MADISON, (WKOW) — The Taste of Madison has its last day of festivities this Sunday after a weekend of delicious flavors.
For Eugene Martinez, owner of CubaRicans Cocina, the Taste of Madison was an opportunity to introduce people to a flavor they may not find often in the area.
“There’s not a lot of Cuban, Puerto Rican food around here,” Martinez said. “Just a different kind of flavor that it’s not used to around here.”
CubaRicans Cocina brought several dishes to this year’s Taste of Madison, including Cuban sandwiches and a lechón dinner. The business also served carne guisada, a stewed beef dish served over white rice, but quickly sold out.
Martinez said Cuban and Puerto Rican food is often misunderstood, particularly when it comes to spice.
“A lot of people might think that because we’re like a Hispanic culture, our stuff is kind of going on the spicier side,” Martinez said. “That’s definitely not. No spicy stuff at all. It’s just all flavor-packed things.”
The food truck also took home first place in the Latin American category for its Cuban sandwich.
For Martinez, the recognition came at an important time for his business.
CubaRicans Cocina currently operates as a food truck, but Martinez is working toward opening a restaurant at 4656 Cottage Grove Road in Madison. He hopes to open the restaurant within the next few weeks.
“This is the perfect time to have this kind of exposure,” Martinez said. “This is ideal, time for me to have this exposure right before I’m trying to get to the next level.”
Martinez said the new restaurant is still being finalized and that he is continuing to raise money through the food truck.
“I need more people to come to my food truck so I can get some more money up,” Martinez said.
As CubaRicans Cocina prepares for its next step, Martinez said he is grateful for the people who have supported the business, whether by visiting the food truck or following its Facebook page.
“I just want to thank anybody that’s come and supported my food truck at all, or even my little Facebook page, and thought about it,” Martinez said. “I just want to build something nice for the community here in Madison.”
For Martinez, the Taste of Madison was more than a chance to serve food. It was a chance to introduce more people to Cuban and Puerto Rican flavors while building momentum for his future restaurant.
