Attack on esteemed chef not acceptable

This is in response to Carla Waldemar’s article August 2010 on the Queen of Cuisine Caribe.

I take offense to the way she portrayed a wonderful little café. It’s obvious Ms. Waldemar knows very little of Caribbean cuisine—constantly commenting on the lack of “spice,” “heat” in the food. She may be thinking about Mexican hot, spicy foods and not the traditional foods of the islands.

I know her job is that of a food critic so I expect her to be critical, but she was downright mean. She rants on about the lack of skills of the chef, a beloved member of the Latino community whose hard work and passion to achieve the “American” dream has materialized and is celebrated. She pokes fun at the Puerto Rican culture—hey, we do enjoy Heinz Ketchup!

She must have gone to the restaurant during this summer, if the article appeared in the August issue. This was one of hottest summers we’ve had in a while. The Caribe is small and she may have gone on a day where everything was off … don’t we all have days like that? She misses the point of the history behind this success story. Including the fact that his wife was the artist who infused some color into a vibrant neighborhood. Comparing it to Chet’s Taverna??? WHAT?!?!
A person has to have an open mind when tasting foods from another place on the planet. Comparing meals from a tropical island to a MN hot dish says a lot about the writer. Her remarks about the drinks lead me to believe that her favorite part of ‘’critiquing” food are the drinks! Hmmmm …

If her intent was to demoralize a small business, she better think again—because her nasty cracks aimed at El Caribe Bristo will NOT stop his patrons from enjoying a unique Latino experience in the heart of St. Paul.

Gracias - Carmen Robles