Grand Opening Of The Cuban

We attended the official Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of Patchogue’s latest restaurant - The Cuban. The 200-seat eatery is located just west of Brickhouse Brewery, as part of the The Shoppes At New Village, with doors on both Main Street and inside the New Village complex. The Patchogue location is actually the second, with owner Willy Martinez having opened the first in Garden City. The first thing you will notice when you walk in is the decor: bold pinks and turquoises, big potted palm trees, painted portraits of old time Santiago de Cuba, and even some 1950s era Cadillacs parked out front.   It is mostly the work of artist Ivan Gonzalez and Mirian Estrada, the wife of Mr. Martinez, who were the main forces behind the interior. They went above and beyond, bringing together old iconic props, wall sized paintings, elegant lighting, and details like handmade wood frames and worn paint textures. The result is truly stunning. Mayor Pontieri, who was also in attendance, felt the same way, telling us "It really is amazing with they did with the place, it looks great." The second thing you will notice: the size. This place is big! There are two main dining rooms and a large section of tables near the bar. A stage sits at the front of the larger dining room, where patrons watched and listened to the DJ playing Cuban dance music, or the singers performing Latin ballads in-between sets. As we watched as one performer sing a personal serenade to two women, it was all very reminiscent of a high class supper club from the 1950s. With a menu serving authentic Cuban cuisine and speciality rum cocktails, the Cuban experience is truly complete. There is even a selection of tapas for small snacking. We won’t run down the entire menu or spoil the fun of trying it yourself, but we will say the food was amazing. Make sure to try their Mojito, which has been named one of Long Island’s best, and with good reason. The Cuban is now open for brunch, lunch, dinner, and of course drinks!