Havana Central

[Fat Guy]

There's a new restaurant on my short list of mid-priced favorites. That's a very short list, because like most serious diners I know I tend to gravitate towards the extremes of, on the one hand, fine dining and, on the other hand, cheap eats. I can't stand spending $40+ per person for food I could cook better at home. Sometimes it feels like the economic deck is simply stacked against anybody who wants to provide good food in the mid-priced category.

The new Havana Central (West 46th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) is a telling exception to the mid-priced problem. It has got to be the most welcome addition to the Times Square/Theater District restaurant scene in ages. The food is terrific, the menu prices are gentle, the place has great energy and the portions are very satisfying. It's proof positive that there's no reason mid-priced restaurants have to suck.

This is a much more ambitious operation than the original Havana on East 17th Street. The Times Square Havana Central is a split-level space, 235 seats, with multi-story-high ceilings. Giant etched mirrors decorate the bar, a counter opposite the bar is made from cigar-rolling table replicas, and another wall has huge old Cuba posters. Based on the advance press materials, I imagined a glitzy theme-restaurant type of feel, but the place feels very real; they've captured a Caribbean aesthetic without tripping over into parody. And why not? There used to be a thriving Cuban restaurant community in New York, and Havana Central is the present-day realization of that tradition. The décor was inspired by Sloppy Joe’s in Havana (which Hemingway frequented) but is not slavish to it. The owner, Jeremy Merrin, is a Cuban food and culture fanatic and for good reason:

As the story runs, he was infatuated with a Cuban girl in high school and acquired the taste for Cuban food. He then ran into her at their 25th high school reunion and told her he was a Cuban food aficionado, and she invited him to try some of her mother's cooking, which was at a much higher level than what he had been eating. Thus, he concluded, there were no good Cuban restaurants in town and he needed to open one.

The chef is a very earnest and charming guy named Stanley Licairac, exactly the sort of chef I don't expect to see at mid-priced restaurants. He's very serious about the cuisine and he and Merrin are fanatical about researching and testing all the recipes. He comes from a Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother, and grew up in Brooklyn working at the family deli, which he later bought. He's not Cuban, but that appears not to be a handicap at all.

I haven't made it through the entire menu, but I've tried quite a few good things so far. One problem I've had is that some of the items I tried on my first visit were so good that I felt compelled to reorder them, so I didn't make as much subsequent progress as I could have. The standout item has got to be the empanadas. I've not had better. Apparently these ones are made with yuca flour, and they're made by hand at the restaurant daily. The best is the picadillo-stuffed empanada. It's hard to move on to anything else. Needless to say, it follows that the picadillo is also my favorite entree so far. For those who aren't familiar with Cuban picadillo, it's ground beef with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, various herbs and spices, olives and raisins. It's just about the most unattractive dish imaginable, but it's a thing of beauty on the palate. All the little touches are done well too, for example the rice and beans are exceptional.

Other good things: There's this corn on the cob encrusted with an herb and cheese mixture that's very nice if a bit shocking; it's the most over-the-top piece of corn I've ever eaten. The roast pork is juicy and a lot better than what most barbecue places are serving. Even the salmon and shrimp, ordered by a non-fan of red meat, were quite good: not overcooked, of good quality and certainly not treated as an afterthought. Some of the bar drinks are the best of their kind that I've had: the mojitos are superior, the sangria is dangerous (especially the variant made with port!) and the fruit shakes are a tasty non-alcoholic option. Also, on the dessert front, the tres leches is the best I've had, not too sweet (though pretty sweet) and with not too grainy a texture.

And then there's the Cuban sandwich. Not that I've been to Cuba, but I've at least been to Florida quite a few times, and I think this is a very high quality Cuban sandwich. And it's only $7. I haven't had a better one in New York and I've maybe had better in Florida but not by much. There's also a version available on a brioche-like bread; I forget the name.

The upstairs balcony, by the way, is a great space for a private event. I'm thinking I might try to have a birthday party or something there at some point. Maybe a bris. Who knows?

[docsconz]

Sounds like a great addition to the arsenal of peri-theatrical dining!

By mid priced, if I read you correctly, you are spending about $40pp? What exactly does that $40 get - drink, appetizer, main course and dessert?

[Pan]

I really appreciate your report, Fat Guy. I've been a fan of Cuban food since way back, and had a dinner for I believe my 9th birthday at Victor's Cafe, then on 71 St. and Columbus. I'll definitely keep Havana Central in the back of my mind as a place to look at when I next have occasion to be in that neighborhood.

[Fat Guy]

Doc, there's a pretty wide range of prices. You can eat anywhere from cheaply to moderately. The Cuban sandwich -- a satisfying lunch -- is $7 (and it's not made from processed crap -- it's real ham, real cheese, good pork, etc.). There are quite a few appetizers and small plates under $10. Entrees range from the low teens to the mid-twenties -- the only thing that was climbing up there was the paella, but I think that's supposed to serve a couple of people. The last time I went, there were four of us, two of us had alcoholic beverages and the other two had soft drinks, and we ate enough food to feel disgusting. The check was $120 pre-tip.

I should add, this is a new restaurant. The first time I went there, which was only about a month ago, they were still putting up the mirrors, posters and signage. It will take some time for the place to hit its full stride, especially on the service front (though there is one very good server we dealt with). Still, I've done very well there and it looks like everything is headed in the right direction.

Pan, I grew up on 69th and Columbus so I've got quite a few Victor's memories. Unfortunately, the place went into decline when I was still a teenager. I think the whole Cuban food thing (at anything above the level of cheap eats) took a real nosedive in the '80s. I hope we'll see a revival.

[Todd36]

Pan, I grew up on 69th and Columbus so I've got quite a few Victor's memories. Unfortunately, the place went into decline when I was still a teenager. I think the whole Cuban food thing (at anything above the level of cheap eats) took a real nosedive in the '80s. I hope we'll see a revival.

←

The guy who these days owns Luiza's on Amsterdam around 83rd recently told me that in his opinion, there was no decent Cuban place in Manhattan and perhaps not in all of NYC. He's Cuban.

[Luckylies]

I used to live on 17th st and had very high hopes for H.C it was really good from the jump off, but then dwindled. The drinks stayed good but the food was limp and mushy or cold and cardboardy after about six months. It's like some sort of light went off. It was a very sad thing as I met the owner and he was very kind and friendly. I haven't eaten there in a while and will give them a fresh taste soon. I was just as amped about the downtown location as El Fat Guy is about he uptown offshoot. i hope the standards have picked up and it's good again.

[Daniel]

Thanks Fatguy for reporting on this place..

Went to Havana Central with a lot of skepticism.. We have gone to Cuban places in Manhattan and have always been disappointed.. Being that my girlfriend is Cuban, there are a lot of Grandmother recipes and family experiences that cant be competed with.. Tonight we were pleasantly surprised..

We started with the three empenadas.. We got two Picadillo and one Chicken Sofrito.. The Picadillo was really good. Enjoyed the eggroll like shell they used.. The Sofrito was tasty as well. There was some confusion with the next appetizer.. We ordered ham croquettes and they brought chicken chicaronnes.. The waitress was gracious, "my fault, sorry no problem", she brought out the croquettes.. They were a completely frozen in the middle.. I did have a chance to take one bite and was dissappointed.. First it was shaped in a mozzeralla stick form, they served some mayo dipping sauce, the whole dish seemed too cross overy.. A bad version of a popper. They were taken off the bill and we decided the croquettes werent meant to be that night...

Next we ordered the Ropa Vieja,which came with white rice and black beans.. we then got a corn, and the steamed Yuca.. The Ropa was excellent.. It wasnt as stewy as I am use to but it had a lot of spice, and was very moist.. If squeezed the plate would have been a soup, but the pork retained all the moisture.. Very good.. The rice was fluffy and prepared well, the black beans were average.. I would just say bland.. The Yuca however was excellent.. With onions and garlic it was the perfect texture, flaky, and filled with flavor..

I think the corn deserves its own paragraph.. This is the best corn I have ever had. The way Daisy May BBQ has the chili trucks, this should be sold everywhere.. Deserving of a patent, its outstanding.. With cheese and spicy, its just amazing.

For dessert we got the Guava and Cheese Empanada and the Tres Leches.. Now my girl makes the best Tres Leches I have ever had and she still does.. I was really impressed that they used a Meringue frosting, but I didnt like the cake so much.. The Leches were sweet and I liked the caramel drizzled over top. The Guava Empenadas are a bad version of a McDonalds apple pie.. The used a jelly and some type of cheese.. Didnt work.. I would have preferred guava paste and cream cheese on saltines.. But thats the best thing ever IMO.

The mojitos were good.. Liked that they had sugar cane in them.. I thought this place was a above average for Manhattan.. I will definately go back some time..

Edited July 30, 2005 by Daniel (log)