"DAG IS CUBA"

or April in Havana

: : April in Cuba is very much like April in Paris but with a little less freedom of speech… : :

: : While in Cuba this past April, my wife Alessandra and I visited Havana. I was hoping to check out the famous “Polinesio” restaurant (as it is now known, rather than under its original name: Trader Vics). We stayed at the Habana Libre Hotel—the Havana Hilton in pre-revolution days—home to the Polinesio. : :

: : The Habana Libre itself is a marvelous example of late fifties futurist design, with an expansive lobby, long marble desk, central fountain, and space-age glass-bubble cupola. Ché Guevara and his troops took over the hotel in the early days of January 1959 and waited there for Fidel Castro to come marching in triumphantly a few days later from the Sierra Madre mountain hangout where the revolution was won. There are pictures in the lobby of the gang squatting joyously on that very same lobby floor. : :

: : I felt like I’d gone back in time as I walked around the hotel and took pictures, amazed by the mid-century design. Though it’s a thrill for nostalgia buffs like myself, the hotel’s well-preserved interior is due more to lack of renovation funds than it is to any interest in preservation. The view of Havana and the bay from the 14th floor was spectacular, the gigantic modern art mosaic in various shades of blue over the front of the hotel was impressive, and walking into the main cafeteria was just like walking onto a movie set, with the lighting (or my wishful imagination) making the food seem like something out of a 4-color cookbook from the 50’s (everything was either bright red, yellow or blue, and the desserts all had very white peaks of whipped cream topped with bright red cherries)… : :

: : Finally, I headed over to the Polinesio. There was a Cuban couple with child standing outside, studying the menu. They were upset and told me the prices were exorbitant (even though they seemed fair to my North American standards). But since they couldn’t afford it, they gestured very colorfully that the owners could go to hell and recommended that I go to a local Cuban in-home restaurant down the street, where one could get a home-cooked meal for a few pesos (approximately 2 or 3 Canadian dollars). I thanked them for their political insights, waited until they left (just in case they decided to report me to Fidel), and made my way in. : :

: : The restaurant was surprisingly large and very rich in Polynesian decor. Unlike several of our Tiki bars back home, the Polinesio still remains a high-end eatery, much like it was designed to be in 1959, with attention to detail and expensive bottles of wine on display. Another nice touch was the exotic wood-fired barbecue pit, which was also on display behind glass paneling (so as not to smoke up the dining room). But unfortunately, the place was empty save for two foreigners at the bar… maybe because most Habaneros can’t afford the price of a Polinesio Mai Tai. : :

: : Viva la revoluçion! : :

El Polinesio

Calle L e/ 23 y 25, Vedado

Havana, Cuba

(53 7) 33-4011

Fred “Dag-Tiki” Sarli © 2005

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