February 12th, 2011
Out and About, Delray Beach, Cabana El Rey, Lunch, Restaurant, Review, Village by the Sea, Palm Beach County
There is nothing better than spending a cold afternoon in Delray Beach with friends. Well, a warmer afternoon, certainly would have been better. It was so good to see Jay and Les. They are foodies, as well. Always ready for a good bite to eat. So, off we went, 4 of us to spend a few hours together, to enjoy some lunch with Latin flair. We picked Cabana El Rey.
This is the second time I have visited Cabana while on vacation. I mentioned in one of my posts that they do have the best Mojitos. Traditionally made; love the sugar cane stirring stick. Cabana is located at 105 E. Atlantic Ave., Tel. 561-274-9090. Website is www.cabanarestaurant.com.
The sun had finally come out but it was still chilly, nevertheless. We picked a corner table in a sunny spot. Perfect view of people strolling. We could hear the music from the Garlic Fest.
We started with Mariquitas and Shrimp Bisque. In Puerto Rico these are called platanutres. When I was growing up, my grandmother made the best ones. Thin, crispy and light. These ones were served with a garlic mojo and avocado salsa. The bisque was good but they wished it had a few more shrimp.
Two of my friends ordered the Churrasco. This is a Latin American skirt steak marinated in garlic and fresh herbs, accompanied by chimichurri and cebollitas. This dish was suggested by our waitress and they both said it was so good that they would, definitely, order it again. The beef was very well seasoned and perfectly cooked.
My husband’s choice was the Ceviche Mixto. Fresh shrimp, octopus, scallops, and calamari marinated in aji amarillo, hot rocoto peppers, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. It was served with assorted viandas and maiz tostado. He said it was delicious. Rocoto peppers look like a bell pepper but very hot. They have been cultivated in Bolivia and Peru for hundreds of years.
I usually order the Pollo Asado and once again that’s exactly what I asked for. I love it. It is a good size dish but I don’t care. It is very good. It was the first thing I tasted at Cabana some years ago. The Pollo Asado is a half roasted chicken rubbed with adobo; garlic, oregano, lime and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
The side dish? Of course, yellow rice with black beans.
Even though we ate outside, the inside of this restaurant is very tropical; beautiful color combinations and a very interesting bar. They also have a separate room to be used for private parties. I believe you have to have at least 10 people in order to have it for the evening and reservations are a must.
One good thing about Cabana and I probably will say this about most restaurants in Delray; they do let you enjoy your lunch or dinner. No rush.
After our lunch we decided to go and check out the Garlic Fest. The musician at that time of the afternoon was Billy Bones. He was playing the saxophone. He is a very accomplished musician. If you would like to learn more about him and his music, please visit www.billybones.com.
The Garlic Fest was packed; so many tents, so many vendors, too many people. Needless to say, we did not last long and my husband decided that Buddy Guy, well, that was not going to happen.
Having lunch with friends? Priceless!! Talk to you later…
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