Little Havana Brings Cuban Cuisine to the UV

Maylena Chaviano and family may be unlikely restaurant owners. The four of them span several professions: a chemical engineer, a physician, a physical therapist, and an international development specialist. Little Havana, newly opened in Hanover, is their joint enterprise, and last Saturday night all four of them were on site, greeting customers, tending bar, waiting tables, and of course, cooking up some traditional Cuban food in the kitchen.

Maylena, her brother Ernesto, her mother Mariela, and family friend Yuniesky were looking for a place to establish a restaurant and the former Duende spot at 15 Lebanon Street in Hanover fit the bill. It has brought the family together; the first order of business was to refurbish the interior space. It’s cozy, and with a new coat of paint, seems brighter than before. Seating is a mix of small tiled tables, larger tables, a few booths, and some high tops.

The menu features a handful each of appetizers, main dishes, and desserts, as well as cocktails (try the margarita). To start, we ordered Tostones Rellenos, a trio of pastry-like cups filled with tuna, beef, or vegetables, and Berenjena con Sirope, thin slices of fried eggplant with a glazing of maple syrup. Both were perfect appetizers: satisfying, but leaving room for the main plates.

Ropa Vieja, shredded beef in a rich tomato sauce, was plated between sides of congris rice and sweet plantains (photo, above). Masitas de Puerco consisted of dense chunks of pork in a light sauce, served with yucca and plain rice. We shared Arroz con Leche, my companion’s favorite dessert.

The ambiance is casual, welcoming, good for a date night or gathering of friends. The service is warm and gracious, from the greeting at the door to the delivery of the check and everything in between. It hummed with efficiency even though the restaurant has been open only two weeks. The food is straightforward, not fussy, described by the owners as the authentic home cooking of their childhoods.

Menu is here. Little Havana is open 5 to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are appreciated. For more information, you can follow Little Havana on Facebook here.

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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.