Cafe Havana, Smithtown: Weekend Latin breakfast
Cuban breakfast at Cafe Havana, Smithtown. Credit: Newsday / Joan Reminick
It was hard to resist the beat of the salsa music playing at Cafe Havana in Smithtown. But it was midmorning, and one can't really dance at breakfast. I had stopped in after seeing a sign advertising the Latin restaurant's weekend breakfast and brunch menu, available Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hoping to eat as Cubans do, I ordered a “Havana platter,” ($11.75) comprising cod fish fritters as well as corn fritters along with sunny-side up eggs. The corn fritters were crisp but a bit too sweet, the cod fritters oily and chewy.
A companion’s “Cuban breakfast” ($11.50) — two eggs, chorizo and fried plantains — was a much more felicitous choice. Best, though, was a ham, egg and cheese sandwich on pan sobao, a lard bread imported from Puerto Rico and baked at the restaurant. Also imported from the same place is Mallorca bread, which goes into the oven and, later, is sprinkled with powdered sugar. It's sweet and eggy, somewhat reminiscent of brioche.
About that salsa music: Wednesday nights, the restaurant offers salsa dance lessons starting about 8 p.m. and running about an hour and a half. Saturday night, there’s live Latin jazz throughout dinner. Dancing to recorded music starts later, at about 10:30 p.m.
Cafe Havana is at 944 W Jericho Tpke., Smithtown, 631-670-6277
Photo: Cuban breakfast at Cafe Havana, Smithtown.
