LA Eats :: Casa Don Rolando
To many Angelenos, Cuban food means Versailles, an establishment that’s been around since (seemingly) Jesus walked the streets of LA. And while we have nothing against their scrumptious roast chicken and pork, these dishes hardly begin to represent the glorious range of Cuban cuisine.
Until now, there haven’t been many contenders to the throne. Now, in one fell swoop, Cuban cooking has a new champion in Southern California: Chef Rolando Gonzalez’s new restaurant in the North Valley has gastronomic authenticity and star quality galore.
I never made it to Pasadena, where Gonzalez was the original chef at J. Lo’s Madre’s restaurant. Given that place’s less-than-stellar reivews, I preferred to keep my wonderful Cuban food memories-made of equal parts Union City, NJ and Miami-intact.
Now, I-and all Caribbean cuisine fans-have a place where new memories will be made. Casa Don Rolando finds the chef at the apex of his powers, and within two months of opening has become the best Cuban restaurant I’ve found west of the Missisissippi.
Don’t shy away from the North Hills address; it’s only a few miles north of the 101 at the Sepulveda Pass on a nondescript stretch of an industrial street. But everything changes once you walk inside: you’re instantly transported to a Castillan-toned Cuban interior, all dark wood, gilded photographs and judiciously placed tropical touches. Owner Stacie Greenspan has engineered a design brainchild: sincere without being showy and welcoming, not wild. Fellow diners, Cubanos themselves, told us "we feel like we’re at home," and it’s easy to see why: this Casa wears its space exceedingly well.
That said, when the food arrives, you may not do much gazing away from your plate. Empandas ($5) of chicken or beef arrive piping hot, perfectly crusted, and brimming with well-seasoned meat. Tamal Cubano ($4), also stuffed with chicken or pork, are lighter and tastier than their Mexican counterparts. But the real starter star is the Papa Rellena ($5), deep-fried mashed potato balls stuffed with Cuban-style ground beef.
Vegetables aren’t the thing in Caribbean cooking, so take a walk on the light side with the Ensalada Tradicional ($3). Perfect salads are the most simple ones, and this version takes Romaine, tomatoes, and cucumbers to delirious new heights, thanks to brilliant Balsamic whose only ingredients are vinegar, olive and canola oils, salt, and pepper.
Everyone’s had Ropa Vieja ($10), but probably not like this. The one-size-fits-all sauce of workaday East Coast Cuban restaurants is supplanted here by a gloriously fresh tomato sauce with onions and peppers. We were skeptical about Vaca Frita ($12), shredded flank steak sautéed in olive oil and citrus juices: when it arrived, the dish looked rather like the innards of an overdone steak sandwich. One bite belies this image; the marinated morsels are flavor laden and finely cooked. This said, the Rabo Enendido ($15) is among the very best oxtail stews we’ve eaten, flavored with olives in a light, gorgeously seasoned, tomato broth. All dishes come with white rice and black beans or congris, a traditional Cuban rice so named because the rice and beans are cooked together, resulting in a gray hue.
It’s hard to go wrong with Chef Rolando’s Camarón al Ajillo ($12), a classic shrimp-in-garlic dish that benefits from an olive-based sauce (with a generous amount to adorn your rice). Health-conscious eaters will head straight for the Filete de Pescado ($14), the catch of the day cooked in herbs and citrus juice and served with steamed vegetables; on our day, it was a sizable portion of halibut, cooked just so.
Desserts? Of course: you can’t end a Cuban meal without Flan Cubano ($4) or Arroz con Pollo ($4), the latter gently spiced with cinnamon. You’ll need a café Cubano ($3) after lunch or dinner, and the authentic version here ended the meal on a pitch perfect note.
Lovers of Caribbean cuisine have a major new reason to rejoice: Casa Don Orlando is a sublime new entry in L.A. dining scene. Viva Don O y viva la Cuba!> ($14)
Casa Don Orlando
8755 Parthenia Place
North HIlls
