Los Angeles now has a beautiful Cuban restaurant in the Casa Don Rolando, a new eatery in the North Hills section of the city. The décor is beautiful, the chef is top notch, and the food is – hey wait a minute – for Los Angeles, the food is reasonably priced!

Chef Rolando Gonzalez’ menu sticks to the Cuban classics. There isn’t even a hint of Nuevo Latino or strange “interpretations” of traditional Cuban cuisine. These are the dishes of the Cuban homeland as learned by Chef Rolando at his mother’s side in his native Holguin, Cuba.

Appetizers include all the usual suspects: Papas rellena, croquetas, empanadas and real Cuban tamales. The entrees look like old Cuban friends -- bistec encebollado, vaca frita, ropa vieja and the ultimate Cuban comfort food, picadillo. Masitas de cerdo, chuletas, fricase de pollo, arroz con pollo, and tender lechón.

Before opening Casa Don Rolando, Gonzales partnered with Jennifer Lopez at her Pasadena restaurant, Madre.  You might have seen him on television, most notably on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The 62-seat restaurant is open Tuesdays through Sundays, with live salsa music and Latin dancing every Friday night.

We Show You How in Two Great Cuban cookbooks: