Finding a Cuban restaurant in Chicago is not easy. “There are maybe six,” said a waiter at one of them. “I don’t know,” said a waiter at another. “If I had to guess, I would guess that there are maybe 10.”
Chicago magazine, which prides itself on restaurant listings, has but three Cuban restaurants in its gathering of dining reviews.
So how unusual it was to find two of them (neither listed in the magazine) within a couple of blocks on the North Side.
Cuban Island Restaurant, 3446 W. Peterson Ave. (773-588-9922), and Rancho Luna, 3357 W. Peterson (773-509-9332), each opened about two years ago. They are vastly different in decor and attract mixed ethnic crowds. They coexist peacefully, though each has its devoted fans.
“The rivalry is friendly but I think our food is better,” said Sergio Mota, a Rancho Luna waiter from the Dominican Republic.
“I’ve tried them both. Here the food is simple and very fresh,” said Michelle Gousios, lunching at Cuban Island.
She was with her 3-year-old daughter, Alexandra, and her friend Lisa Medina and her 3-year-old, Rachel. They live in the neighborhood and had high praise for the variety and price of the changing-daily luncheon buffet.
Rancho Luna, which also has an operation at 2554 W. Diversey Ave., is more upscale, with booths and white tablecloths.
“We come for lunch specials, at least once a week,” said Carolina Mendoza, at Rancho Luna with work colleagues. She is Ecuadoran and was dining with Antonio Suarez (Colombian); his daughter Yahaira (Colombian and Puerto Rican); Melissa Zuniga (Mexican); and Michelle Motos and Patricia Rosa (Puerto Rican).
“So for us, none of this food is what you would call foreign,” said Rosa. “But anyone who has ever been to a Mexican restaurant will not be afraid of the menu.”
The menus contain such familiar items as fajitas and various chicken dishes, but also tasty exotica such as ropa vieja (“old clothes”) and dishes with interesting seasonings and sauces. Most fall into a wallet-pleasing $8 to $12 range.
It might take weeks for a diner to distinguish between the restaurants’ food, but there’s a huge difference in the ambience, especially on Friday and Saturday. While Cuban Island awaits its liquor license (you can bring your own), Rancho Luna has a full bar and a bandstand. It swings hard on Friday and Saturday nights, often to the sounds of Eliezer & His Orchestra.
“Look,” said one of the waiters, looking at a dance floor filled with enough nationalities for a mini United Nations. “Nice, eh? Everybody gets along, no?”
