An award-winning Ramsgate chef has launched a new venture bringing a taste of Cuban and Mediterranean food to Broadstairs High Street.
Dean Adams, who also runs the successful Dirtee Feast street food business, takes over the Bella’s premises in the evenings for La Bueno Vida Restaurant.
The restaurant is a complete departure from the street food dishes that Dean is known for and instead deliver ‘elegance and flavour’ in a venue that also allows the dad-of-two to provide entertainment and a bar.
The 41-year-old, who last year scooped a Made in Kent Business Award, said: “I use the Bella’s kitchen in the evenings so we are two separate businesses.
“Last year I won an award, which took me by surprise, and since then I have been trying to push myself a lot more.
“I’m quite well known for Dirtee Feast but I wanted to express myself to do something elegant and with flavour and something that was not offered in the area.
“I did a lot of training and worked with a couple of Cuban and Mediterranean chefs, and did a Cuban street food stall and then did a pop-up Cuban/Mediterranean evening.
“It went really well and a lot of the feedback was praising the small dishes.
“So, I opened the Cuban tapas restaurant two weeks ago.
“It is fun and challenging and is about bringing a different style to the area and showing myself on a plate.
“I am able to have live entertainment and that is part of having my own venue, being able to use my own spin and have somewhere to experiment and explore.”
Dean has been working with Broadstairs College to provide students with a safe space for their open mic nights and also has acts lined up including a DJ ad sax player this Saturday (March 1) and Broadstairs singer Olivia Rogers – who made The Voice semi-finals last year- the following Saturday (March 8).
Dean, who has spent most of his career in hospitality, added: “I have a licensed bar so can do cocktails and it is a luxury to be able to have the live entertainment.
“There will be lots of different things happening as we build up to the summer.”
Currently La Bueno Vida is open on the first and last weekend of each month with plans to expand that to 3-4 nights a week and to take on floor staff once the tourist season gets underway.
The new tapas menu launched this weekend and Dean says it is advisable to book to get a table at the 30 cover venue.
The menu offers four plates for £25 or six for £35 and includes items such as chilli and garlic broccolini, beef picadillo, Moroccan kebab, Mojo pork bowl and sharing slate options.
Dirtee Feast is also enjoying success at its new home in the Horse and Groom pub in Ramsgate’s Charlotte Square.
Find La Bueno Vida on facebook here
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La Bueno Vida (evenings) and Bella’s (daytime) based at 52C High Street, Broadstairs.
No mention if Dean has actually been to Cuba, I did in 2008 on a fact finding visit, and came back wishing I could speak Spanish, and could move there! The people are so friendly, and we were able to move about as we wished in the evenings. We stayed at 3 different locations, and we had our own Spanish speaking guide who was English. I was most impressed by the GP service that had doctors visiting small isolated villages to see if there was anyone who needed medical help! So the doctors went to the patient, sometimes on horseback!
They had inner town farms, due to the American ban on imports, and some 200 basic food items were on ration, at special stores, and very low prices. This meant no one went hungry, and best of all every evening around six pm, they stopped whatever they were doing, and had a knees up in the streets! All vehicles have colour coded number plates, and any government vehicles are obliged to stop if they are waved down by anyone, and give them a free lift to where ever they are going if its on their way! This wasn’t a holiday, and we were able to stop to speak to professionals any time, and medical care was free in towns at Polyclinics, for the locals! Did stick my toes in the Caribbean though!
Wonderful!