At home, the process takes nearly two days, but Crews knew that a bottled version of the product would fill a growing niche. The secret to the unique flavor lies in sweet onions, sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil, freshly pressed garlic, Caribbean spices and peppers, raw cane sugar, a splash of vermouth and a signature sofrito made from 12 natural ingredients. “Every time I cook the beans, I always get a reaction of, ‘Wow, this flavor is like nothing I’ve ever tasted before!’” That reaction brought Crews’ great-grandfather, Julio Rivero, a modest degree of fame in Old Havana when he perfected the recipe in the late 1800s.
I started thinking about launching a line of all-natural, gourmet Cuban-style food,” Crews says. “People would start cooking great family recipes for their friends and eventually start selling it. Talking to food show organizers and vendors, Crews learned that many gourmet companies started with family recipes. But he had covered culinary shows and food events, where he gained access to seasoned food-industry professionals. A veteran journalist, Crews had no prior experience in the food industry.
But several retail outlets are considering carrying the brand, and Crews hopes that, by the end of 2009, Old Havana Foods will be in a number of stores-a sure sign of success for his labor of love. As of now, the products are only available through, the Old Havana Foods website, which also showcases music, art and literature from his artistically inclined relatives. In December 2008, Crews launched Old Havana Foods, a Chicago-based company producing all-natural Cuban gourmet products, including his family’s celebrated black beans, Chili Cubano and Famous Black Bean Dip. “That was the first time I thought about the centuries-old family recipe,” Crews says. Nothing touched my family recipes.” The seed for a business had been planted. “I knew they were amazing because I lived in Miami for about eight years, and I tried a good cross-section of Cuban food. “I realized at that moment that there wasn’t anything better than my family’s frijoles negros on either side of the Florida Strait,” Crews says.
His great-grandfather’s version was better. At first bite, Crews knew one thing without a doubt. At a restaurant in Havana, Crews watched three waiters serve one of Cuba’s most renowned dishes-frijoles negros (black beans). governor to lead a humanitarian mission to Cuba in nearly 40 years. In 1999, Crews, a general assignment reporter for Chicago’s WGN TV, traveled to Cuba to cover former Governor George Ryan’s unprecedented visit as the first U.S.
Taste of Old Havana Julian Crews expected his visit to Cuba to be an unforgettable experience, but he didn’t expect the food to change his life.
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