LAKEWOOD, Ohio — National Hispanic Heritage Month begins this Friday. We decided to kick things off early with a look at a restaurant in Lakewood that takes you around the world of Latino food.
When we celebrate the Latino culture, we mostly celebrate the music and dancing. But there's much more than that.
Barroco on Madison Avenue was founded by an immigrant Colombian family. Louis Morales is the manager and says the idea behind the restaurant initially was to bring traditional Colombian food to Lakewood. But then they started to offer foods from other Latino countries and islands. You can experience that journey of cuisine without ever having to leave Northeast Ohio.
"You can find food from all over Latin America," Morales explains. "Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile."
Foods that are native to the area. And foods that make you feel like you're at home with your abuelita (or grandmother) cooking.
"I would say 90% of our employees are from Latin American countries and all the cooks and chefs are Latinos," Morales adds.
Latinos bringing their family recipes to your table. And it doesn't stop there. Even the drinks are made old school, like grinding pure coconut for mojitos that transport you to a tropical island.
At Barroco, you'll enjoy arepas from Colombia, ropa vieja and black beans from Cuba, chicaronnes from Puerto Rico. But it's not just dining...it's the Latino experience
In the Latino tradition, when a guest enters your home, the philosophy is "mi casa, su casa," which translated means “make yourself at home," or literally, “my house is your house.”
Morales says Barocco is trying to keep that tradition alive.
"They (customers) just love the way we serve our food, the way we treat them," he says. "We like everyone to feel welcome in our little casita."