The owners of New York City’s Agozar are officially hopping a PATH train to Jersey City, and construction has begun on the latest addition to the Grove Street dining scene.
Jersey City Upfront is reporting that 363 Grove Street, formerly home to Manhattan Florist, will soon be transformed into Casa Cubana. The eatery will be a sister restaurant to Agozar in the East Village and the owners previewed some of their food at the All About Downtown Food Festival last weekend.
Construction permits were posted late last month at the site, which spans 1,055 square feet and includes potential room for outdoor seating according to a listing for the space. James Luty Associates is handling the construction duties for Casa Cubana, which is scheduled to open in the Spring of next year.
The restaurant will offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner when they open and a peek at Agozar’s menu provides some clues as to what Casa Cubana might feature. Options at that spot include sandwiches (who doesn’t love a classic Cubano?), tapas-style items, traditional Cuban fare like Ropa Veija, and a significant vegetarian menu.
A BYOB situation may be in the cards for Casa Cubana, which fills a void in Downtown and really Jersey City in general. While Rumba Cubana is opening next year in Hamilton Park and the more casual Rumba’s Café has been going strong in The Heights for years, there is a surprisingly general lack of Cuban cuisine in the city. But that looks like it will change next year.
