Cafe Habana is coming to LA

My favorite restaurants in NYC

Spotted Pig and Cafe Habana

I now only need to travel to NY for the former. Cuz motherfuckin Cafe Habana is comin to LA. I got a press release in my mail today. I hate those things, but this one mentioned Cafe Habana and I was hooked from there. I’ll just copy and paste the press release below. But I figure the Title is all you really need to know about this little post.

Eco-restaurateur Sean Meenan is as earnest as they come, which is maybe a surprising description for a former Heavyweight Boxing Champ. 40-year-old Sean keeps himself busy, he was the original investor for Etsy.com, the DIY shopping community and Positively Green, the new women’s environmental magazine. Meenan also started the awesome nonprofit Habana Works, Inc which hosts monthly workshops on sustainable energy and allows aspiring environmental architects to create environmentally-minded architectural projects that are incorporated into Sean’s restaurant Habana Outpost.

Manhattan’s Cafe Habana and Habana To Go, and the corresponding eco-eatery, Habana Outpost in Brooklyn were inspired by owner Sean Meenan not just as restaurants, but as chill neighborhood meeting spots that happen to provide social consciousness. The dining experience at Habana Outpost has a totally festive family barbecue feeling…if your family had magically became eco-conscious, Mexican/Cuban, and unabashedly hip. This summer, we’re psyched to announce that a Habana Outpost will be sprouting in Venice and negotiations are underway for a Cafe Habana in Malibu’s trendy Lumber Yard shopping center.

The festive outdoor venue, Habana Outpost, runs on (and supplies part of the neighborhood with) solar energy from the roof’s solar panels. The plant-dappled rainforest-y restrooms use recycled rainwater to flush the toilets. And all the utensils, cups, and plates are compost-able (and shock of all shocks, actually composted) and made from sugarcane, corn, or potato starch. There’s even a stationary bike-powered blender to blend your own smoothies (or pay an extra dollar to have the staff pedal), but working up a thirst makes it way more delicious!

Famous for their frozen mojitos and Mexican grilled corn with chili, lime, and cojita cheese, Habana also offers a full menu highlighted by the the catfish burrito, cuban sandwich with roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles, and chipotle mayo, and cactus salad with a delicious melange of radishes, tomatoes, queso fresco, and cilantro in a spicy lemon dressing. If the food guilt from eating three dinners is killing you, just hop back on the blender bike and think about all the eco-friendly things you did today!

  • http://hecooksshecooks.net Brittany

    Cafe Habana is the shit. I try to recreate that corn on the cob whenever I’m away from the city.

  • Witnes

    My favorite jawn in SoHo

  • PKING

    environmentally sure, maybe you should look up Habana outpost on the Department of health and mental hygiene you will see all the inspection violations and how many times they have been shut down this year alone…for someone who wants to move the enviromentally issue furthur SEAN and LOPETI should try to conquer the sanitary issues first.

    HABANA OUTPOST
    757 FULTON STREET, BROOKLYN 11217
    718-858-9500
    05/19/2009

    757 FULTON STREET, BROOKLYN 11217
    Inspection Date: 05/19/2009
    Violation points: 94

    Establishment Closed by DOHMH. Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

    Sanitary Violations 1.) Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

    04/30/2009

    757 FULTON STREET, BROOKLYN 11217
    Inspection Date: 04/30/2009
    Violation points: 64

    Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

    Sanitary Violations 1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
    2.) Food contact surface not properly maintained.
    3.) No facility available to wash, rinse, and sanitize utensils and/or equipment not provided.

    and most recently on 5/22/2009 with 6 violations
    they have been open in NY for over 3 years and they are still being fined with these kinds of violations.
    I don’t know about you but I smell a rat and yes, there is pun intended!
    and Sean was in the lightweight division.