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Mama Roomba, shakes and stirs
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Posted by admin Thu Sep 21, 2006 15:04:27 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Sitting across the table from Victor Hugo Casas, you can’t help but feel like you are in the comfortable presence of an old friend. Having freshly set roots in Bakersfield a little over a year and a half ago with his fiancée, Casas decided that it was time  to embark on a life long dream – owning his own restaurant, the Cuban/Caribbean flaired, Mama Roomba.
  Born and raised in Mexico until the age of fifteen, Casas is the youngest of ten children – four brothers and five sisters.  His first venture to California was quite the brave endeavor.
  “I simply told my family that I was going to go on vacation,” he says with a childish grin. “I guess they didn’t expect for me to be gone for over two months.”  At fifteen, Casas headed to San Francisco where he worked in various restaurants learning the tricks of the trade. From the meager beginnings of a busboy up to sous chef, Casas worked hard and learned the ins and outs of what it takes to create a successful restaurant. 
  “I learned a lot from being in the restaurants and paying attention to what everyone was doing,” he says. “I think that was the best way.”
  However, being a skilled chef is something that comes natural to the family. In fact, Casas says all of his brothers are pretty good cooks, even better than some of his sisters.
  “Honestly I just really like food,” Casas says. “I like being in the kitchen and throwing things together. Having the restaurant allows me to give to the community something they have never experienced before.”
  Named after one of Casas’ favorite nightclubs in Cuba, Mama Roomba is a unique blend of taste and style for your senses. Whether you are in the mood for some delicious fried calamari, jerk chicken skewers or the special of the day, Mama Roomba is the perfect local spot to slip away to. Located on the corner of Eye Street and Wall Street Alley, this foreign themed gem is a must for the curious and adventurous customer.
  Upon walking into the restaurant you would have never suspected Casas and his crew gave the small building a complete face-lift. From painting, to patching up holes in the wall to completely designing the bar area, Mama Roomba is definitely a well-polished diamond.
   Casas says that in the beginning, business was a little slow, but as soon as people started to come in and tell their friends how great the place is, business picked up.
  “Not too many people know about Caribbean food. But when the people got familiar with us – they loved us.”
  Casas says finding the right spot for his restaurant wasn’t easy because he didn’t want to set up just anywhere – it had to be the right place.
“When I walked into this building I knew this was it,” he says.
Decorated with hanging bongos, guitars and strategically placed palm trees, Mama Roomba is Casas’ way of bringing the Caribbean to the heart of Bakersfield.
And let’s not forget about his classic cocktail concoctions.
Although the restaurant is called Mama Roomba, it very well could have been crowned the palace of Mojito. What is a Mojito you may ask? Well, it is a traditional Cuban cocktail, which became quite popular in the United States during the late 1980s, but has recently seen a new boost in popularity in bars and nightclubs nation wide.
“I had a lot of people tell me this was the first Mojito they had ever had,” said Casas. “I liked that. It  feels good – giving new experiences.”
 A mojito is traditionally made of five ingredients: mint, rum, sugar, club soda and lime juice. We’re not going to tell you what Casas’ magic mix is, that would spoil all the fun – we aren’t even going to tell you his favorite type of rum to use.
  Mama Roomba is all about experience.
  Casas encourages people to stroll in and find out what they like or don’t like – but the point is being adventurous and trying something new. And who knows, you may just become one of the restaurant’s regulars.
 The festive restaurant has just celebrated its one-year anniversary in downtown. Casas took the joyous event a step further; he decided as part of the celebration he would give his entire staff a week long vacation. During his time off, at the end of August, he and his fiancée traveled to Mexico City where they were married.
  “I wasn’t nervous at all,” he said. “I was really, really excited to go home, see my family and get married. I thought it would be the perfect way to celebrate my restaurant’s anniversary too.”

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