Baton Rouge makes a ‘Cuban Connection’

Baton Rouge resident Alex Dalmau grew up surrounded by the culture of Cuba: the music, the people and especially the food. The son of Cuban immigrants, he waited in vain for years for a proper Cuban restaurant to open in Baton Rouge. “I finally realized no one else was going to step up,” says Dalmau with a laugh. “I was craving real Cuban food, and if I wanted it to happen here, I had to make it happen. Feed myself, I guess you’d say.” Dalmau’s dream comes true when he and his chef-partner Ed Tomlin roll out the new Cuban Connection food truck next week. Between Tomlin’s kitchen experience and Dalmau’s expert Cuban palate, the resulting menu is a pitch-perfect pastiche of Latin-American flavor, from fried plantain chips to black bean soup, and a truly mouthwatering selection of pressed sandwiches. Monday, the lunchtime crowds will be able to sample treats such as the “Andy Garcia,” thinly sliced roasted pork and ham topped with Swiss cheese, pickles, mayo and mustard on Cuban bread; and the “Tony Montana,” marinated grilled steak on Cuban bread topped with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, a house-made Cuban herb spread, tomatoes and mayo. Cuban Connection will also serve breakfast, featuring hot Cuban coffee—strong enough to put hairs on your chest—and fresh-made pastelitos with sweet guava and savory meat. You can see where this new food truck will be popping up by checking their website or Facebook page.