MIAMI – As U.S. and Cuban diplomats continue to negotiate the specifics of loosening the embargo, some are already planning touristic adventures that include getting a little fat with flan in Havana.
Cuban-American Chef Douglas Rodriguez, also known as the Godfather of Nuevo Latino Cuisine, plans to lead the way on a food landscape tour of five Cuban cities. He is promoting the eight-day cultural education program as the DRod Culinary Adventure.
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The March 13th tour includes dining in "paladares," a new trend in private restaurants hosted in charming penthouses and idiosyncratic mansions that has been expanding due to Cuban President Raul Castro's economic reforms.
CONTACT CHEF
For more information and reservations, call 954-693-6562 or visit the chef's website at ChefDouglasRodriguez.com.
The dining scene in Cuba varies from Spanish Basque and vegetarian to French and Italian. Traditional Cuban-Creole menus include lobster, fish, shrimp, roast pork, and root vegetables known as "malanga" and "yuca."
The tour isn't cheap at $6,475 per person -- including airfare from Miami.
The new regulations allow travel agents and airlines to sell tickets without the need for a specific license from Office of Foreign Assets Control. That means it will be much easier to book a trip and prices should come down significantly.
If Rodriguez's tour is out of your budget, or you just happen to be in Cuba on another type of educational trip, below is a list of some of the most popular "paladares" in Havana.
RESTAURANT SCENE IN HAVANA: Top 10 most recommended 'paladares'