Habana Village (Adams Morgan, 12/20/08) – Muy Caliente!!!

It is cold outside!!! Winter has decidedly descended on the District. To beat the frigid temperatures, J and I met friends Y and Dave on Saturday night for dinner and salsa at Adams Morgan’s Habana Village. If you’ve not been, go. Even without the food, this place is really fun. It has the energy you would hope for in a Latin club which draws the city’s truest salsa enthusiasts. Dim lights, crowded hallways, and the constant beat of the timbales coming out of every room, this place is exploding with energy. With two left feet, I’m no dancer, but it’s hard not to feel the intensity of the crowd as it writhes and twists, each couple working hard to outshine their neighbors.

I’ve been to Habana a couple of times before, but I’d never had occasion to eat there. The dining area on the first floor is pretty small – maybe six tables – and looks more like part of the bar. To be honest, my expectations were pretty low, as most clubs do not put very much effort into their food. But all the tables were packed, and I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the menu and found a full roster of traditional Cuban dishes - from fried yucca and tostones to rum-marinated shrimp. I ordered a mojito and J ordered a caparinia, both of which came packing a very powerful punch. They don’t joke around when it comes to liquor. After scouting out the food choices of the surrounding patrons, I decided on the Roppa Vieja – pulled beef with peppers and onions. From the choices of sides, I opted for the moro and the black beans (not realizing that moro has black beans as well – now I know).



Habana doesn’t do presentation. Unlike other club-restaurant establishments in town, they do not try to make their food look fancy; not that it would matter, given how dark it is in the place. But the humble appearance of the food masks its amazing flavor. The beef was fantastic, especially with a few drops of the unbelievably hot habanero sauce that sat tempting me on the table. The tanginess of the Creole-inspired sauce combined with the heat and smokiness of the hot sauce was just the thing to wake me up in time for a night of dancing.

And though it is rarely the case, the main dish truly played second fiddle to the sides, especially the moro. I don’t know what they did to it. It tasted like it was cooked with ham hock or some Latin-American equivalent. But the rice and beans was bursting with flavor that left me, at the end of the meal, hunting around my plate for every last kernel. The beans were soft, adding only a subtle texture to the rice. And the hot sauce made it even better. I mixed some of the beef with the rice, added a few forkfulls of extra black beans, and I…was…done.

Before heading upstairs, we split a tres leches cake between the four of us. It may sound strange, but I really dislike bananas, and this cake was all about the bananas. It was soaked in banana liquor and topped with chopped bananas. Still, however, the cake itself was very nice, drenched in cream which proved the perfect antidote to the fire still raging in my mouth from the hot sauce. After the cake, we walked up to the club’s two other levels, enjoying the sounds of the live band and the energy emanating from the throngs who had shown up to show off their moves.

It was, from start to finish, a great night. The place had energy, the company was impeccable and the food was marvelous. It does not take a refined pallet to enjoy what Habana is serving. They make food which stays true to Cuban culture while appealing to the masses.

Me gusta mucho.