizabeth sat down with me and talked to me about her experience with opening a Cuban restaurant in Denver. The first thing that she explained is that she was Mexican, not Cuban. She knew she wanted to open a restaurant of some kind but wasn’t sure what type. Because there were too many Mexican restaurants in the area, she decided to open a Cuban restaurant, instead. Explaining that she was inspired to open a Cuban restaurant by her Cuban coworkers she had worked with. They had shared their recipes and dishes with her throughout the years and slowly she began cooking them herself. To make her food traditionally, she strictly follows the recipe she was taught by her Cuban coworkers. Furthermore, she sources spices and other ingredients from Caribbean countries to ensure an authentic taste. One of the biggest struggles that Elizabeth faced when opening her restaurant, was the backlash from people saying her food was not authentic. Saying that many people believed that because she was Mexican that she could not cook good authentic Cuban food. However, she was able to prove them wrong by cooking good food, and quickly her business grew. Most of her regular customers help her business grow by promoting it to others. After talking to Elizabeth, I tried the ropa vieja with a side of black rice (a rice and black bean combination) and fried sweet plantains. The food was extremely flavorful and you can tell how all of the flavors worked together to make a well-rounded dish. The meat was not as shredded as other traditional ropa vieja recipes are, but was extremely tender and fell apart while I was eating it. Based on the research that I did on ropa vieja, this was not traditionally authentic. The meat was not shredded completely and it seemed that it was not as stewy as traditional ropa vieja. While eating the food there was light Spanish music playing in the background, along with pictures of Havana and Miami lining the walls. After talking to Elizabeth and trying the food I was able to realize that while she was not ethnically Cuban she was able to make Cuban food that was authentic to her. Pulling from her experiences with her Cuban coworkers she was able to make authentic dishes that helped tell her story.
The second restaurant I went to was Cuba Bakery & Cafe in Aurora. Here I had the unique experience of talking to both the owner and one of the employees of the restaurant. First, when talking to the owner she explained to me that she was not Cuban nor was she the first owner of the restaurant. The restaurant had been open for eight years prior and she was a loyal customer, and when it was at risk of being closed she and her husband bought the restaurant to keep it open. While she was not Cuban, she does have a Caribbean background and had always dreamed of operating a cultural restaurant. After she purchased the restaurant, she did not change anything about how the dishes were prepared. Learning about the traditional techniques and methods used by the previous owners to keep the authentic Cuban taste. Furthermore, all of their servers, cooks, and bakers are of Cuban descent and help keep up the traditional feel of the restaurant. To further ensure an authentic taste, they outsource most of their ingredients from Miami to ensure good quality ingredients. The restaurant also enjoys keeping in touch with Cuban and Latin culture in the Denver area. They participate in the Taste of Colorado festival, where they can share Cuban food with others and meet other local Cubans in the area. They also participate in Sabor, a Latin event each year showcasing flavors and culture throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. The owner also wanted to share that they are always open to anyone who wants to try their food and talk about the culture with their team. This led me to meet one of their employees Lauren, who recently immigrated from Cuba six months ago. Lauren was very excited to meet with me and was glad that I was interested in learning more about Cuban culture and food. She explained that when she first moved to Denver she felt at home at the restaurant. In Cuba, she had worked customer service jobs and knew she wanted to do something similar in America. She enjoyed being able to interact and talk with customers and being able to introduce them to a new cuisine. When asked what she thinks makes Cuban food authentic she immediately answered, "The flavor." Saying that the rich flavors of Cuban dishes are what makes the food at their restaurant authentic. Going on to explain that they prepare the food the same way that they did in Cuba and she cannot taste the difference between Cuban food at their restaurant and in Cuba. This is what ultimately draws in the large number of loyal customers they have. Lauren explained that their customers will sometimes drive hours to their restaurant to have their food because it reminds them of home. Which speaks for the quality and authenticity of the dishes and pastries that they make. Finally, the one thing that Lauren wanted people to know about Cuban food is that it is not wasteful. Cuban food originated as a way to feed a lot of people with only ingredients they had on hand. Meaning that it is very economical and traditionally nothing is wasted when making a dish. Lastly, she said that each Cuban dish has a story behind it, and to fully understand the significance of Cuban food that you need to know the story. After talking to Lauren, she walked me through each of the dishes they had and gave me a few recommendations. Ultimately she gave me a split plate so that I could try more of their food. I ended up getting the ropa vieja (shredded beef), lechon (shredded pork), yellow rice, black rice, and boiled yucca. When I took the first bite of the food I was met with a punch of flavor that continued with each bite. It tasted exactly what I thought it would taste like based on my research for the before assignment. You could tell that the meat had been stewed for hours based on how tender it was. While eating the food, Lauren came around to me with some of the other staff so that I could meet them. While the atmosphere was not directly Cuban, there was a very welcoming presence. It made you feel like you belonged there, with everyone excited to tell you more about the food. After talking to the owner and Lauren, I was able to realize they see authenticity as keeping to tradition. This in turn creates a haven for Cuban people to share dishes and have conversations that remind them of their home and culture. By producing ethically authentic food, they can share and introduce their food to others.
Both restaurants offer unique forms of authenticity in Cuban cuisine, highlighting different aspects of traditional dishes. El Bohio follows recipes passed down by previous Cuban co-workers, utilizing pre-portioned ingredients to ensure consistency in taste and quality. However, as discussed in the "Authenticity of Ropa Vieja" post, these recipes are a generalized version of the dishes. Traditionally, each dish is prepared slightly differently each time, depending on the available ingredients. Although the restaurant may not showcase authenticity through the dishes' preparation, it still utilizes and follows these recipes that have evolved to represent Cuban culture. This makes the restaurant and its food authentic through the lens of the recipes it follows. On the other hand, Cuba Bakery & Cafe prioritizes traditional preparations of the dish, using available ingredients and adjusting the recipe each time to minimize waste. This approach stems from many Cuban immigrants working at the restaurant, resulting in dishes being prepared more traditionally, just as they would be made at home, by slightly modifying the recipe based on the ingredients at hand. Thus, the authenticity of this restaurant lies in the preparation of its dishes. Overall, El Bohio focuses on consistent taste and following the same recipe each time, while Cuba Bakery & Cafe prioritizes traditional preparation methods, adjusting the recipe based on available ingredients. Both approaches offer a unique and authentic experience of Cuban cuisine.
If you want to visit either restaurant please click each link to go to the restaurants website for more information.