Put the Ban in Julie's Cuban

3 weeks ago I finally tried Julie's Cuban - a cozy tapas place tucked into a quiet section of Dovercourt and Foxley. I first heard about it almost 10 years ago. Every now and then, I would think: "Let's try that Cuban place". But I could never find it, always thinking it was somewhere on Ossington.

Google Maps finally set me straight. I've biked past that place in the last little while and it's always busy. Looks good so far.

Perhaps I should have gone 10 years ago when it first opened. It was a mediocre, perhaps downright bad, meal. The ceviche came rubbery and fully cooked over a bed of indifferent salad and herbs. This is doubly criminal since Foxley (the restaurant) just down the street serves some excellent ceviches. I've never met a chorizo dish I didn't like, until Julie's: hard, overly chewy, in a bitter red wine. The chicken quesadillas was simply adequate and Ropa Vieja (shredded beef with rice) was just edible. I don't know if brown rice and beans go better with Latin food but the white rice was definitely a mistake. Both dishes were undersalted. Yet oddly, the plaintain dish was oversalted. Finally, the slice of pie was ok ... except for the $7 price tag.

The only tasty dish (heh) was the waitress. She was the classic girl next door: light brown hair loosely tied back, rosy cheeks, blue eyes that twinkled when she smiled, and a soft sweet voice. I couldn't help but sneak a peek every time she came by. Luckily my dinner companion was just a good friend because otherwise I'd feel like a horn-dog. She thought the waitress was all that, too. This would be the only reason that makes me regret that I'll never come back here.

So the $80 (pre-tip) we paid meant a good and deserving tip for our helpful and attractive waitress. But it was definitely overpriced for our dinner. I really don't know why this place is always so busy ... maybe the regulars stick to nachos and beer.