Yep, Snapper.

First off, there wasn’t a lot of variety in the 21 meals that we had in Cuba. The upside to this is that my palate became more discerning, and I was able to notice subtle differences in the many grilled red snapper entrees that I had.

(I joke about the redundancy in the meals that we had, but I am not ignorant of the reasons why Cuba lacks dietary variety.)

One thing for sure, the food was very fresh, and it was easy to minimize gluten exposure. No mystery sauces, over-processed meats, or any of the other SAD (Standard American Diet) dishes were part of our diets there. Despite some less-than-sanitary conditions (see below), I am happy to say that I did not get sick the whole trip. (And I’m still fine two weeks later.) See a few of my reviews on TripAdvisor.

One of the best parts of the trip were the Welcoming Mojitos that we received everywhere we went. My first Mojito took place in the hotel lobby as we were checking in. A fine tradition indeed.

Here’s a sampling of the food that I enjoyed (or not):

Cafe del Oriente had the great smoked salmon (a welcome change) and the best red snapper.
Tasty shrimp, cabbage, and more.
In Cuba, this is called
In Cuba (or at least at the Jazz Cafe), this is called a “chicken salad.” Hmmm.
Fried Yuca (pronounced yoo-kah, not to be confused with yucca-pronounced yuh-kah)
Fried Yuca (pronounced yoo-kah, not to be confused with yucca-pronounced yuh-kah)
An appetizer of lemony red snapper served cold. This was as appetizing as it looks.
An appetizer of lemony red snapper served cold. This was as appetizing as it looks.
My first filet mignon. According to the others, it was delicious.
My first filet mignon ever. According to the others, it was delicious. I guess steaks and I were not meant to be.
Bunless burger with fries at the hotel
Bunless burger with fries at the  Quinta Avenida Hotel’s cafe. Good tasting and insanely cheap.
The best black beans and rice
The best way to serve black beans and rice
More red snapper
Cafe del Oriente had the great smoked salmon (a welcome change) and the best red snapper.
Nice salad presentation
Cute salad presentation. Everything is so fresh in Cuba.
Meatballs. I didn't try these, but I heard they were good.
Meatballs. I didn’t try these, but I heard they were good.
Family-Style is how our many of our meals were served.
Family-Style is how our many of our meals were served.
More snapper
More snapper
Yep, Snapper.
Yep, Snapper.
IMG_1352
Yay, snapper
Dessert
Dessert. This tasted better than it looks.
Each meal began with a welcoming cocktail and ended with espresso. I could get used to this.
Each meal began with a welcoming cocktail and ended with espresso. I could get used to this.

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