An interview with Victor’s Café owner Sonia Zaldivar

Spanning just over 110,000 square kilometers, Cuba’s lush landscapes have given rise to popular dishes starting from ropa vieja to arroz congrí. And for many who wish to delve into the range of the cuisine without setting foot outside of Manhattan, Victor’s Café is the proper spot. This historic Midtown restaurant has been in business for over half a century and has perfected the art of classic Cuban cuisine over the many years, with dishes starting from frituras de bacalao to lechón asado to vaca frita.

For ForbesCo-owner Sonia Zaldivar provides insight into the restaurant’s long history, the evolution of New York’s restaurant scene as an entire, and the preparation of considered one of the nation’s hottest dishes.

Can you tell us a bit of about Victor’s Café and what inspired your loved ones to open the restaurant?

Victor’s Café was founded in 1963 by my father and mother, Victor del Corral and Eloina Ruiz de Ugarrio. Victor was an entrepreneur with a dream to share the wealthy flavors of Cuban cuisine with the world. In 1957, our family traded the nice and cozy tropical climate of Cuba for the snowy and cold winters of New York City, where we ended up living in a dorm on the West Side of Manhattan. After several years in New York working various jobs to support our family, including busboy and jewellery salesman, my father knew the one method to truly grow was to open his own business, and despite these challenges, his entrepreneurial spirit never waned.

In 1963, with tremendous perseverance and dedication, my parents opened the unique Victor’s Café on the corner of 71st Street and Columbus Avenue. Victor’s Café was born out of a desire to create a spot to have a good time and luxuriate in Cuba’s wealthy culture and culinary traditions. My parents wanted to offer a second home for Cuban immigrants and to introduce the unique flavors of Cuba to the broader public. As we have a good time the sixtieth anniversary of Victor’s Café, I dedicate this milestone to my parents, our family, our loyal customers and friends who’ve supported us through the years.

How has your loved ones been involved within the restaurant through the years?

Since opening in 1963, the restaurant has seen three generations of family experience. My father Victor and my mother laid the inspiration with their exertions and dedication. I, Sonia Zaldivar, grew up within the restaurant and it was truly my whole world as a baby – it was where I did my homework, where I ate dinner every night and where I played with my friends. I used to be so proud to take over the reins in 1983 and started to bring some recent ideas to the restaurant, equivalent to modernizing Cuban cuisine while maintaining our core traditions and introducing a brand new era of culinary innovation to the restaurant. Today, my youngest daughter Monica runs the restaurant operations and carries on the legacy with the identical passion and dedication that began all of it. Each generation has brought their very own touch, ensuring that Victor’s Café stays a beloved institution while evolving with the times.

How has the restaurant industry evolved in New York City over the past six many years?

From its inception as a humble cafe with just 20 seats, Victor’s Café has evolved over the past six many years. It began as a well-liked gathering place for New York’s Cuban community and a haven for Cuban immigrants within the Nineteen Sixties. The cafe’s original offerings, a lot of that are still popular today, were a testament to the wealthy tradition of Cuban gastronomy. Before its transformation into the high quality dining establishment it’s today, Victor’s Café was known for its casual cafeteria service and loved for its authentic Cuban cuisine and sandwiches. My father often told stories of famous regulars like John Lennon and Yoko Ono incessantly visiting the cafe to eat sandwiches and sangria before heading to Central Park, testament to the cafe’s wide appeal and its place in the material of New York’s cultural and social scene.

Since then, we’ve seen a major shift within the New York City restaurant industry over the past sixty years. There has been a shift from privately owned operations to large restaurant chains dominating the scene. Despite this evolution, Victor’s Café has all the time remained a family-owned business and has stayed true to our roots and values. The industry has change into more competitive, and guests are looking not only for excellent food, but for unique dining experiences. We have adapted by incorporating modern cooking techniques and healthier ingredients, while maintaining the authentic flavors our guests love. Today, Victor’s Café is positioned right in the guts of the bustling Theater District in a spot where New Yorkers and tourists alike come to enjoy a heartwarming Cuban meal, often right before or after a Broadway show.

What is essentially the most sought-after dish at Victor’s Café?

One of essentially the most sought-after dishes at Victor’s Café is Ropa Vieja, which translates to “old clothes.” This dish consists of shredded flank steak braised with tomatoes, onions and peppers, making a wealthy and flavorful Cuban classic. It’s a well known and popular dish that a lot of our guests return for time and time again.

What is your personal favorite dish to cook and may you tell us the recipe?

My personal favorite dish is Salmon Carnival. It’s a vibrant and delicious dish that I really like for its unique mix of flavors and textures. Sometimes I make it with polenta, sometimes without, depending on the occasion. To make Salmon Carnival for six people, you’ll have the next:

Polenta sauce

2 kilos of creamed corn

6 ounces corn flour

500 ml water

29 ounces whole milk

2 ounces salted butter

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons white ground pepper

6 grams chicken broth

12 grams of freshly chopped garlic

Adobo for salmon

6 salmon fillets, 250 g each

2 ounces olive oil

1 ounce minced garlic

1 ounce seafood base mix

2 ounces white wine

1 ounce sour orange juice

1 teaspoon oregano

Pineapple sauce

25 grams of coriander

3 ounces red onions

113 g grilled pineapple

2 ounces guindilla peppers

Preparation

Cook the polenta ingredients over low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Marinate the salmon within the premixed adobo.

Grill the salmon until it’s cooked to your required degree.

Grill the pineapple, mix with the ingredients of the pineapple sauce and pour over the salmon.

What misconceptions are there about Cuban food?

A standard misconception is that Cuban food is fattening. At Victor’s Café, we’ve evolved hearty Cuban cuisine by incorporating modern techniques and healthier ingredients, while honoring the classic flavors that outline our culinary heritage—a vision we’ve called “The Evolution of Cuban Cuisine®.” Our mission at Victor’s Café is to bring traditional classics into the trendy age, an ongoing effort to have a good time and elevate the wealthy diversity of Cuban culinary heritage in the guts of New York City. Our dishes are rigorously prepared to offer a balance of flavor and dietary value, dispelling the parable that Cuban cuisine can’t be each delicious and healthy.

What does the long run hold for Victor’s Café?

As we have a good time Victor’s Café’s sixtieth anniversary this 12 months, I’m especially optimistic and stay up for a vibrant future for the restaurant, hopefully for many years to return! At Victor’s, our dedicated team is committed to continuous innovation and providing the most effective service and hospitality to our guests. We proudly distinguish ourselves as an off-the-cuff, upscale and stylish restaurant specializing in Cuban cuisine.

As we have a good time our sixtieth anniversary, we stay up for embracing recent opportunities, expanding our menu offerings and continuing to be a valued a part of New York City’s vibrant restaurant scene. It has all the time been our intention to maintain the restaurant family owned and we hope that the fourth generation will sooner or later take over. In the meantime, we remain focused on providing an exceptional dining experience while staying true to our family roots and cultural heritage.