Page 179 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL FALL 2020 South Africa

the National Assembly is a renewed source of
pride. The same thing is planned for the neighbor-
ing Gran Teatro de la Habana, home of the world-
famous Cuban National Ballet. To our chagrin, we
did not program attending a performance. A word
to the wise: obtain tickets upon arrival.
Carlos knew just where to take us for lunch for
our first taste of Cuban cuisine. Ropa vieja (old
clothes) is Cuba’s comfort food, and the specialty
of the intimate Café Mambo Habana. We dug with
gusto into Cuba’s classic dish of shredded pork
stewed with bell peppers and tomatoes, and a side
of Moros y Cristianos (black beans and rice). We
were to eat multiple versions of these dishes dur-
ing our 9 days, and Café Mambo’s was a delicious

introduction. Three cooks, all young men, prac-
“Hola Carlos!” rang out a number of times. Our ticed their culinary skills in the galley at the back
guide had grown up in the neighborhood, and of this diminutive diner.
these were his “peeps”. “Not many Cubans choose Our hunger pangs appeased, it was back to
to live in this area of town anymore, except my Vedado along the Malecon, the 8-mile long ocean-
mother!” he exclaimed. He led us down a narrow front boulevard that skirts Havana Vieja. Dog and
alley that opened up onto the elegant Paseo del owners took their daily paseo, and youngsters
Prado. We stood facing a clone of our capitol skipped long the sidewalk, or jumped into the
building. “Our capitol was built with sugar boom waves that crashed over the low parapet. Silhou-
money between 1926 and 1929,” said Carlos. He etted against the gray skies, lone fishermen stood
added: “It was modeled after the US Capitol but it on the rocks hoping to reel in a fresh catch.
is just a little wider and a little taller!” The land-
An excursion across the bay allowed us to take
mark was an eyesore for decades until local au- the whole Malecon panorama from the fortress of
thorities undertook its restoration ahead of Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro. The view
Havana’s 500th anniversary. The process took
from the ramparts made clear why Spanish ex-
close to ten years. Today, the resplendent home of

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 179