La Bodeguita de Mima

Ole Group says opening in Nulu on 1 July at 725 East Market in Nulu.

Has nobody on this board been here yet? A friend and I went tonight. We made reservations and were seated right away. They appeared to be very busy around 7:00 on a Tuesday.

The place is very nicely decorated. It's obvious that they put a lot of effort into this area. Very nice plates. It definitely has an upscale look. We ordered the ham and chicken croquettes as an appetizer. They arrived quickly and were tasty. I liked the aioli sauce that was included with them. I thought the bread was good, but the guava butter and regular butter didn't add a whole lot of flavor. I also had a mojito, and it was outstanding. Tasted like it was made from scratch.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the traditional Cuban rice dishes, as I know that yellow rice and chicken is a Cuban staple, and it's not something I can get from most local restaurants. I ordered the arroz con pollo a la chorrera. It arrived in a very hot covered pot and was amazing. A decent amount of liquid in the mix, but not to the point that I would call it soupy. This is not the kind of food I grew up eating, but it tastes like comfort food, in a good way. I prefer things on the hot side, and would probably add a touch of hot sauce, but it's perfectly good on its own.

My friend ordered the pollo asado. I tried a bit of the chicken and it was juicy and excellent. The gravy on the side is a nice touch. I was not so impressed with the fried plantains. They were much larger than any I've had in recent memory, and were fairly dry. I'm used to having more caramelization (and probably more oil or grease). I did not try the rice and beans, but was told they were very good. We split a side of tostones and they were very good, and not too greasy, especially considering that they are usually fried. I was not a fan of the plain aioli on the side--not really their fault, I just personally don't care for things that are similar to unflavored mayonnaise.

I ate well less than half of my entree, but knew I wanted to box up what was left and try their signature dessert, which I had seen on social media. The chocolate Cuban cigar is a narrow loaf of almond cake and nutella mousse rolled into the shape of a large cigar, encased in hardened ganache, served alongside a small dab of coffee ice cream. It's wrapped with a gold Bodeguita de Mima cigar band and dusted with cocoa and powdered sugar, topped with a flower, and placed inside a cigar box. When the server opens the box, a puff of smoke is released. It was every bit as great as it sounds.

The noise level was very high when we arrived (again, it was near capacity at 7:00 on a Tuesday night), but the place started to clear out towards the end of our meal (8:00-ish).

Now, for the inevitable comparison (aided by my dining companion, who dislikes Havana Rumba almost as much as I like it): I am told the black beans and rice are superior, but will have to try them myself and confirm that on a future visit. The mojito was better, and appeared clear in the glass. HR's is made from a mix, but it's a homemade mix (if you've seen the bartenders preparing mint and pouring their syrup mix over the mint, you'll know what I mean)--it's very good and ends up tasting far better than something out of a bottle, but it's cloudy and still tastes like a mix. I vastly prefer the HR's chimichurri sauce on tostones as compared to aioli, and I like their fried plantains better. I'd say the croquettes are a draw. The bread is similar, but HR's garlic butter is superior. Bodeguita seems to be a more upscale establishment due to the location and decorations, although entree prices are similar. I don't knock off many points for Mojito in Havana in this area--as most of you know, they were forced to move out of their old digs on a very compressed time schedule due to the building being condemned through no fault of their own, so they did the best they could (and they fixed the noise issues they had in the new space very quickly). Overall, I definitely plan to go back to La Bodeguita de Mima, and look forward to trying their other dishes, but it's less conveniently located for me, and Mojito in Havana will probably continue to be my go-to.

Nice write up, thanks. I'll be honest, I have avoided it ever since I saw a photo on this site of their assembled staff, crowded shoulder-to-shoulder, with I think one person wearing a mask. That really concerned me. Any feedback on their COVID protocols? Seeing that they have a fairly large patio has made me somewhat willing to give them a try. I do love Cuban food.

[Robin Garr]

Nice write up, thanks. I'll be honest, I have avoided it ever since I saw a photo on this site of their assembled staff, crowded shoulder-to-shoulder, with I think one person wearing a mask. That really concerned me. Any feedback on their COVID protocols? Seeing that they have a fairly large patio has made me somewhat willing to give them a try. I do love Cuban food.

That, and also the owner's angry pushback against BLM.

Steve, the staff were all wearing masks when we were there. There were a couple of patrons who did not don their masks when leaving. No disposable menus or disposable utensils, although those are not things that concern me in terms of risk. Tables appeared to be appropriately distanced, but even so, the fact that they appeared to be near capacity concerned me. I’d definitely try to get an outdoor table next time.

Robin, the pushback does not appear to have discouraged people from coming. I’m reserving judgment, as, according to the restaurant’s story, they were presented with unreasonable demands and then threatened if they did not comply. Demanding that a restaurant (which operates on very thin margins, even before the challenges of COVID) donate a percentage of its revenue to a social cause may be a good reason for the restaurant to get upset.

Admittedly Fernando and crew are friends. I think it’s not quite fair to say they had a problem with BLM. As Nathaniel said, it had to do with demands/requests and the way they were presented. I think it is easy to forget that Fernando fled Cuba on a raft and all of those experiences have greatly shaped his views as they would all of us. Whether you agree or not, I think it should be easy to understand how being presented with a list of demands about what he must do with the restaurants money to receive a particular grade didn’t sit well with Fernando.
As for COVID, I’ve been several times and sat both inside and out, and each time all staff have worn masks, gloves and I have felt very safe.

[Robin Garr]

Steve, the staff were all wearing masks when we were there. There were a couple of patrons who did not don their masks when leaving. No disposable menus or disposable utensils, although those are not things that concern me in terms of risk. Tables appeared to be appropriately distanced, but even so, the fact that they appeared to be near capacity concerned me. I’d definitely try to get an outdoor table next time.

Robin, the pushback does not appear to have discouraged people from coming. I’m reserving judgment, as, according to the restaurant’s story, they were presented with unreasonable demands and then threatened if they did not comply. Demanding that a restaurant (which operates on very thin margins, even before the challenges of COVID) donate a percentage of its revenue to a social cause may be a good reason for the restaurant to get upset.

Thanks, Nathaniel! I saw the demands and to be honest didn't think they were going to get any traction with anyone. But apparently most of the other Nulu businesses were more concerned with optics and didn't reply argumentatively. Fernando kind of stood out from the crowd, and I wasn't sure how much pushback that would generate.

Glad to hear about the masking and social distancing, too!

That, and also the owner's angry pushback against BLM.

Yes, that was a bit of unpleasantness. But, I have mixed thoughts about it because I can see some validity to both sides. I'm torn, so I guess I choose to let that be less of a factor in my consideration of the place.

Thanks for the feedback, Nathaniel. I'm still unwilling to dine indoors, but it sounds like they are pushing the capacity limitations. It's patio or no for me, and that would be doubly true here.

That, and also the owner's angry pushback against BLM.

Yes, that was a bit of unpleasantness. But, I have mixed thoughts about it because I can see some validity to both sides. I'm torn, so I guess I choose to let that be less of a factor in my consideration of the place.

Not to get political, but you can disagree with a tactic and still agree with the overall cause, which is where I'm at. I've not been to this place, but I'm not going to avoid a restaurant organization that employs an almost entirely non-white staff. Getting a bit latte liberal for my tastes. Back to food...

That, and also the owner's angry pushback against BLM.

Yes, that was a bit of unpleasantness. But, I have mixed thoughts about it because I can see some validity to both sides. I'm torn, so I guess I choose to let that be less of a factor in my consideration of the place.

Not to get political, but you can disagree with a tactic and still agree with the overall cause, which is where I'm at. I've not been to this place, but I'm not going to avoid a restaurant organization that employs an almost entirely non-white staff. Getting a bit latte liberal for my tastes. Back to food...

My Thought Exactly!