Sabor - Latin/Cuban - Schaumburg

Updated post and post from Dec 2003

First the Dec 2003 post:

Have been meaning to go to Sabor for awhile now, finally went for lunch today.

Sabor is located in the Schaumburg Town Square, near the Schaumburg Library and a Dominicks. (SW corner of Roselle and Schaumburg Road). Decor is funky purple high couch seating along one wall and windows on the other side. Some small outdoor seating existed.

The chef/owner graduated locally from Schaumburg's James Conant High School and Kendall College in Evanston.

I started out with the Empanadas - picadillo of ground beef, tomatoes, raisins, and capers in a puff pastry shell with a roasted red pepper coulis & sour cream. WOW! Terrific. The puff pastry in place of the normal dough used with empanada made it very light, also the addition of the coulis/sour cream was stellar. 4 are served, makes a great appetizer for 2 or more.

I had a favorite when trying Cuban, Ropa Vieja or 'traditional Cuban beef stew made w/shredded beef in a red wine tomato sauce, carrots and peas on a bed of white rice served w/maduros (sauteed sweet slices of plantains)' This was very good, ok great. although I don't know how traditional the carrots or peas are as I've never had it that way any other place.

I also picked up two sandwiches for co-workers who could not get out to lunch. For payment of my delivery services, all I asked for was a small section of each sandwich so I could try it, seeing as they normally eat Subway crap, they readily agreed.

One sandwich was a Cuban or Cubano - roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, pickles on Cuban bread that has been toasted flat. Great sandwich, one of the best Cuban sandwiches in Chicago for sure. Bread still lacks something IMO, but I don't know what.

Other sandwich was a Vaca Frita - garlic marinated shredded steak with carmelized onions on an onion roll with mayo. The shredded steak was a little dry, perhaps should not have been sauteed as long, if it was not for that a very good sandwich.

A flyer with the bill mentioned that on Thursday nights Sabor offers a Tapas menu.

Sabor Restaurant
160-E South Roselle Rd.
Schaumburg, IL 60193
847.301.1470
all major cc accepted

Updated post from August 6, 2004

While waiting for my wife, I was in conversation with the bartender about Mojitos and Caipirinhas as I sipped my mojito. He mentioned the Brazilian liquor used in a Caipirinha, cachaca. I expressed a wonder at what that would taste like. In an instant, I had a small portion of cachaca in front of me, he also poured a small tasting of Bacardi's product (Carta Oro) that is similar, but much sweeter w/o the harshness of the cachaca. I really like service like that, he was knowledgeable and wanted me to become educated so he poured, great touch. By that time Judi had arrived, she liked the Bacardi and I liked the cachaca (so typical!).

This time we went in summer and were seated in a small outdoor patio that has 5 tables. You face the fountains in the pond out back which is nice as it drowns out the traffic noise and sort of makes you forget the strip mall effect.

Josh our waiter was very enthusiastic and explains almost every dish.

Started out with the emapanadas again, still incredible.

We split the Cabrales salad. a 1" wide wedge of Cabrales a blue cheese atop some greens and very thinly sliced onion, a balsamic based dressing. Excellent, but seeing as I love blue cheese, it would be pretty easy to please me.

Before the main courses came out, we had finished our mojitos and Josh asked if we would like some wine with dinner, of course we answered. Judi was pretty sure what she wanted but I was not really swayed by the small wine list. I told Josh I had narrowed it down to two wines, at that point he disappeared and brought out two small samples of the wine I had narrowed it down to. Again, service like this is rare in my opinion.

For the main course Judi had the ximxin (pronounced chimchin) which was a scoop of coconut curry rice surrounded by a stew of chicken and shrimp. Very good!

I had the pork medallions which had a very garlicky pineapple salsa on them. The pork was of very high quality and had a lot of flavor. Pork was also cooked perfectly to my requested MR-M.

Prices are about 4-7 for salads or appetizers, $9-16 for entrees.

A real gem in Schaumburg. The only complaint I have is that the sage dinner roll did not have more of a crust on it!!

Sounds like an interesting place. The chef seems to be picking and choosing a little, but the menu you describe seems mostly Cuban and Brazilian. FWIW, cachaca is cane liquor, called aguardiente in the Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America, whereas the Bacardi stuff you drank is rum, which begins with molasses. Personally, I don't like any of Bacardi's stuff, as it all tends toward the overly sweet and one dimensional. A good economical alternative might be Barbancourt from Haiti or Brugal from the DR. Cachaca goes in the caipirinha, rum in the mojito.

The empanadas you mention sound typically Cuban. They often use a light, bubbly crust, rather than the heavier, breadier versions you might have tried at Argentine or Chilean places, where the dough is influenced by Italian recipes, or the truly leaden vesions of Colombia and C. America which sometimes have corn meal. The Cuban versions also often *seem* lighter because they are often deep-fried.

The ropa vieja doesn't sound very traditional with the carrots. Peas are common enough, though.

The sandwich is a Cuban, as you correctly state. A pet peeve of mine that seems to have started with the NY Times is the description of a Cuban sandwich as a "Cubano." As the Brazilian kidnapper on the Simpson's said about Brazil Nuts, "here we just call them nuts." Well, Cubans called these things sandwiches mixtos. Americans came up with the term Cuban sandwich. Cafe Cubano is a different story, though. It denotes a particular thing. (A similar peeve has to do with folks trying to sound erudite and pronouncing "Havana" like Ricardo Montalban might. It's an English word, damniit. You can be suave and say "La Habana" instead. Oh, and the pepper and the people are Habaneros, note that there is no ? in this word. Rant over.)

Bread being "off" on a Cuban in Chicago, or anywhere north of Orlando is a fact of life that ensures no truly great Cuban sandwiches.

Vaca Frita is, traditionally made with beef tasajo, as opposed to horse, which is Cuban jerky. This explains the dryness. That's pretty much how it is supposed to be. Even the best Cuban sandwiches can be "chokers," which is why they are best with a nice potaje de garbanzos, caldo Gallego, fabada, ajiaco, cafe con leche ar Hatuey.

Now for the multimedia part of this message:

Cuban Sandwich Video

After reading your great description, I suggested Sabor to my husband and a friend from out of town. We went for dinner on Friday night. The decor was more upscale than I expected. The room is very long and narrow - only two rows of tables. The left side is an undulating banquette in tufted purple. Inset into the high back are lighted niches with vases of flowers. Very pretty.

Josh was also our waiter. He did a very nice job, friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. We had mojitos, caipirinhas, and a martini. Our friend had the ximxin. I had vaca frita, and my husband had a chicken dish. All were excellent. The vaca frita was more than enough for dinner, and after having lunch today on the leftovers, there are still several bites left. I also liked that the focus was the meat. It was served on top of a small amount of rice which was very good, and with tostones on the side. The chicken dish was served with the same rice. For dessert, we had the almond cake and the chocolate molten cake with creme anglais and berry sauce, cafe con leche and cafe cubano. Bill for 3 drinks, 3 entrees, 2 desserts, 2 coffees, about $100 not including tip.

Thursday is still tapas night, and one night their drinks are $4, but I don't remember which night.

Thanks for the rec, Sweet Willie.