Cumaná features a menu so expansive and diverse that dining here sparked excitement. That and the…read morerestaurant's cute cat, who roams the floor, utterly content.
The menu is all over the map - with something for everyone - but the things I focused on over 2 visits were traditional offerings and a sweet potato dish that might not be traditional but ought to be.
On my first visit I tried a traditional Argentinan stew called Locro. Baked in a clay oven and served piping hot, Locro featured white corn, beans, squash, and meat. I was enjoying it well enough until the sweet potato dish arrived at which point all bets were off; that dish got all of my attention.
The menu features a "wood-fired potato and sweet potato" category and it was from that small offering that I'd opted for the sweet potato topped with creamed corn, honey, and walnuts. During my first visit - and even on the return visit - I'd have sworn this dish was covered in melted cheese. It was not. But the combination of flavors and textures was so immensely satisfying that I couldn't wait for a do-over.
During my second visit I again ordered the amazing sweet potato (and a Northern-Style Tamale, a bottle of wine, and flan). Everything was, again, quite delicious but that sweet potato? It was fabulous and one of my top flavor sensations in a month of travel.
Cumaná serves immensely satisfying food that differs from what you find elsewhere. You can go with pizzas and pastas but why, when the menu is filled with gems rarely found elsewhere. And as for that sweet potato? I never saw anything like it on any other menu. Miss it at your own peril.