Luis Rivas of West Windsor organized a 10-course feast for the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, along with more than 60 members of his party on September 23 in his restaurant, Mediterranean Cafe in Middletown, Pennsylvania. The three-hour family-style meal included calamari, crab cakes, clams, fish, rack of lamb, and steak, all prepared using traditional Italian recipes.##M:[more]##
The executive chef is Rivas’ brother, Johnson Rivas of Lawrenceville. The brothers, who came to the United States close to 20 years ago, were raised in Ecuador. The restaurant was recommended after a member of Correa’s council dined at the restaurant three weeks earlier.
Rivas, who has owned and managed the Italian restaurant for four years, had to keep the dinner plans a secret, close down his restaurant for the night, and work closely with security officers in order for the dinner to take place.
