Cuba Libre’s Las Olas menu, still being finalized, draws from Pernot’s Cuban travels. His idea for slow-cooked Guava BBQ ribs sprung from the local honey-glazed ribs he sampled at a paladar in Santiago de Cuba. Coconut crab fritters are inspired by sweet coconut fritters he tried on the beaches of Baracoa. Octopus a la Parrilla, Pernot’s truffle- and citrus-marinated baby octopus with smoked potato crema, are inspired by a popular Havana palador called Al Carbon. Even his pineapple guacamole Cubano, served with roasted jalapeños, fresh lime juice and plantain chips, came from a pineapple and guacamole salad tossed with olive juice in Cienfuegos, he says.