Bob

The Village

The Chinese Cuban Restaurant art piece.

I have had the pleasure of NYC in my life for over 30 years. The Chinese Cuban Restaurant once was common near my old neighborhood. Perhaps the cuisine was more sorta typical Chinese and typical Cuban, but the atmosphere organically was a for real hybrid. To a guy from Connecticut and his visiting friends from all over, Spanish speaking Chinese waiters theatrically mixing with generous servings of Ropa Vieja, Chick Peas and Sausage and Cafe Con Leche, et al was a sure fire immersion in pleasant surprise. In fact anytime I wanted a pure dose of a truly unique nyc food experience, the melting pot was virtually always a Chinese Cuban Restaurant. The 70's are gone, impossible to replace, real-deal waiters retired and probably too, gentrification had its way. In the process of city-change, the 8th Avenue corridor in Chelsea lost its last such restaurant last year. Perhaps the new Duane Hanson or Edward Hopper could make an art piece to freeze the lost experience, until the new influx of Chinese Cubans find their way back to their new New York City restaurants again.