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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Profile Public Relations
Clare Pelino or Jennifer Brunn
215.985.2106
ALMA DE CUBA, A HOT NEW RESTAURANT BY STEPHEN STARR AND DOUGLAS RODRIGUEZ TO OPEN IN FEBRUARY 2001
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- October 17, 2000 -- Philadelphia's hottest
restaurateur Stephen Starr, and one of the country's most highly respected
chefs, Douglas Rodriguez, will open a cutting-edge Cuban restaurant and bar,
Alma de Cuba, at 1623 Walnut Street, in February. Rodriguez, a visionary
chef who is credited as the father of Nuevo Latino cuisine, will develop and
oversee the inventive Cuban-inspired menu. Famed architecture and interior
design firm Rockwell Group, will create a tropical atmosphere, reminiscent of
pre-Castro Cuba, to greet guests with vibrant Cuban rhythms, flowing palm trees
and large ceiling fans.
"Ever since I met Douglas, we talked about doing a Cuban restaurant
together. When we started to look at spaces, we found ourselves
re-envisioning the location that was the restaurant Le Colonial. It had so
many features that reminded us of the magnificent Cuban architecture," says
Starr, who took over the now defunct restaurant with Rodriguez to bring the
bygone spirit of Havana to Philadelphia.
With high ceilings, airy dining rooms and a large bar-lounge, the
restaurant's high-energy atmosphere will give guests a taste of the forbidden
fruit. Classic Cuban cocktails such as Mojitos and Daiquiris will blend
perfectly with the flavors, brilliant colors and textures of Rodriguez's
spectacular Cuban cuisine.
Rodriguez, who is American born to Cuban immigrants, will make his first trip
to the fabled isle in preparation for the opening of Alma de Cuba. He will
travel throughout the country to meet the island's culinary masters and taste
the fresh ingredients and spices used in authentic Cuban cuisine.
"With my Cuban heritage, I feel that the island and its cuisine are very
close to my heart," says Rodriguez, who named the restaurant with Starr,
for the Soul of Cuba or Alma de Cuba in Spanish. "I am looking
forward to combining Cuban ingredients with my culinary expertise."
Rodriguez's menu at Alma de Cuba will feature new interpretations of Cuban
classics long with Cuban-inspired dishes. Some of the tempting items will
include: Red Bean Soup with pumpkin and chorizo; Open-Flame Toasted
Sweet Corn Empanada filled with bacalao and tomato goat cheese
salad; Octopus Combo: Octopus Escabeche with olives, capers and
Octopus Skewers with black olive sauce; Slow Roasted Pork Shank with
boniato puree; and Crispy Fried Whole Snapper with coconut conch rice and
marinated cabbage. Appetizers will range in price from $5 to $14.
Entrees will range in price
from $22 to $29.
New York-based Rodriguez recently opened Chicama, his sensational Peruvian
concept, located at ABC Carpet and Home, 35 East 18th Street, in
Manhattan. In the coming months Rodriguez plans to open two other hotspots
at ABC. Rodriguez earned his reputation as Executive Chef at Manhattan's
critically acclaimed Patria, where he perfected his noteworthy cooking style
that includes techniques and ingredients from all of the Latin American
countries. Before moving to New York, he was well-known as Executive Chef
at Yuca in Miami. Rodriguez has also written three cookbooks that explore
Latin American cuisines.
Alma de Cuba will be the sixth restaurant for Starr, owner of the
trendsetting Starr Restaurant Group. A master of ultra-chic concepts and
sensational interior design, Starr has taken the city's dining scene to exciting
new heights with his successful restaurant group that includes: the
smash-hit modern Asian Buddakan; the ever-popular Continental Restaurant
and Martini Bar; the breathtaking Moroccan fantasy Tangerine; and
the award-winning Parisian style bistro, The Blue Angel. Starr has quickly
emerged as one of Philadelphia's top restaurateurs by creating restaurants that
are incomparable to anything else in the city. This fall, Starr also plans
to open the much-anticipated Pod, a futuristic Asian restaurant in University
City.
Starr restaurants attract out of town visitors and celebrities such as Will
Smith, Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, Oprah Winfrey, Todd Oldham, Christopher
Walken and Steve Buscemi.
Alma de Cuba, at 1623 Walnut Street, will serve dinner seven nights a week. Open for lunch Monday through Friday. Valet parking at dinner. For reservations or more information, please call 215.988.1799.
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