Favela Cubana

Brazilian, Cuban.  Yeah, the bar stools are bongos.  I didn’t see that coming or expect to be this blown away by the amazing dishes served at Favela Cubana.  The lula frita (calamari, shrimp, pickled onion, chili aioli) is unique and refreshing,  Not words I’d generally use to describe fried calamari.  But there’s is exactly that.

They’ve also found a way to elevate the empanada, with a side of mojo verde sauce.  I sampled the chicken and was livin’ la vida mojo.

If you’re a paella person, you might want to get in on their seafood creation.  The saffron rice is home to shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, mahi mahi and seasonal vegetables.  It’s more fish than you could have wished and this entrée is as generous as the litany of ingredients.

Having said that, try and save room for dessert.  I gravitated to the brownie (walnuts, vanilla ice cream) but requested a separate dish of chocolate and strawberry for good measure.  Both so creamily delicious, it was clear they needed quality time with that cake.  Moments later it was all gone and deeply mourned.

Everything about Favela Cubana is right, so nobody could blame you for dashing over to the bar to bang out a conga solo in appreciation.