First Bite: HR-57 unveils jazzy new menu

Photo by Rashmi Sutton

Diners on H St. can add “Caribbean with a side of jazz” to the list of ever-growing restaurant options on that thoroughfare. Though its offerings and availability are still in flux, El Caribe, the new Cuban-inspired menu at HR-57 Center for the Preservation of Jazz & Blues was unveiled on July 12.

Previously not known for its cuisine beyond the albeit popular chicken and waffles, El Caribe could help transition this former BYOB joint into a food destination in its own right. HR-57 has been in the jazz and blues preservation business since 1993. It moved to its present Atlas District spot two years ago from its old location near U Street.

I love island food and was eager to be one of the first to try what amounts to a fusion between club owner, Dominican-born Tony Puesan, and Cuba-native Chef Victor Navarro, formerly of Little Ricky’s in Brookland.

When my friend and I arrived for dinner on a Friday night it was nearly 7:30.  Since the evening’s show was still a couple hours out, the place was mostly empty and we had our choice of seating.  We chose a table near the stage, but after a few moments wished we’d sat closer to the entrance or the far wall. Although the set hadn’t started, a few guys were informally jamming – fun to listen to, but too loud for our purpose of catching up over dinner.

As HR-57 manager Chanthu Rowles told me, the club is “still tweaking” the presentation of the El Caribe menu. Not surprisingly, we had just a handful of appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees to select from. We started with some “timbitas” — Caribbean-style small plates — of fried sweet plantain, marinated pork chunk, and creamy ham croquette. All components were wonderful and gone in mere minutes but the croquette — crunchy, spicy, and salty — was the standout.

For the entree, I chose the “Ropa Vieja,” flank steak sautéed with garlic and tomatoes, and my companion requested the “Masitas,” braised pork that is quick-fried right before serving. We both received fried sweet plantains and a small salad with our orders. My friend’s pork was delicious: crispy on the outside, tender inside, and very flavorful. I was less enthused about my steak. The spice and seasoning were on the mark, but it was served warm, not hot. This oversight, likely a symptom of the kitchen adjusting to the execution of the promising new menu, distracted me a bit from properly enjoying the dish. Thankfully, I’m a huge fan of plantains and so was thrilled with my second helping of those starchy bananas. I was disappointed that the current lackluster beverage list, which includes just a few wines and beers and no cocktails, had not yet been updated, but mojitos and other suitable concoctions are scheduled to appear at the bar soon.

When I chatted with Chef Victor about El Caribe, he was careful to emphasize that the new venture is a work in progress.

“We need to establish the concept first, in order to move forward,” Navarro, who studied food science and worked in a slaughterhouse in Havana before becoming a chef, said. When he was 26, a government effort to expand the country’s tourism industry resulted in Navarro’s not-quite voluntary reassignment to the kitchen. A few years later, in 2000, he landed in Miami.

For now, the El Caribe menu will be offered in some fashion Wednesday through Saturday evenings, as well as for Saturday and Sunday brunch (brunchgoers can also still procure thick waffles piled high with whipped cream and berries). If dinner and a show is your thing, most of the live jazz acts start around 9 or 9:30 pm and require a $5-15 cover charge. And even when live music isn’t on tap — such is the case at brunch — the club’s ambience is supplied by low lighting and a large projection of old black and white jazz footage.

HR-57 is surely a singular entertainment venue in our neighborhood, and El Caribe makes it shine. It’s absolutely worth considering if you’re craving authentic Caribbean food with casual, friendly service and soon — I’m hoping! — a tasty mojito.