PRESS REVIEWS
Bar Harbor restaurateur finds Obamas 'genuine' - Bangor Daily News
When the President Comes to Your Restaurant for Dinner
Portland Press Herald article
Portland Daily Sun article
MaineBiz article
Taste & Tell: Like its Bar Harbor sister, Havana South will be a go-to spot for Latin lovers
By N.L. English | From the Portland Press Herald | September 12, 2010
To view the article in its original format, CLICK HERE
Havana South is a branch office of the original Havana, a Bar Harbor mainstay since 1999. Its success there over the years and this summer, when President Obama and his wife, Michelle, dined there, has no doubt provided the impetus for owners Michael Boland and Deirdre Swords to undertake the expansion south.
And an expansion it is. The Portland restaurant fills a cavernous space with seats for about 160 people. A love of auctions has allowed the owners to fill that wide space with architectural artifacts, including a section of pressed tin ceiling built into a wood frame on wheels that can be used as a room divider. Fabric strips hang over the room's dividers; they separate one area from another, as do different light fixtures, and most have comfortable booths.
Although the Latino waiters I recall from dining at the Down East Havana in 2007 don't seem to have filled the staff in Portland, the servers seem to be bantering about huitlacoche and cabrales empanadas with sophisticated ease.
Salsa verde with roasted halibut was one beacon on the menu, and chimichurri and Brazilian red beans and rice improved the classic allure of a seared ribeye steak.
We were overheated during the heat wave, eager to have a drink but too hot and bothered to be able to decide on dinner right away.
So we ordered a bottle of the Jelu Torrontes ($34) from Zonda Valley, an Argentinean white from the list's page of good wines under $35, and the corn and cabrales empanada appetizer ($9). Cabrales, a Spanish blue cheese, dominated that little empanada, which could have been crisper.
Pureed avocado made a pleasant sauce, and raw red onion in tomato puree was another accompaniment, making the little plate over-busy with flavors. But the acidic and lively wine was altogether satisfactory.
A freebie from the kitchen of raw tuna with spicy chilies on a tortilla chip made a perfect mouthful. And with its help, we were able to settle into decision making. At least at Havana South, the sense that your table time is ticking away did not come up.
Corn bread with jalapeno came warm in a bread basket with a ramekin of olive oil and another of mildly sweet strawberry butter, a graceful match for the cornbread.
Huitlacoche-dusted scallops ($12) wore a coating made with dried, ground corn smut, a fungus that the server more elegantly described as a kind of corn truffle, a prose styling that probably originated at a James Beard Foundation dinner. Darkened corn kernels infected by the fungus are harvested before the fungus fully matures to be dried and ground, then added to foods to impart a mushroom-like flavor.
The scallops we tasted were very mildly flavored by the dark, slightly crunchy crust. A tangle of fresh greens with agave lime vinaigrette was a side that almost stole the show.
Fire and ice shrimp ceviche ($8) was altogether more exciting, with tender-crisp shrimp marinating in a cup of sweet and hot jalapeno and citrus juice, and paired with two mountains of freshly deep-fried tortilla chips, half blue corn and the other half white flour. The white-flour tortilla chips were utterly tender, oily and flakey, while the blue corn tortilla chips were more dryly crunchy -- and both were too good to resist.
These appetizers were not small -- and when dinner arrived on big generous plates, we were in trouble. "Our Moqueca" ($27) is a seafood stew with lobster, shrimp and mussels enriched with coconut and dende oil, pressed from a kind of palm in Brazil and colored dark and red-orange, which made the seafood dish rich.
The lobster entr?($26) had already been slightly changed, our server said, and was proving popular. Perhaps it was still the effect of the heat, but the best part of this plate was the salad of endive, red onion and grapefruit, which was crunchy, sharp and refreshing.
A grilled split lobster tail wasn't particularly improved by a bit of charring, but a cup of melted butter with two lobster claws in it made a few marvelous mouthfuls. The "stuffing" of cornbread and chorizo seemed amorphous, and looked unappetizing on the plate.
The promise of gelato from Brunswick's Gelato Fiasco caught our fancy. Orange chocolate ($6) in a bowl of three big scoops was silky smooth, rich and fabulous. Mexican wedding cookies with Mount Desert Island vanilla ice cream focused more on those crunchy, light and nutty cookies, but that ice cream presented purely flavored indulgence.
Plain decaf ($1.95) stood its ground, strong and slightly bitter. Cuban coffee ($4.95) with evaporated milk repeated the theme of many of our dishes -- rich, sweet and strong.
REVIEWS
Yelp
7/3/2010 Alex G. Broward, FL (via Yelp)
Awesome decor; very hip, nuevo Latin flair. The menu is Latin "New England" - halibut ceviche (a tasty salsa with lime marinated fish chunks); and marinated mussels with chorizo (amazing wine broth, perfectly cooked and delicious). We loved the caesar salad with skirt steak (served cold, not sure if that was by design). Nice touch was that they "crisped" some of the lettuce - super interesting, smoky flavor. The dressing was well made and tasty. The fish tacos were a big hit with my son (all toppings on the side). My wife's Bibb lettuce with goat cheese and a jalapeno strawberry dressing was a tad boring. A better choice might been the gazpacho. Pass on the beef slider; more like a fatty short rib, and served lukewarm. The drink menu was amazing - creative twists on classic drinks, as well as a huge range of beers. Will definitely come back for the drinks. Overall, a nice place to have some food and drinks.
7/1/2010 Heather M. Portland, ME (via Yelp)
I had a wonderful experience at Havana last night. Immediately, as I walked through, the door the ambiance felt great! I love the colors and the flow of the restaurant is inviting. You could tell the owners put a lot of time and effort into the decor.
We were greeted promptly by a handsome gentlemen who seated us at a wonderful table where we could view the kitchen and preparation of the food. The menu was fabulous and we had a hard time deciding what to order. Thankfully, we had a sweet waitress who was willing to guide us through the menu. She was still learning some of the items but was more then willing to search out the answers for us.
This I expected in a restaurants first week.
The Gazpacho was delicious...crab cakes where YUM...and the Paella topped it all! It was authentic and exploding with flavor and loaded with seafood!! Everything was cooked to perfection. The music was fantastic...the staff was attentive and polite.
We will be be back without question. (That Paella!!!...I'm craving it!)
OpenTable
(Very Good) 4 out of 5
"We enjoyed dinner on a Thursday night, so it was not a full restaurant. After having been to Havana's in Bar Harbor, we were surprised at the abundance of space here. The food was very good. I loved the Halloumi and Arugula Salad, as well as the Sliders appetizer. I had the pork, which was good, but huge. Leftovers for another day. My husband had the yellowfin tuna, which was also quite good and cooked just right. I was disappointed in the dessert, but that was probably from anticipating it for a few days. The only drawback for us is that the size does make it a louder restaurant. I don't want to have to raise my voice to talk with someone when I am out."
Special Features: good for groups, notable wine list
(Very Good) 4 out of 5
"My friend and I found so much of interest on the lunch menu that we decided we would have to return several times to sample all selections that appealed to us. We both had the cuban sandwich and it was the best I have ever had."
(Outstanding) 5 out of 5
"Wonderful experience. Having first been to the Havana in Bar Harbor, the 'bar' had been set rather high, which Havana south clear with aplomb. Recommending to all my friends and family."
(Outstanding) 5 out of 5
"We usually travel to Bar Harbor to the other Havana, great to have one so close. Great food, everyone is friendly and helpful. Thanks.
Press from Havana Bar Harbor
"President Obama and First Lady Michelle visit Havana Bar Harbor"
Click here to see images from their visit
"EAT Havana Bar Harbor"
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"EAT Havana Bar Harbor"
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"The heart and soul of Havana lies squarely in the kitchen"
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“Soft jazz playing in
the background sets the tone at this storefront
restaurant on the edge of downtown Bar Harbor.
The pumpkin-color walls and wood floors lend an
air of sophistication. The Latin-influenced menu
emphasizes local ingredients and changes weekly.
There’s also a phenomenal wine list.”
“Havana set a new creative standard for Bar Harbor when it opened in 1999. The spare but sparkling decor in the old storefront is as classy as any place in downtown Boston; the menu could compete in any major urban area. Though not specifically Cuban, it does lean toward South America in its accents: Expect appetizers such as jicama-and-coconut-stuffed shrimp, monkfish ceviche, and cakes of crab and roasted corn served with cilantro sour cream. Entrees could include filet mignon with a Cuban coffee and pepper rub, spicy "dragon" grilled tuna, a sesame-and-ginger salmon served over poblano mashed potatoes, or a Chilean black bean stew. Diners never go home unsatisfied. Finish with guava mousse in a chocolate waffle cone, coconut ice cream, or a pecan tart served with cinnamon gelato.”WHAT’S DOING IN: Mount
Desert Island
By Wayne Curtis |
August 5, 2001
“Some of the island’s zestiest and
most creative dinners are served at Havana, 318
Main Street, Bar Harbor, (207) 288-2822, which
features local fare prepared to a salsa beat.
Selections from the Latino fusion menu include
Jamaican jerk rack of lamb and chili-coated salmon
served over Cuban black beans.”
A WELCOMING INN BY THE BUSTLE OF
BAR HARBOR
By Nancy Regis | September
24, 2006
“For dinner, there are many choices for
many budgets, but I found an unexpected surprise
in a Main Street restaurant called Havana. Deep
red walls, wood floors and Buena Vista Social
Club-style music created an intimate and warm
setting for their delicious offerings, which they
call “American fine dining with a Latin
flair.”
"This place is a quiet treasure.”
| September 2001
“Whew. This place is great.
Hands down. Outta sight.” |
September 2001
“One of the best restaurants in Maine, elegant
but not stuffy, we have dined all over the State
and this is our favorite, a touch loud sometimes,
ask for the back room overlooking the wine cellar.”
| May 2005 |
Fodor's
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