Willamette Week’s “Restaurant of the Year 2002”

Willamette Week’s Restaurant Guide 2002, Our top 100 Favorite Restaurants by Caryn Brooks

“…The pre-Castro-sized portions are enough to make anyone question the indulgences of a free-market society, but the beyond-reasonable prices for many of the dishes put the shine on capitalism…”

“…Most dinners come on an oversized plate, every inch crammed with different tastes. A good example is the rabo encendido (“oxtails on fire”), a platter of bony cow’s tail braised in a red-wine sauce. A molded mound of rice, served to mix with the wine sauce, takes up one corner of the plate. The other is filled with ensalada caribeña, a zingy, bright salad of red and green cabbage strips tossed with grated carrots, lime juice and parsley. Nestled on the sides are light and crunchy corn fritters that clean the palate between tastes…”

“…Pambiche’s tweaked Cuban desserts hew closest to Maribona’s vision of culinary apambichao. A seemingly endless, uniformly enticing assortment of dramatic pies, cakes and custards awaits you in the front dessert case. A perennial favorite is la banana borracha–spongy banana rum cake that’s layered with custard, topped with a creamy icing and served with fruit salsas on the side.…”