Enabled for the first time to hire middle men and other intermediaries who in turn increased internal trade on the island, many government licensed entrepreneurs quickly built on their already solid reputation as reliable, top-quality purveyors of services and goods. At “Casa de Lilliam”, a private paladar, waiters wear black bowties and long sleeves amidst an outdoor garden while serving Professor Jennifer Lambe, archivist Jorge Macle, friend Orly Milián and legendary Cuban bibliographer (with back to the camera), Dr. Araceli García Carranza. Entrepreneurs like Lilliam easily outcompete virtually any government-owned establishment with quality ingredients and diverse, once long-lost Cuban dishes like this plate of garlic-and-wine infused octopus served on a savory bed of rice cooked in its ink.
