Upscale, unfussy and inviting, De Martino Latin Restaurant is a convivial spot reminiscent of the Cuban paladares (privately-owned family eateries). Commissioned murals depicting the cobbled streets of Trinidad, Cuba, hang on neutral-hued walls: a vintage blue 1950s car (probably a Chevy), an older gentleman enjoying an impressive cigar (maybe a Robusto?). So, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d walked into a Cuban restaurant. And you’d be half correct.
In 2018, when his father’s crowd-pleasing restaurant, Martino’s Cuban, closed after nearly 30 years in business in Somerville, Martino Linares, 38, took some time off, worked at Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen in Morristown and returned to Somerville planning to open his own restaurant. He found the perfect location just off Main Street and, as it happens, only a block from where his father’s eponymous restaurant had been. To honor his father, he called this new, 62-seat BYOB eatery De Martino Latin Restaurant.
In the pursuit of a more sophisticated and elevated menu, Linares hired classically trained chef Ryan Corbin, who had worked in top restaurants like Mistral, 90 Acres and the Ryland Inn. Together, Corbin and Linares landed on New Jersey’s top best new restaurant list in 2020.
The two collaborate on menus that are rich in flavor and feature reimagined Latin American classic dishes like Peru’s Lomo Saltado (a four-hour braised boneless short rib with Peruvian sofrito, potato pave with aji amarillo crema and gochujang aji panca sweet sauce).
The menu staples can include deep-fried cod fritters with a spicy mustard sauce. Plump shrimp in a lemon-sparked white wine sauce. Wildly creative dishes like line-caught black seabass, pan roasted, topped with coconut sambal and served with sweet potato green curry, sautéed spinach, shiitake mushrooms and leeks.
At the top of the menu are small plates for tasting and sharing: house-made guacamole, crispy mushroom quesadillas and oxtail empanadas in a creamy cilantro sauce. The hands-down favorite is birria beef tacos (four-hour braised beef, Chihuahua Mexican cheese, onions, cilantro, lime vinaigrette and consommé for dipping).
It would not be a proper sit-down dinner without ropa vieja (shredded beef and vegetables in a colorful stew), the national dish of Cuba. “We serve ropa vieja but we put our own spin on it,” says Linares. He sears the flank steak, then braises it for four hours before finishing it with a classic tomato sauce and sofrito (mixed bell peppers, onions and garlic). This savory stew is served with white rice and sweet plantains.
Cubanos, available at street-corner loncherias in Cuba, are a mega hit with Linares’s customers. Traditionally grilled in a sandwich press called a plancha, this recipe can be made at home in a panini press—pressed and steamed until the ham, pork, cheese and pickles have melded into a compact and delicious snack.
“We don’t take short cuts or compromise quality,” Linares says. “All of our menu items are made from scratch. Between cooking the meats and preparing the elaborate components, the preparation can take days. Our Al Pastor Pork Ossobuco, for example, takes two days. The pork shank is immersed in pineapple and Mexican chili marinade overnight.”
Intrigued by the restaurant’s confident, flavor-forward dishes and wanting to know more about Linares and his family, we caught up with him in his creative, functional kitchen. The sizzle of searing and grilling and the clang of pots provided the soundtrack. As we talked, Linares was searing oxtails (for the empanadas) and checking in supplies from meat and produce purveyors.
“I grew up in the restaurant business,” Linares says. “I started bussing at the age of 11. I’ve been in the kitchen since high school but it’s in this kitchen—my kitchen—where I could finally showcase my creativity and craft dishes that display the diversity and complexity of Latin cuisine. This is where I’ve been able to bring my vision to life.”
View the menu at demartinolatin.com.
Cubano – Cuban Sandwich
Makes 4-6 sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 loaves of French bread cut at 6-8 inches
2 lbs pork loin
6-8 slices of swiss cheese per loaf
6-8 slices of ham per loaf
3 sprigs fresh oregano
Fresh mint
1 c orange juice
1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
2 sticks room-temperature butter
Jar of dill pickles
Dry Rub Ingredients:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp granulated garlic
½ tsp dry mustard
Mustard Aioli Ingredients:
½ c mayonnaise
¼ c yellow mustard
Pre-heat oven to 375°
Mix dry rub ingredients and rub thoroughly on the pork loin until covered.
Sear pork on both sides for 5 minutes each. Transfer pork to a braising pan. Add orange juice, white vinegar, fresh oregano, fresh mint and cover with aluminum foil and braise for 2 1/2 hours.
Pork should be tender and should fall apart. Let pork cool for two hours in a cooling rack.
Drain liquid and wrap pork tightly in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to cool overnight.
Assemble Cuban Sandwich
Pre-heat oven to 450°
Mix mustard aioli ingredients and set aside.
Unwrap pork and slice in ¼ inch slices. Cut bread about 8 inches long, slice in half and spread butter on both sides. Add the cheese and ham to both sides of the bread. Add sliced pork to bottom bread and season with salt and pepper. Place pickles over pork. Place sandwich on sheet pan open-faced in the oven for 5 minutes.
Pull sandwich out after 5 minutes and add mustard aioli. Close sandwich and press in a panini press for 3 minutes or until bread has a nice crust. Remove, cut in half and enjoy.
