The Ciboney (aka Siboney) were a tribal people and the first inhabitants of Cuba. When long-time friends Julio Perez and Jose Luis Hernandez pondered a name for their Cuban restaurant, they avoided the usual Spanish names used elsewhere, instead paying homage to the virtually extinct natives with the name Siboney.
The gentlemen chose Bucktown because of its eclectic people open-minded to the newness their business provides. For starters, they researched recipes from the 1920s and '30s and shipped in a chef who's worked the best kitchens in Cuba. Sure, the menu encompasses archetypal Cuban staples like the ropa vieja and famed Cuban sandwich (only here they're made with Serrano ham, a gourmet Spanish kind), but expect some plates flirting with French/Italian styles and the use of organic meats tasting truer to kinds the duo grew up eating back on the island.
Complementary of the menu, the interior flaunts a flavorful feel the designers worked into something idealistic of actual Cuban restaurants, known for moody, cave-like lighting and a sense of order. White tablecloths quilt four-top tables weighed by dark-wood floors. Caribbean-style ceiling fans circulate this room of arched windows. Artwork peers into mangrove life, home of the Cuban crocodiles, which were likely inspiration for the booths and chairs preserved in faux skins of coffee-bean browns and vanilla.
Garnering the sentiment from the dine-in and party room (equipped with a projector and screen), the bar adds a stuffed shark and Hershey kiss-shaped lamps floating above a granite bar (liquor license pending) where the Sox take preference over the Cubs.
What makes an establishment successful, Perez says, is one with good value, a good atmosphere and great tasting food. Siboney hits all three targets without chipping a nail. Expect sidewalk dining and live music soon, but in the meantime value delivery, free wi-fi and valet parking (meter parking and free residential parking also available).
Average cost: $10-$20
Centerstage Reviewer: David-Anthony Gonzalez
