As a teeanger, Cristina Benítez never imagined she would take over her parents’ Cuban restaurant, a haven for Houstonians since the early 1970s. Before becoming a restaurant in 1996, it served as a grocery store for Cuban families. After Benítez's stepfather passed away in 2006, she moved from California back to her hometown – eventually becoming owner of her parents’ restaurant, Café Piquet, a mainstay of Cuban food crafted from family recipes.
What’s remained the same about Café Piquet since it opened and what’s changed?
“For the most part, we’ve tried to maintain ourselves as a traditional Cuban restaurant. What has become very interesting is a lot of our recipes are from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and a lot has changed. The reality of Cuban flavor and what Cubans are accustomed to has changed a little bit. We’re needing to find some ways to have fun with the food. We’re trying to modernize it. The actual way people look at going to restaurants has changed too. Now, so much is vibrant and flashy. We aren’t one of those trendier restaurants. We’re trying to create a little bit of a flash, but not lose ourselves in the process.”
What is one of your favorite dishes you serve?
“It constantly changes. Interestingly enough, my favorite is one that we brought in just a few years ago, our sautéed coconut shrimp. We have it in a creamy sauce with red and green bell peppers. As far as a traditional item, that's our pork chops, and I like to put grilled onions on top of that.”
How would you describe the Cuban community in Houston?
“It’s evolving. Obviously, we have a lot of generations that are older. They've been bringing their families for a long time. That’s probably my favorite part about the restaurant is when people come in and say, ‘Hey, my grandmother used to bring me. My dad used to bring me. I remember growing up here.’ The newer part is just getting to know some of the newer community because they’re coming from Cuba now.”
