Tiki Pedro’s Delivers a Modern Take on Cuban-Mexican Cuisine
A variety of Tiki Pedro’s eats on the counter inside Aqua Vitae on East Avenue in Downtown Rochester, New York’s East End.
One of the most memorable sandwiches I was fortunate to enjoy was a traditional Cubano (Cuban sandwich) made fresh in a small Cuban eatery during a hellish downpour on an unexpected rainy day. I had just moved to New York City and was in desperate need of a warmer coat as the winter months were approaching. The wet season and the cold chill of Autumn had already arrived. My quest for a new jacket took me on a journey to the Burlington Coat Factory in East Harlem, and as I left the store, enthusiastic about my fresh new wardrobe, it began to rain. I forgot to buy an umbrella. To this day, I can still remember the aromas of that small, aging Cuban restaurant filled with wooden tables and fading yellow walls. It was there that I tasted my first Cuban sandwich, and it wouldn’t be my last.
Recently, a newish pop-up eatery that fuses Mexican and Cuban recipes has opened its kitchen on East Avenue inside one of Downtown Rochester’s most creative cocktail lounges, Aqua Vitae. Tiki Pedro’s menu offers a Cuban and Northeast take on traditional Mexican dishes, including tacos and burritos, foods with origins in Northern Mexico. When considering the heritage of the northeast and the inspiration that comes from these cultural meals, it’s important to acknowledge the similarities and nuances associated with the Caribbean influences from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and the numerous communities that have settled in the northeast and influenced the cooking styles of the region.
A Chorizo burrito from Tiki Pedro’s wrapped in a flour tortilla filled with black beans, white rice, and layered with a crema, cotija cheese, and garnished with onions, cilantro, and pickled radishes.
Tiki Pedro’s Cuban-Mex recipes stem from Chef Jose Morales’ upbringing and his passion for Mexican-inspired cuisine. A childhood transplant from Miami to Rochester, Chef Morales’s Cuban-American heritage largely inspired his career path in the culinary arts and the restaurant’s menu. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts, Jose followed a traditional collegiate path, determined to integrate his culinary experience with an undergraduate lifestyle in Providence, Rhode Island. Before opening Tiki Pedro’s, he spent years working as a bar manager, in corporate kitchens, and in several local Italian restaurants. Operating his own pop-up locations, one inside Aqua Vitae in downtown Rochester and the other, the Stumbling Monkey Brewing Company in Victor, was motivated by his desire to cook food that satisfies his taste.
There are many takes on a Cuban sandwich, but a traditional Cubano combines ham, slow-roasted pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, and a few dill pickle slices on a pressed Cuban roll. Tiki Pedro’s Cuban sandwich pays homage to this tradition. Chef Morales’s Cuban sandwich is topped with pork that is slow-roasted for 3 hours. There are plenty of delicious hunks of tender meat with some fattier edges, which can lend a buttery texture to some bites, but it is not an experience that all can enjoy when eating pork.
The Cubano, or Cuban sandwich from Tiki Pedro’s is made with fresh locally made french bread, slow-cooked pork, ham, swiss cheese, house-made kosher pickles, mustard, and pressed on a plancha, a flat-top griddle for a crisp outer texture.
Two characteristics I enjoyed most are the house-made Kosher dill pickles, which are smooth yet crunchy, thinly sliced, and layered atop the pork, which can be seen from a side profile lounging back like a beach chair by a resort pool. The other is the locally sourced French cut rolls from the DiPaolo Baking Company; The French roll is warm, fresh, and soft—bringing balance to the sweet, buttery, fatty, and citrus flavors of the ham, Swiss, and slow-roasted pork. Importantly, the sandwich is pressed on a Plancha (flat-top griddle), melting the Swiss cheese, adding a crispy and toasted exterior to the roll, and giving the sandwich a golden brown aesthetic.
Tiki Pedro’s chicken is the most flavorful protein on the menu. They use Mojo Chicken, which is infused with flavors using a traditional Cuban recipe, Mojo, a citrus marinade comprised of orange juice, varying spices, garlic, and olive oil. This cooking style gives their chicken a tender and flavorful zest. You can add this to the tacos, burritos, or even a bowl of black beans and rice. Congri, a Caribbean and Cuban method for cooking black beans and rice in the same pot, is used to prepare the beans and rice that are added to the burrito, or can be ordered as a side. The Congri is a flavorful addition to any meal as it uses Sofrito, an aromatic base of fried peppers, onions, and garlic to enrich its flavors, making it a delightful companion to any meal. Each dish is dressed with crema, cotija cheese, onions, much cilantro, and pickled radishes. For me, cilantro can add an overly bright and peppery flavor to the dish, so I tend to prefer the herb in smaller doses. However, dishes can be ordered without the cilantro if you’re not a fan.
A Moro Chicken taco on a soft tortilla sits beside a slow-roasted pork taco on a corn tortilla, plated at the Stumbling Monkey Brewing Company in Victor, NY.
To close, Tiki Pedro’s is delivering a unique fusion of flavors that bring together traditional Cuban, Caribbean, and Northern Mexican staples. In a way, it is defining the nuances between traditional Baja California foods and what can be viewed as Northeast-Mex, and especially Cuban-Mexican cuisine.