CGNW Recommends: Cafe Rumba

Cafe Rumba is a Peruvian deli known for its fish tacos (blackened rockfish, fresh avocado, romaine, and mango salsa on a corn tortilla) and the lineup of delicious sandwiches and salads. They also host an event, the first and third Saturday of each month. Here’s what that experience looks like.

It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday night. I find parking on State Street only a couple blocks away from my destination and walk by the old Morse Hardware building. The bright HERALD sign overhead serves as a directional for pedestrians and drivers, and reminds me of how in the 1920s it was also a landmark for boats and airplanes. 

Inside Cafe Rumba, the owner is marshalling early arrivers to move chairs and tables - they get put out on the sidewalk and chairs are pushed to the perimeter, leaving a small open area of concrete floor. Here is where about thirty people gather over the next  half hour, chatting with their friends. The dark room is lit up by LED light strands that change from red to blue. 

At 9:30, the dance teacher explains some of the background of Cuban salsa, and leads us through a series of moves.  Some basic steps, the musical beat, how to partner dance. It feels a little like a Zumba class in a nightclub - which would be a great combination by the way. At the end of the half hour, he shows us a move that involves hip, ribcage, and shoulder movements - all in different directions. By now we’re comfortable looking like absolute dorks (at least for a few seconds) but some people are really good at it.

After the lesson, it’s time to social dance. Some dance with partners; other groups of 4-6 people dance in groups. The crowded floor means that everyone gets elbowed or run into at some point - that’s just part of the fun, and means that spins and turns are kept small and calculated. For a social dancer like myself, there simply wasn’t enough space to really dance (although some of the more experienced dancers made space and their moves were totally worth watching so no one seemed to mind), and as the night progressed, it was less of a social dance (where strangers mingle and partner dance with each other) and more of a club feel. But I’d still definitely recommend this as an outing with friends or as a date!