Cuba Libre + Guillermo Pernot = Delicious

Phillyist has always been a big fan of Guillermo Pernot, and with good reason. All of his endeavors have been, in our opinion, palate-worthy if not concept-worthy. He has won awards, written a book and Pasion has always been a consistently great dining mainstay. His standards precede his reputation, which is probably why he has such a good one.

With some endeavors more popular than others (think Trust in what is now El Vez), the most recent seems both palate- and concept-worthy. Only time will tell in terms of popular, but we certainly wish him well.

Pernot is now hanging his Bragard jacket on a hook at Cuba Libre and has breathed new life into the dinner and brunch menus, making them even more interesting and dimensional than they already were.

The recently enhanced menu incorporates seasonal exotic fruits and vegetables, intriguing flavors, and tempting aromas that suggest how Cuban cuisine would be today, if it had continued to flourish beyond the golden era of the 1950s.

New offerings include Torta de Cangrejo, a deconstructed gazpacho salad set on a pan-seared jumbo lump crab cake over avocado slices and finished with gazpacho vinaigrette ($15.00); Tres Amigos, an appetizer of crispy stuffed poblano pork, chopped chicken and jack cheese; and traditional beef picadillo with olive-and-raisin empanadas ($12.00); and Camarones con Caña , seared sugarcane skewered jumbo shrimp with a mango BBQ glaze, served with sweet potato mash and guacamole Cubano ($26.00)

Brunch (our favorite meal of the day because who can get up early on a weekend anyway) features Huevos Benedict, toasted corn bread topped with roasted ham and poached eggs, finished with generous pours of enchilado and hollandaise sauces ($12.00).

Sampling any, or all, of the above with a frosty signature Cuba Libre or a bloody mary (or two) is highly recommended. Between the fantastic food and the refreshing cocktails, it will cure anything that ails you.

Cuba Libre
10 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia
215-627-0666.