Assimilating

In 1979, my Tio Mario started serving “American Breakfast” at his Cuban restaurant. He said, “It’s easy. Just remove flavor.”

He offered fried eggs without onion and garlic, omelets without plantains and peppers, flat toast instead of thick, crusty Cuban bread, and coffee that was mostly water instead of thick, strong, and highly sugared.

His view of American food was consistent with his philosophy that everything was better in Cuba.  “These poor gringos. They don’t know what’s good.” But having just become a citizen, he was ready to blend in. He proudly hung up his first sign in English, “Brekfust.”

Illustration by Steve Spetseris