Cuba-Libre

Caribbean Cuisine Week Raises Money for Penn Relays Athletes

Posted by Taylor Bush on April 11th, 2013

The Penn Relays are the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field. The multi-day event has occurred annually for 119 years.

This year more than ten Philadelphia restaurants (including Tashan and Cuba Libre, Tashan’s Sylva Senat is talking about offering a coconut lime calamari) are participating in Caribbean Cuisine Week– a week of food, music and raising funds to assist over 700 high school athletes from Trinidad, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Bahamas and Grenada get to the 2013 Penn Relays.

The event is held April 16-18, 2013. The Caribbean/Latin Specials include appetizer, main course and dessert for $33 or less.

Caribbean Cuisine Week – Participating restaurants [Official Site]

Cuba Libre Offering 52¢ Empanadas Today for Happy Hour

Posted by Foobooz on January 8th, 2013

In celebration of today’s 52-degree weather, Cuba Libre is offering 52 cent empanadas today during happy hour.

So head on down to Second Street from 5 to 7 p.m. and get some.

@CubaLibrePHL [Twitter]

Cicala, Sbraga, Lacroix, and More Named to American Chef Corps

Posted by Aubrey Nagle on September 13th, 2012

The Inquirer has the story on seven local chefs were recently inducted into a brand new State Department program called the American Chef Corps. Earlier this week at a reception, 90 chefs from across the country agreed to lend their expertise to service the USA by promoting diplomacy between nations. Chefs can be called upon to cook at official functions like a private dinner at the White House or a banquet collaborating with multiple chefs. When chefs travel abroad they can also be asked to do an event with the American embassy in that country.

Joe Cicala of Le Virtu, Kevin Sbraga of Top Chef fame, retired chef of his namesake restaurant Jean-Marie Lacroix, Guillermo Pernot of Cuba Libre, Masaharu Morimoto, Matthew Ridgway of PorcSalt, and Haverford caterer Michael Callahan are the seven local chefs that have joined up with the program.

Essentially the idea behind the Corps is that the sharing of a meal between diplomats will promote cultural exchange and understanding, bettering relations between nations. We are happy to have some of our own cooking for peace here and abroad. Congratulations, chefs!

Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

National Rum Day Celebrations

Posted by Aubrey Nagle on August 16th, 2012

Cuba Libre and Rum Bar are both celebrating National Rum Day today with boozy specials and events.

During their Caippy Hour from 5 to 7 p.m. Cuba Libre will be offering their 100+ list of rums and 30 rum cocktails for half price. Available only in the bar area, prices for the rum alone will run from $4 to $19 and mixed rum drinks will be $4.50 to $6. Cuba Libre’s usual Caippy Hour specials will be available including caipirinhas, caipiroskas and sakerihnas for $5 each, house wine and sangria, select beers for $4 and bar bites for $5 each.

Tonight Rum Bar is bringing together their own Adam Kanter with Han Dynasty’s Katie Loeb for a one night tiki pop-up called Duke’s Surf Bar to celebrate the national holiday. For the night 20 tiki drinks will be available for $10. If all goes well and Kanter finds a good locale, Duke’s Surf Bar could become a brick-and-mortar reality.

Cuba Libre [Official Site]
Rum Bar [Official Site]

Cuba Libre to Host Second Cuban Pop-Up

Posted by Aubrey Nagle on April 25th, 2012

Chef Guillermo Pernot of Cuba Libre will be hosting Chef Alain Rivera Santana of Doctor Café in Havana for a second Pop-Up Paladar from Tuesday, June 19 through Thursday, June 21. Each night there will be two seatings at 6pm and 8:30pm at $45 a person. The first Pop-Up Paladar in January sold out very quickly, so make reservations soon to guarantee a spot at the sequel.

With this second Pop-Up Paladar, named after the Spanish word for a private and intimate restaurant, Chef Pernot hopes to bring new Cuban cuisine and culture to his guests. This will be Chef Santana’s first time ever cooking in the U.S.

Cuba Libre [Official Site]

Empanada Curse Continues

Posted by Arthur Etchells on March 29th, 2012

My bad karma empanada curse continues. Today, comes word that Cuba Libre’s late-night empanada bodega, Empanada Alley will not open next Friday. Turns out neighbors are concerned that the after hours empanada stand would bring too much noise to Strawberry Street between Second and Third Streets in Old City.

Alma Cuba owner Barry Gutin says “We recently learned there are a few families living in the buildings surrounding our back door, including one with a set of 10-month-old twins, whose sleep we do not wish to disturb.” Gutin will feature the concept as a mobile stand going forward. Follow @EmpAlley for details.

Empanada Alley [Twitter]

Cuba Libre To Begin Selling Empanadas Out the Back Door

Posted by Foobooz on March 20th, 2012

In conjunction with National Empanada Day on Sunday, April 8 (take a back seat Easter), Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot of Cuba Libre is opening Empanada Alley, a late-night spot located at the back of the Old City restaurant on Strawberry Street. Every Friday and Saturday throughout April, from midnight until 3 a.m., the restaurant will serve up $3 empanadas in the converted kitchen space, reminiscent of a bodega.

Empanadas for Charity »

Real Cuban Chef Coming to Cuba Libre

Posted by Foobooz on December 7th, 2011

Chef Guillermo Pernot of Cuba Libre will be hosting Chef Lucio of El Gijonés Restaurant in Havana, Cuba in a pop-up palador. Palador is a Spanish term used in Cuba to refer to a small family-run or privately-owned restaurant. The pop-up runs from January 11th to 13th at Cuba Libre and the dinners will cost $39 per person.

Lucio will be the first visiting Cuban chef to cook in the U.S. since the embargo on Cuba began in the 1960s.

Cuba Libre [Official Site]

Tonight: All You Can Eat Small Plates

Posted by Foobooz on October 24th, 2011

Every Monday Cub Libre offers all-you-can-eat Piqueos (small plates) for just $29. 27 plates to choose one. Only available in the dining room and everyone has to take advantage of the deal.

All-You-Can-Eat Piqueos [Facebook]

Cuba Libre Inspires Ten Years Later

Posted by Foobooz on September 26th, 2011

Trey Popp revisits ten-year old Cuba Libre and finds that the kitchen has been reinvigorated as chef Guillermo Pernot has unleashed 25 new menu items.

The surprises began early with a plate of baby octopus unlike any I’ve ever encountered. Center City has no shortage of kitchens offering baby octopuses—Philly excels in the eight-armed-animal department in general—but the specimens passed off as babies everywhere else are great honking sea monsters next to the ones sprinkled like popcorn atop a smoky, spicy, sesame-tinged mound of mashed eggplant that hit the Asian-Caribbean fusion bull’s-eye. These char-edged baby octos could have swum through a child bride’s wedding ring. They could have been served on nickels without blocking the view of Thomas Jefferson’s ponytail. But they could not have been any more addictively delicious.

The Revisit: Cuba Libre [Philadelphia Magazine]

Cuba Libre
10 South 2nd Street
215-627-0666
2 Reviews

Photography by Shane Canyon Walsh

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