Of boat lifts and rodeos

Editor’s note: Peter Lewis, who has authored “The Friday Feast” since November, is reviewing 30 locally-owned and/or operated restaurants across five categories: American, Asian, BBQ, Mexican and Date (establishments to impress your date, spouse or both). Each Wednesday through late August, The City Wire will post Lewis’ review of two restaurants. That’s a review of 30 restaurants in 16 weeks for those keeping score at home.
 

Week 1: Taqueria la Guadalupana, and Las Americas Too

by Peter Lewis

WEEK 2
Another week and another foray into locally owned restaurants featuring cuisine from Latin America. Last week was devoted to two restaurants on main thorough fares in Fort Smith. They both warranted large smiles and few dollars. This week we’ll be going a little bit off the beaten path to further test the figurative waters of Mexico and Cuba.

CUBAN GRILL
We’ll start with the latter. The Cuban Grill is located at 1402 Fayetteville Road in Van Buren. I’m always slightly amazed at the movements of ethnicities across the world, whether it’s a large (and somewhat obvious) group like subcontinental Indians in Trinidad or a smaller (and less obvious) group like Somalis in Minneapolis. Since Fort Chaffee housed/processed just over 25,000 Cuban nationals during the Mariel boat lift crisis of the early 1980s, it might be easy to assume that there is a residual Cuban population in our area. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, “few, if any, of the Marielitos chose to live in Northwest Arkansas.” Which, of course, makes our little dining haven in Crawford County so much the more remarkable.

While there have yet to be any specifics to how (or why) the current proprietors of the Cuban Grill are in Van Buren, I can grant any number of specifics that pertain to their wonderful food. One of the (many) wonderful things about Cuban cuisine is the fusion of so many disparate influences and cultures. Notably this fusion includes both Spanish and African influences. It is not that similar to what we know as “Mexican” food. If there is a parallel to be drawn, it is with other Caribbean nations or those coastal areas/nations in Central America, i.e. Panama. As a result there are countless new things to be devoured.

Trying something new (and enjoying the heck out of it) is a great experience. There is always that first timid bite, as if you somehow think you might physically “refund” the contents of your stomach. Next, is the bemused smile as you chew. It is a grin of intrigue. One that finds audible expression in a “hey! This is pretty damn good.” As time passes, the novelty of the item becomes a regular desire before morphing into a dining obsession. Thus it has become so for me and plantains. Each passing year has seen my love for the plantain deepen. Fortunately, for those interested, Cuban Grill offers a great foray into the pleasing palatal personality of the plantain. The Cuban Nachos appetizer dish features thin strips of fried plantains instead of the “usual” tortilla chips.  Though seemingly exotic in comparison to the tortilla chip, plantain chips are quite tame. So don’t hesitate to take the plunge into the ample portions of guacamole, pork, and sour cream that come with the cheese topped plantains.

For the astute diner, given the influences that contribute to Cuban cuisine, one might note certain similarities between Cuban and our own Cajun brand of cuisine. Perhaps not in direct spices but in what is prominently featured in many dishes, namely rice and beans. There are many variations, but the most prominent variation in Cuban cuisine is the overtly titled Moros y Cristianos (“Moors and Christians”). For those either lacking imagination, knowledge of history, and/or colors, the dish’s name is a reference to the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula by Christians, represented by the white rice, from the Moors, who play the role of the black beans. Cooked in oregano, onions, garlic, and cilantro all figure prominently in the religiously labeled dish. And while the title might be seen as a bit past the line in our own age of self-aware political correctness, there is no denying that the diner is the real winner in this battle of yesteryear (though some might argue it still rages today).

While pork has a well-known association with Cuban cuisine, one of the more enjoyable dishes is the “ropa vieja,” which is Spanish for “old clothes.” Fortunately the allusion is a reference to appearance and not taste! Ropa vieja is flank steak simmered in a tomato based sauce until the meat becomes so tender that it falls apart. This traditional dish has roots in the Canary Islands, where one legend maintains a man was expecting his family to come home. Being quite poor but full of love for his family, he went to his closet and gathered up some old clothes, had a little “abracadabra” moment. He then proceeded to cook his clothes and POOF! it turned into the beef stew now known as “ropa vieja.” True or not, the magical dish is well worth a taste.

EL RODEO
For those of you that don’t “habla espanol,” El Rodeo (row-day-oh, not row-D-oh) is, in a nod to Mr. Farley, Spanish for “the rodeo.” While it’s location at 3516 N. O St. doesn’t promote a heavy amount of passing traffic, it’s a restaurant well worth seeking out. And despite an absence of any equine menu items, it does feature a stable of other worthy dishes.

While I have found their horchata to be a bit too sweet, their agua de jamaica (a juice of ground hibiscus, not unlike cranberry juice) is the best in town. The little bit of extra sweetness fills out the juice nicely. I suppose it is a bit ironic to discount the horchata for covering up a hard edge while lauding it in the jamaica. Subjectiveness is, as always, an ever present factor.

Though I’m never one to disparage another for their religious and/or culinary choices, I’ve always felt sorry for those who pass on pork. While I can understand the reasons behind such choices, it does not little to lessen this feeling of pity. Pork is a wonderful thing, one that should be shared and enjoyed.

One such menu item featured in many Mexican restaurants is chorizo (chore-EEE-zo). This particular piggy varietal is made from fatty ground pork. It is usually quite tasty, albeit somewhat greasy. I was pleasantly surprised with the tacos de chorizo at El Rodeo. Though they were indeed a bit greasy, as chorizo goes it was fairly light. Like most taco dishes, it is topped with onions and cilantro. Just remember to keep a napkin or two on hand.

An interesting item of note is the particular way the gorditas are made at El Rodeo. While some restaurants feature gorditas that are a bit thinner (and thus a misnomer of sorts given that “gordita” means “little fatty), at El Rodeo they are particularly thick and hearty. Oddly enough they are almost like a pocket sandwich, stuffed through and through with meat and cheese.

El Rodeo is a nice mix of worlds. As a restaurant it gracefully straddles that thin line between overly authentic (and by implication, intimidating) and safely Americanized. It combines an inviting allure with some great food at a very reasonable price.

An explainer note from Peter
Having such cultural diversity within easy reach is one of the many dining pleasures in the River Valley. As we continue to explore the different cooking styles throughout the area, I hope it will spur you into trying something new. Broadening horizons is as old as time itself.

Peter can be reached at [email protected]