ALLENTOWN, Pa. — From 305 to 610.
While Chef José Garces' new downtown Allentown Cuban restaurant and rum bar, Rosa Blanca, can't compete with the dishes at Miami's Versailles, La Carretta and Puerta Sagua, his take on Cuban drinks and eats doesn't disappoint.
Garces, an "Iron Chef" and James Beard Award-winner, opened Rosa Blanca on the ground floor of The Nines apartment building at 950 Hamilton St. in late March.
It's the first eatery in what developer City Center Corp is developing as Allentown’s Downtown West district, a downtown shopping and entertainment district.
The 1,500-square-foot restaurant seat about 40 guests indoors among the bar and tables. with warmer weather, sidewalk seating will accommodate about 30 additional guests.
The Ecuadorian restaurateur, based in Philadelphia, also will open a second eatery, Okatshe, later this year.
Ventanita, tostada
This review is fueled by nostalgia. I spent half my life living in Miami Beach until 2015, when I relocated back north.
Of all the wonderful perks of residing in Miami-Dade — the U.S. county with the most Cubans — La Isla's food and drink are high on my list.
Nowadays, I drink Nespresso, Starbucks and, on a whim, Dunkin Donuts coffee. But in Miami, I could walk across the street to the ventanita (takeout window) at David's Café and have a café con leche with tostada (Cuban bread toasted with mantequilla) for less than $10.
So when my beau and I first walked into Rosa Blanca, I was pleasantly surprised to see its version of the ventanita.
Our waitress said the window typically is open during breakfast, and you can grab a café con leche, cordadito and colada at a much lower price than the neighborhood coffee joint — and it's worth it.
But let's discuss the dishes before I tell you about Rosa Blanca's perfect cup of Cuban coffee.
Mojitos, croqueta
We started our meal with a staple Cuban appetizer, the Cuban croqueta ($4 for two), which is filled with a creamy mix of smoked ham, white sofrito and bechamel.
Garces' take on the fried darling, which is first rolled in bread crumbs, was crispy on the outside while gooey and scrumptious inside.
Fun fact: Spanish and Cuban immigrants brought the croqueta to South Florida, but the bite-sized snack is so beloved in the region that Broward and Miami-Dade counties declared Oct. 1 Croqueta Day.
We paired our croquetas with mojitos ($12), a traditional Cuban punch made with Plantation 3 Star white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water and mint leaves.
The trick to making a classic mojito is to find a balance between the sugar and soda water, so that the taste of the mint leaves and lime juice is not overwhelmed.
At Rosa Blanca, they keep a small-sized dehydrator near the bar to dry out the mint leaves (they did possess a certain freshness).
We also had to try empanadas, another Cuban staple that used to be a great late-night snack after clubbing.
Empanadas Cubanas are rolled in a dough made from flour, water and butter or shortening (which creates a flaky pastry that holds up while fried or baked).
Garces' beef and cheese version (2 for $6) featured beef marinated in a guajillo sauce (with dried guajillo chiles).
It was served with a side guasacasa sauce (avocado, pepper, onions, Worcestershire sauce, and green bell peppers).
Like the beef version, the chicken empanadas were flaky, not too oily, and packed with the right amount of spices (a little more meat or poultry filling wouldn't be a bad touch).
Arroz con pollo, ropa vieja
Garces' spin on Cuban dishes from La Isla to Miami comes in a bowl, which can be customized to the diners' liking.
First, choose a base (white, brown rice, or mixed greens) and then a protein (shredded chicken, mojo chicken (citrusy), chicken Milanese (fried), lechon asado (pork in a mojo sauce), vaca frita (crispy braised beef), mushroom picadillo or the famous ropa vieja (slow-cooked marinated shredded beef with a tomato-like taste).
The bowl is filled with toppings such as yucca fries, maduros, queso fresco, papas guisadas (potatoes in a red sauce), and a choice of sauces and crunchy toppings (potato sticks, chicharrones).
Anyone who has dined at a Cuban or Latin restaurant knows the platters are huge and affordable.
Our ropa vieja bowl ($21.50) may have appeared less portioned as the waitress placed it on the table, but it was more than enough food for two.
Another nod goes to the texture of the rice. Although it wasn't served in a traditional cup, it was still fluffy, a must when eating any Latin dish (our waitress said the rice is cooked in an olla arrocera, or rice cooker, which gives the arroz that tasty, airy flavor).
Cuban sandwich, coladas
While no dessert was ordered, we tried the coffee and a Cuban sandwich.
The Cuban sandwich has been Americanized over the years (I cringe when I see it advertised on a hamburger bun), but not in Miami or, apparently, at Rosa Blanca.
Its Cubano ($16), done right, comes with the standard ingredients: Lechon asado, smoked ham, sweet pickles, Swiss cheese, mustard spread and Cuban bread.
That mix of meats and cheese is lightly coated, pressed on a grill, and cut into two triangular slices (ayyy, the melted Swiss!).
As full as we were, there's always room for coffee.
Let's call Rosa Blanca's espresso machine magico (I wish I lived close by) because it delivers the perfect cup of cafecito brewed with La Colombe coffee.
We ordered the Cuban colada, also known as café Cubano.
The drink has three to six espresso shots and is served with sugar and creamy espuma foam.
It's typically served in social settings in a thimble-sized plastic cup.
In a previous workplace, a colleague used to divide the coffee among the office after lunch to beat the afternoon slump.
For $4.50, it packs a punch and doesn't taste watered down like other coffee brands.
The other options are a café con leche ($3.50) and a cortadito (equal parts espresso, foam, and sugar) for $4.50.
While I took my last sip of coffee and listened to the salsa sounds blasting from the speakers inside Garces' new spot, I noticed a large crowd outside Archer Music Hall.
So we weren't in Miami or Cuba after all, but blink with a bite and you could pretend.
Rosa Blanca’s hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays for breakfast and lunch, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays for breakfast and lunch, and 4 p.m. to midnight for dinner and drinks.
For info, visit their website.
