Veggicurious Cooking in and eating out, vegetarian, in Philadelphia and beyond. Trying to keep it local, fresh, community oriented, and curious.

Gloria's Black Bean soup

Senor Lanky and I anticipate restaurant week every season, but since the price was raised to $35, I find that its often cheaper, especially for a vegetarian who is not that into dessert, to order straight off the menu. Our recent trip to Alma de Cuba was no exception. We chose the place because the concept was intriguing, and the restaurant itself is beautiful. I especially love the warm red glow of the bar, the leaf imprinted glass partitions, the projected black and white photos, and the ceiling fans. I started with the (above) Gloria’s Black Bean soup with cremata and rice croquettes. The soup itself was tasty, but nothing to excited about, even with the yummy, creamy-centered croquettes. The serving was large enough, though, that I could have made it my whole meal!

Corn Cakes with vegetables

There were no vegetarian options on the restaurant week menu, but I had decided against that option anyway. I ordered a dish (sadly, I can no longer find its name on the menu) that was two sweet corn cakes, layered with thinly sliced grilled zuchhini and cheese, covered with a bright tomato sauce. The flavors were nice together, and it came served atop a smear of black beans which was a nice addition.

Grilled Asparagus with black truffle mojo

Instead of dessert, I ordered a side of grilled asparagus with black truffle mojo. It was fine, if a little oily, but nothing special, and certainly didn’t warrant its $7 price tag.

Dulce de Leche spice cake

For dessert, Senor Lanky ordered a spice cake roll filled with dulce de leche and frosted with a sweet, almost cream cheese frosting (again, not on the regular menu) it was served with candied walnuts and my favorite, a crisp fried sweet potato “crown.”

Overall, we had a nice night, and the food was good. I think I’m just a hard sell for gourmet “peasant food.” Alama de Cuba, you have to do a lot to beans, rice, and corn to impress me.