In a familiar and informal atmosphere, a few steps from La Ceiba de Los Prados, one of the oldest trees in the Dominican capital (it is more than 300 years old), the Casa Dede pastry shop-restaurant operates.
Maricha Martínez Sosa takes me to meet her. Here we had lunch, celebrating his birthday in advance, but without alcohol.
Upon entering, the first thing you see is a shelf with jars of honey, jams… and in a display case, desserts with sophisticated recipes that make your mouth water. And something unusual for a two-story house: an elevator.
The dining room, on the first floor, with undressed tables, faces a patio where there are children’s games and a pavilion for daily use or activities.
As for the menu, Maricha knows it well. I took a look at it the night before. So we both had decided on the dishes to order.
Without hesitation, she orders “Puff pastry empanada stuffed with Manchego cheese and pepper chutney.” Delicious!, and “Melvin Salad”, where the tomato confit stands out, which is left in balsamic for 24 hours. You can already imagine its good taste.
Melvin Salad
For my part, I bet on creamy rice: “Risotto Salvador”, with parmesan cheese and ossobuco. A hearty dish with good flavor. For dessert? “Lemon pie” for Maricha. Although I am a lover of sweets, because of the cream, which hurts me, I refrain from ordering dessert.
lemon pie
On another level
After paying the bill, I find out from the owner, chef Haydée Salcedo Objío (Dede), that they have “Cassava fritters in syrup.” I fancy them! They also have other Creole desserts that I didn’t see in the display case. Being the final days of Lent they tell me about Sweet Beans. “What a shame! I’m lactose intolerant,” I comment.
Haydée Salcedo Objio (Dede) Chef and owner
“We have lactose-free, for some of our clients,” Dede clarifies. Neither short nor lazy, I also order the Beans. I start trying them right away. They are tasty. The Donuts? I bring them home and that’s when, when I eat them, I am convinced that they are made as a dessert for gourmets.
Dede has taken cassava to the gourmet range. It’s not a coincidence. This entrepreneurial woman, who when she opened her first restaurant had to close it a few weeks later because the Covid pandemic arrived, is a feisty woman who thrives in the face of vicissitudes.
That is why a phrase appears in its space: “Never give up, because great things take time.”
Likewise, she is supportive, as they were with her; and on the second floor of Casa Dede, in addition to areas for meetings and workshops, it has spaces that facilitate other entrepreneurs.
rooms
When you get out of the elevator on the second floor of Casa Dede, the first thing you see is a room with a Katama painting. There is another room on the terrace, and several work areas, both open and closed.
