THE BEST: Cubano Sandwich

[Jason Perlow]

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/food/t...topfive/n_9369/

Maybe we should do a multi-week outing to try all of these? Cubano Club?

[Bux]

And that luncheonette on Eighth Avenue around 20th Street? Good roast pork is what makes their sandwich special. I'm generally a purist, but I'm partial to their variation with chorizo. The addition of chorizo seems far better than a slice of salami. I'd be pleased to find a better Cubano sandwich, but I'd be surprised if all those places provided it. I'm in if the timing works.

[bpearis]

I get a cubano from Margon about once a week. It's great and only $4. The one at Chickenbone Cafe (which they call the BFC -- "Best Fuckin' Cubano") really is good too, but a bit fancy-pants and pricey ($13).

[schutd]

I can't NOT order the cubano at the 'Bone. They had some wonderful short ribs and a quail dish I wanted to try when we were in on Saturday and when they came to take our orders, The only thing I could say was "CUBANO!"

I suck.

[herbacidal]

I get a cubano from Margon about once a week. It's great and only $4. The one at Chickenbone Cafe (which they call the BFC -- "Best Fuckin' Cubano") really is good too, but a bit fancy-pants and pricey ($13).

is margon the place on 8th mentioned?

list, what list? aren't we in the embryonic stages of forming it now?

[mikeyrad]

there's a dump, and I mean a DUMP on 1st Ave bet 13th and 14th that makes a Cubano muy bueno.

[Bux]

No herb, the list from above.  I think the place on 8th is called Little Havana.

I think it's called Havana Chelsea, but I'm always afraid I'm confusing it with the more upscale place (a block north?). It's a luncheonette with a small counter and maybe six or eight tables of four in the back. It's on the east side of the street. There should be another Cuban place a block north, or maybe a block south, on the same side of the street. The one I'm thinking of is definitely the more down home looking one, to be charitable. The rice and beans are fine for that sort of place. Some dishes are better than others and the last of the roast pork at night is not as good as the better portions. There's no bar, but you can bring your own beer or wine. Enjoy while you can. Who knows when gentrification in the guise of Olive Garden will drift over from Sixth Avenue and 23rd Street.

I don't know how many sandwiches they can press at once. An order for four might disrupt the joint. An order for a dozen might cause a meltdown. Some beer and rice and beans might smooth out the service bumps.

[Bux]

This is not the place I mean.

[Pan]

Believe it or not, I don't think I've ever had a Cuban sandwich before, but count me as a possible for the proposed outings.

[picaman]

Jamie,

          Are there any remarkable cubano places in Inwood/Washington Heights?  There are so many places, I don't know where to start.

Robert

I'm somehat ashamed to admit that I haven't done extensive exploring yet, so can't be much help here. I have, however, scoped out where some of the busy places are, which to me is the best way to start. In fact, some of the food trucks, especially the one that stays at the north exit of 207 on the 1 train, look pretty good. One of these days I'll get the cojones to start looking--to be honest, I need to do some homework on the menu items. I can easily navigate any menu in French, but don't have much experience with a Latin-oriented menu.

Maybe the best place to start would be DRK (formerly Republi'k) on the east end of Dyckman near the 1. From reports I've heard, it has good Latino cuisine in fun surroundings. I haven't been yet due to the nagging feeling that I can get the same food or better elsewhere in the neighborhood at half the price.

Damn, just reread all this. I need to shake this inertia!

Jamie

[lambretta76]

Seems to be the best Cubano in the old Cuban neighborhood in Chelsea can be found at Havana-Chelsea, so I'm going to head out there tonight. My standard for that neighborhood has been Sucelt Coffee Shop, down on 14th Street. Are Havana-Chelsea's better?

[ned]

I've heard that there are no cubanos in cuba. Also every cubano I've eaten (all of which have been within greater NYC) has been made by a Puerto Rican.

Thoughts?

[Pumpkin Lover]

There's a place called Mi Floridita on 125th and B'way that does Cubanos. As far as I can tell, it's a Cuban restaurant, but I can't confirm that. They top their sandwiches with butter before squishing and toasting them. They're divine and well-priced, I think about $4.

Another place is down the street from me, La Nueva Espana (207th and Broadway). Again, I don't really know who runs the place, but it's a mostly Dominican nabe. Their sandwiches are also great, but no butter topping, which I guess can get over the top if you're not that hungry.

[lambretta76]

My friend, who is Cuban, has had amazing Cubanos in Santiago de Cuba - in fact - he said that most of what you find to eat (he's not limited to tourist restaurants as his mother holds a Cuban passport) is either ham, ham and cheese, or cubano sandwiches.

As for around here, the chef at Cafe Habana is Mexican of Cuban descent, and the one at Cafecito is Cuban-American. The other places I've had them at tend to be run by Dominicans.

For the record, I love Cafecito's - though the bread is slightly off. Why is it so hard to find good Cuban bread in these parts?

[herbacidal]

To date, the best and only Cubano I recall eating in NYC was a taken away from a small dinerish Latino place on the SW corner of Houston and a cross street a few blocks east of Suffolk.

No clue whether or not the owners were Cuban.

[ned]

So that's the answer to that question.

[zeitoun]

Another place is down the street from me, La Nueva Espana (207th and Broadway). Again, I don't really know who runs the place, but it's a mostly Dominican nabe. Their sandwiches are also great, but no butter topping, which I guess can get over the top if you're not that hungry.

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Yes!!! is that the place between vermilyea and broadway? i used to be a regular when i was attending college in the bronx (and had a girlfriend who lived down the block ), they had good domincan food and great cubanos!! We also used to go to this restaurant on the NE corner of dyckman and sherman or is it vermilyea? I can't seem to remember the name since I haven't been around there in years. They also had really good cubanos.

[...tm...]

there's a dump, and I mean a DUMP on 1st Ave bet 13th and 14th that makes a Cubano muy bueno.

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This was my favorite cubano and not just because it was a block away from my apartment. The place is Spanish American food, and I'd describe it as more of a hole than a dump. Every time I ordered and waited for my sandwich to be pressed there would be some trouble because other people would be coming and going and the "seating area" is really only the width of one person, especially if said person has been eating the food from this Puerto Rican lunch counter. The mofongo is pretty good too--nice and garlicky, which is also what I like about their cubano, not to mention that it has loads of juicy, roasted pork.

To date, the best and only Cubano I recall eating in NYC was a taken away from a small dinerish Latino place on the SW corner of Houston and a cross street a few blocks east of Suffolk.

No clue whether or not the owners were Cuban.

This was probably Clinton restaurant at the corner of Clinton and Houston. Their cubano is pretty good, but a little less flavorful than Spanish American. I think they were also Puerto Rican, but I have to admit that most of my experiences with this place were in a too much beer induced haze from hanging out at the Parkside Lounge a little too long. Another place nearby that has a decent cubano is Castillo de Jagua.

The cubanos at Mi Floridita at La Flor de Broadway and Mi Floridita are good, and possibly more "authentic", but not my favorite. They are much more petite than those made at the Puerto Rican places I mentioned, both in the bulk of the bread and in the amount of meat in the sandwich. They also seemed a little blander to me, with none of the delicious garlicky creaminess of Spanish American cubano.

[Pan]

Clinton Restaurant is Dominican. Good steam-table Dominican fare at good prices - $7 for dinner specials like Mondongo (which comes with a nice red sauce there).

I can't remember what I've had at Spanish-American, but it was way too oily and upset my stomach. I think I gave them a couple of shots and then gave up.

[lambretta76]

I hit Havana Chelsea last night, and I have to admit that cubanos are pretty good. Not great, but definitely among the better in the city.

Of course, since there is no cuban bread in the city (that I know of), the bread was a bit off, but serviceable. The innards were wonderfully moist (but not too much so) shredded pork, ham, cheese, pickles, and mayo. A side of mojo that was served with the tostones was spread on top to give it some garlicky kick. (There was already a little garlic flavor in the pork.)

The regular costs $4, the large $5, and the special - with chorizo - costs $5.50.

[Pumpkin Lover]

Another place is down the street from me, La Nueva Espana (207th and Broadway). Again, I don't really know who runs the place, but it's a mostly Dominican nabe. Their sandwiches are also great, but no butter topping, which I guess can get over the top if you're not that hungry.

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Yes!!! is that the place between vermilyea and broadway? i used to be a regular when i was attending college in the bronx (and had a girlfriend who lived down the block ), they had good domincan food and great cubanos!! We also used to go to this restaurant on the NE corner of dyckman and sherman or is it vermilyea? I can't seem to remember the name since I haven't been around there in years. They also had really good cubanos.

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Zeitoun, that's the place. We've eaten dinner there a few times; their cocktails are nice, but I think it's better to get take-out, as the prices are lower and the portions are a lot bigger. I wish I knew the other place you're talking about--I'd love recommendations! There are just tons of restaurants in the nabe, but I don't know about their quality.

[zeitoun]

I wish I knew the other place you're talking about--I'd love recommendations! There are just tons of restaurants in the nabe, but I don't know about their quality.

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Ok, after some intense brain digging: I remember la caridad not being that good, on dyckman itself two places seem to come back to mind, Mirage and Jubilee (I think), which also have a night club section, served very good dominican food, and one of them had really good cubanos!!

This was close to 8 or 9 years ago though so a thing or two might have changed since then!!!

[Pumpkin Lover]

Caridad is still there (the storefront looks like it's straight from the seventies), and I'm pretty sure I've seen Mirage. I'll check that one out, thanks!

[Burt1961]

I didn't see it mentioned, and I haven't been there in a while, but my pick for best cuban sandwich would be this little Cuban style diner across from the Strand on Fulton Street. Also try the mufungo and maybe a guanavana shake.

[tan319]

I loved the Cubano they used to have at Alva.

They called it 'Fernandos Cuban Rueban'.

Also, believe it or not, a place called Relish, in Abq., New Mexico, has an awesome Cubano amongst their sandwich selection.

I hate to say it, but their Cubano was better then the one I had in Miami, at one of the mainstays of Cubanos.

Now that I'm living in Miami, I expect to do much more research on them.

Will report back soon!