profile | Habana blues
BY GREG GAPSIS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN DRY
here’s a bastion of international and Cuban culture in downtown New Albany whose doors are open and welcoming to people who want to experience new foods, new music and the heartbeat of an emigré who has traveled a long way to reach the American dream. Leonardo “Leo” Lopez opened Habana Blues Tapas Restaurant six years ago in downtown New Albany when that restaurant scene featured more headstones of ventures that had failed than flags of those who were succeeding. Today Habana Blues is a solid citizen in a revitalized, historic downtown and a pioneer among a small group of restaurants receiving good reviews and setting standards on both sides of the Ohio River. Lopez, a Cuban emigré, as a young man felt the lack of opportunity and burden of poverty in his homeland to such an extent that he, with a group of friends, decided to build a raft to escape to America. When asked about the meaning behind the restaurant’s name and logo — a noble figure holding a staff and looking up and out — he said, “Both are about a person wanting to leave, always dreaming of freedom.” Now in a large space previously occupied by a bank, Habana Blues greets diners with clean, modern lines that create a calm and welcoming space. From an entrance on Pearl Street (across from River City Winery), you pass an enclosed front dining area (which opens to a street-front patio in mild weather), into a balanced mix of quiet booths, open tables and special event rooms before getting to a stylish bar on your right. Next as you work your way through the restaurant is an open dance floor
T
32 Spring 2017 www.foodanddine.com