Niurys Bonet gave an interview on her Cuban restaurant La Esquina Cubana, which opened November 3 of last year at 1602 East Forsyth Street. She told what got her started in the restaurant business. “I love to cook. Since I was a little girl, I was cooking with my family, when we get together.”

Bonet described the dishes she’d cook for her family. “Everything from sandwiches, the steak sandwiches, we cook a lot of oxtail, goat, empanadas, steaks, vajitas, we cook a lot.” She told how she came to Americus. “I was born in Cuba. I was raised in Miami. My husband was born in Cuba. He was raised in New Jersey. We meet up in Miami and then we [moved] here.”

She told how when she moved to Americus, she decided to expand her passion after noticing a lack of variety. “I’m like, okay, let’s open a Cuban restaurant.” Bonet told what made Cuban food unique. “We use a lot of seasoning, like garlic, onions, bell peppers, black peppers, everything. When you mix it up, the taste is unique.”

Bonet talked about the most rewarding aspect of running a restaurant. “When you do something that you love, you don’t see it as you’re working.” 

She did mentioned getting people to try Cuban food for the first time was a challenge. “When you used to eat something every day, and you’re trying something new, it’s like a challenge. You’re telling people ‘come and try my food.’”

Bonet told how the customers reacted after trying the food. “They love it. They come back for more and more and more. . .”

She also gave oxtail as a customer favorite, saying that; “The shrimp and the seafood [are] also really good too.”