The restaurant takes over the old Anzu space and takes us on a whirlwind tour from Havana to Buenos Aires.
Dishes from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela are featured. From the Canary Islands comes a wonderful meat and vegetable condiment called mojo. Sailors found this exotic mixture of olive oil, garlic and herbs that inspired the French to create mayonnaise.
The Latin roots of owners Espartaco Borga (founder of ZuZu) and his wife Dunia (whose nickname provides the name for the restaurant) bring heritage and authenticity to the restaurant and the menu.
The place is warm and inviting, with the feel of a dining room in an upscale hacienda. Old World charm meets New World pragmatism: Booths feature data ports—log on at lunch. The high-tech touch is as cool as the sassy dishes featured on the extensive menu are hot.
Aprepas Criollas ($7.25) are sensational. The grilled white corn masa patties are filled with different selections daily, like ham, pork or black beans. We liked the tasty little "sandwiches" so much we brought another order home. SO good with the Argentine mojo!
Speaking of sandwiches, here they are tortas and feature hand-carved and house roasted meats. Torta Cubana ($7.95) is a fabulous creation served on grilled baguette with sliced tomatoes, Gruyere cheese, ham, pork, pickles and more. Beef, pork and chicken tortas are also offered. "French fries" are yucca and are yummy.
Two entrées convinced us we’d be back to sample more. Pollo al Ajibe ($9.95) is a moist, tender roasted half-chicken served with Champagne, citrus, pan juice mojo. Pollo al Oreganato ($12.75) is garlic marinated grilled breast of chicken seasoned with parsley and oregano and served with a delightfully fresh watercress, spinach and red leaf lettuce salad.
Latin American variations of enchiladas, tacos, and quesadillas round out the menu.
Desserts are divine. A prime example is Quatro leches cake (outdoing the traditional tres leches).
The food is so good, and the attitude so pleasant, I can overlook the slow service.