Latin Cuisine on the Upper West Side

Nestled on 80th Street is a fantastic Latin fare restaurant and wine bar called Cava.  I have been meaning to get there for ages and now I can't understand why I haven't been going there all along.  The atmosphere is cozy and warm and the walls serve as an art gallery for emerging artists.  They have a great wine list and of course, several different varieties of Cava by the glass.

Chef Jose Rodriguez puts out dishes that are a fusion of Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican and the result is delicious.  The dishes I had were not only super tasty, but the presentation was beautiful.  I had the scallops in a carribean country coconut sauce that were amazing.  

The empanadas were some of the best I have ever tasted.  I had both the chicken and the shrimp empanadas.  We then had the lomita Chilean seabass over spinach and squid ink rice that was to die for

and an exquisite skirt steak skewer served over a carribean tamale.  Watch out Bobby Flay, you might just have some competition for best tamale.

In New York where there are so many choices, it is great to have a place like Cava in the neighborhood.  For a romantic dinner or meeting friends at the bar for a drink, Cava is a hidden gem I am glad I know about.
Cava
185 West 80th St. (Between Columbus and Amsterdam)