05.10.09
Review of Son Cubano, Thursday April 2009
405 W.14th St. & 9th/10th Aves., 212-366-1640
Great for: tapas, red snapper chicharrón, cocktails, people watching
Software Guy thoughtfully picked a restaurant I haven’t reviewed for our date. He also proved himself to be really thoughtful later when some jackass stole my phone and he helped me get it back even though it took 15 hours. (No, I’m not kidding.) Happily, the night started out well.
The almejas villa clara, littleneck clams in Hoegaarden beer and saffron broth with cilantro and garlic, were pretty good. I preferred the giant papitas rellenas filled with ground sirloin. Their accompanying tomato sauce was sour in a good way. The generous amount of chorizo in hot oil was also satisfying. The empanadillas with sautéed spinach and Manchego cheese are small and heavy, a good dish in small doses.
The lovely calamari were on a different level. Large but tender, they were also easy to bite through. The best was definitely the chicharrón de pargo, lightly breaded red snapper with tartar sauce. It came in nice big flaky chunks and I had a hard time not scooping up every last piece.
We tried several of the cocktails, all of which I can recommend. I think the guava jalapeño martini and bellito were the best. Our waiters were pretty attentive and it’s a fun place. It’s quite large, but I’ve never see it less than packed all the years it’s been open. Side note: we saw Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman filming their new movie outside on our way out!
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $195
Noise level: loud
Chance of walking in: you should probably reserve.
