Introducing: La Cubana, a stylishly retro diner on Roncesvalles from the owner of Delux
Name: La Cubana
Contact Info: 392 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-538-7500
Neighbourhood: Roncesvalles Village
Owners: Corinna Mozo, who also owns Ossington bistro Delux, and her husband Victor Coelho
Chef: Leah Marshall-Hannon, the former chef de cuisine at Delux
The Food: Casual Cuban food, including four takes on the medianoche, a type of Cubano sandwich commonly hocked outside Havana nightclubs (the name translates to “midnight”). For brunch, pork-focused breakfast platters come with poached eggs and salt cod croquettes. A separate kids’ menu caters to the area’s flourishing under-12 crowd.
The Drinks: Havana Club rum, Spanish wine and pints of La Cubana, a light pilsner microbrew from Junction Craft Brewing. On the cocktail list: mojitos, Cuba Libres and the Carajillo, an intriguing mix of rum and espresso that’s popular with Cuban sugar cane farmers.
The Place: A retro diner with seafoam-green walls and bubbly servers in matching aqua tees. When it opens next spring, the back patio will seat 30.
The Numbers:
• 25 uniquely Cuban non-perishables displayed on shelves (e.g. instant corn masa mix, smoked paprika and canned chipotle peppers)
• 6 rum-based cocktails, including the espresso-spiked Carajilla
• 1 Cuban breakfast plate that was so popular on the menu at Delux that it convinced Mozo and Coelho to launch the all-Cuban eatery
241379 The restaurant is located on Roncesvalles, just south of Dundas West (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A001-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A001.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A001.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-a001/ introducing-la-cubana-a001 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241380 The staff’s aqua t-shirts match the restaurant’s seafoam tiles (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A002-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A002.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A002.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-a002/ introducing-la-cubana-a002 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241381 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A003-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A003.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A003.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-a003/ introducing-la-cubana-a003 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241382 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A004-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A004.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A004.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-a004/ introducing-la-cubana-a004 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241383 Chorizo empanadas ($7) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A005-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A005.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A005.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-a005/ introducing-la-cubana-a005 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241384 Cod croquettes ($6) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A006-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A006.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A006.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-a006/ introducing-la-cubana-a006 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241385 Fried plantains with beef picadillo ($6) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A007-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A007.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A007.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-a007/ introducing-la-cubana-a007 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241386 Guava-glazed short rib <em>medianoche</em> with pickled cabbage, crema and jalapeños ($7) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A008-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A008.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-A008.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-a008/ introducing-la-cubana-a008 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241387 Grilled corn ($5) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B001-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B001.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B001.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-b001/ introducing-la-cubana-b001 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241388 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B002-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B002.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B002.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-b002/ introducing-la-cubana-b002 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241389 Bolero: rum, cognac and orange ($10) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B003-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B003.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B003.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-b003/ introducing-la-cubana-b003 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241390 Carajillo: rum, espresso, sugar and cinnamon ($10) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B004-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B004.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B004.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-b004/ introducing-la-cubana-b004 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241391 Periodista: rum, apricot, triple sec and lime ($10) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B005-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B005.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B005.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-b005/ introducing-la-cubana-b005 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241392 Made-to-order buttermilk donuts ($5) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B006-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B006.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B006.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-b006/ introducing-la-cubana-b006 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
241393 Key lime pie with house-made granola ($5) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: La Cubana https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B007-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B007.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/introducing-la-cubana-B007.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/la-cubana-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-la-cubana-b007/ introducing-la-cubana-b007 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
Wonderful card at this Roncesvalles eatery! Service is fun and attentive. The food is deluxe! Pun intended.We’ll be back, over and over.