Bastone Brewery: Belgian and French.
Cafe Habana: Cuban.
Vinotecca: Tapas and wine pairings.
One chef, many jobs.
Fidel Kennedy, sous chef for the whole Bastone-Cafe Habana-Vinotecca-Commune Lounge family, is one busy guy. He took a few moments to sit down with me, however, while I ate the most amazing pulled chicken sandwich, accompanied by yucca chips seasoned with chile powder, at Cafe Habana.
I asked Fidel where he learned to be a chef, and he told me that he has learned all that he knows on-the-job. He learned primarily under Brian Kenobloc, who now works at Jack's Waterfront in St. Clair Shores. Fidel has been working here for the last three years, making sure the kitchen that serves Bastone and Vinotecca, and the separate kitchen for Cafe Habana, are all running smoothly under his watch.
My next question for Fidel was to describe the Cuban taste that is featured at Cafe Habana. He said that the Cuban flavor is a combination of Mexican, Latin, Carribean and African flavors. It is not spicy like Mexican, but rather sweet, with accents of lime and tomato. He added that, although he has never visited Cuba, he hopes to just as soon as they open up that border.
Then, because he is a really busy guy, Fidel was off to the kitchen, handling all the things that a chef in charge of four different establishments at the same time, each with it's own distinct personality, needs to handle.
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