stevez wrote:The good news: I was able to find Itasca .

The bad news: Cafe Havana is closed for vacation until Friday. 7/30/10

I have now received my flash of instant karma for posting without reading the entire thread a couple days ago. Sorry YelirNY.

The extra bad news is that i guess this place is closed for good. We tried to go there for lunch today and there were some pretty bright stickers and a long typed letter taped to the door.

It's weird because I searched all of lth and did a web search and read nothing of it being closed. I'll post this over in the closings thread too.

Please feel free to pass along any info if you know any.

John

The torta cubana at Xoco is a sleeper delight - the bacon and chipotle mustard put it over the top, and it is paired with a delightful vinegary salsa roja. I also have continued to enjoy Z & H's pork belly 90 miles to Mosak, though the meat balance can go awry easily.

NB: Mexican sandwiches dubbed tortas cubanas are their own "thing" and, as best I can tell, have nothing to do with the classic sanguiche mixto born of the Cuban diaspora in Florida. In Mexican food jargon, "Cubano" tends to be shorthand for the florid, the baroque, the over-the-top. I've seen this applied to drinks (eg, micheladas Cubanas) as well as to other foods (pizza) in Mexico but also in other parts of Latin America (specifically, Argentina). Accordingly, tortas cubanas usually have the kitchen sink (stuff like hot dogs, bacon and milanesas) in addition to the standard beans and guac on a hollowed out bolillo or telera. I say this not to discredit the torta Cubana as inauthentic, because it is a real Mexican sandwich that doesn't appear even to reference the Cuban sandwich so much as use an adjective, "Cubana," that has specific connotations. But I wouldn't want a novice to think the Mexican torta Cubana is the same thing as the Cuban sandwich.

Agreed - neither that I mentioned is traditional. However, Z&H is clearly making a reference to Cuba proper with its title, and Rick's use of mustard and the balance of the sandwich seem a reimagining or merging of the traditional Cuban and Mexican torta cubana, rather than an attempt to emulate an existing regional torta. To me, it's very Chicago in design and implementation, and I dig it.

Santander wrote:The torta cubana at Xoco is a sleeper delight - the bacon and chipotle mustard put it over the top, and it is paired with a delightful vinegary salsa roja.

You can also get these at the Frontera Fresco locations at Macy's on State Street and at Old Orchard. I wouldn't call it a Cuban (though Bayless does), but it's a tasty and quite excellent variation on the theme.

On another note, one of El Cubanito's selling points was that their sandwiches were a raging bargain. Now they've priced them according to demand. Not that I blame them, but that makes other options (90 Miles, Señor Pan to name a couple in particular) more attractive than they once were.

stevez wrote:

Kennyz wrote:Cafe Havana Cuban Sandwich:


Cafe Havana bakes its own bread, the fresh, light crunch of which is the main thing that makes this a great sandwich. The lechon is also well flavored, and the ingredients tasted in perfect balance to me.

That bread really looks good; and very close to the bread you find in S. FL. I'll have to get out there and give it a try...as soon as I figure out where Itasca is.

Take a final look at what was the best Cuban sandwich in all of Chicagoland. Havana Cafe closed a few months ago, according to the owner of the newly opened Colombians Cafe which has taken over the space. Quite sad, but the good news is that the Colombian food in the new place is quite good. Report on that to come soon.

Sorry I missed it. Looks like they had either giant forks or teeny Cubans, possibly both? Kidding aside, the bread looked good/right.

Mike G wrote:

Has anyone tried Senor Pan?

Yes and yes.
I've been back at least once, maybe twice. Best Cuban restaurant, probably not, entirely decent Cuban restaurant with pleasant, spiffy atmosphere in an area not otherwise overflowing with such things, yes, certainly.

Senor Pan just opened a new location on North Ave, half way between my house and Cermak produce. My cubano was... ok. The "house-roasted pork with some crispy crackling flavor around the edges" that Mike described in his blog post was pretty dry and flavorless on my sandwich. Empanadas fared a bit better - ground beef and ropa vieja were both good, though the chicken one suffered from flavorless chicken breast filling.

Given it's location, I'll probably give them another shot or two and explore a bit more of the menu.

Senor Pan
2615 W. North Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
773-227-9601

-Dan

When the Ryder Cup was in town I was doing some work out that way and noticed this place in Addison on Fullerton called Sabor Cubano Cafe. Having fallen in love with the Cuban sandwich my first year of college in Tampa I'm always down to try one from a place that could can put out a good version.


Addison, IL

It was around lunch that there was a crowd of what seemed to be regulars sitting on stools chatting it up like you see at the Cuban cafes of South Florida. I overheard the lady telling some other folks they were expanding next door next month. Tempted by their Havana steak sandwich I couldn't do that as I always go Cuban sandwich first at any Cuban lunch shop I'm stopping in at.


A peak inside

The sandwich definitely hit the spot although it wasn't on Cafecito's level which is still my favorite in Chicagoland. It's been so long since I've even been thru Miami airport to grab a Cuban before boarding a flight to go somewhere else let alone in the sunshine state with time to roam. Luckily that will change as I'm headed to Tampa and then Miami and the Keys next month. This sandwich was good enough to where it gets me excited for whats ahead, aside from the sun and sights .


Cuban Sandwich

Sabor Cubano Cafe
101 E Fullerton Ave
Addison, IL 60101
(630) 359-4206

Da Beef wrote:It was around lunch that there was a crowd of what seemed to be regulars sitting on stools chatting it up like you see at the Cuban cafes of South Florida. I overheard the lady telling some other folks they were expanding next door next month. Tempted by their Havana steak sandwich I couldn't do that as I always go Cuban sandwich first at any Cuban lunch shop I'm stopping in at.

The sandwich definitely hit the spot although it wasn't on Cafecito's level which is still my favorite in Chicagoland. It's been so long since I've even been thru Miami airport to grab a Cuban before boarding a flight to go somewhere else let alone in the sunshine state with time to roam. Luckily that will change as I'm headed to Tampa and then Miami and the Keys next month. This sandwich was good enough to where it gets me excited for whats ahead, aside from the sun and sights .

Sabor Cubano Cafe
101 E Fullerton Ave
Addison, IL 60101
(630) 359-4206

Stopped by today as driving by the name hit a note.

Very good sandwich out this way! Thanks!

Every once and a while the Cousin's sub chain puts a cuban on the menu.
About what you would expect, but it takes away the urge.
Nothing like the best cuban, from Jose's Panther Den, Melbourne, Fl where I pretty much lived in since they were close to grad school and cheap.

exvaxman wrote:Nothing like the best cuban, from Jose's Panther Den, Melbourne, Fl where I pretty much lived in since they were close to grad school and cheap.

I like the sound of this place.

You can now find a pretty legit Cuban sandwich at GNR Toons in Lakeview. Its a mostly traditional version but the highlight is their always perfectly smoked pulled pork replacing the normal roasted pork used when constructing one. Originally a special but so many came back to eat another that I believe it now has a permanent place on the menu. As always, very good bar food. Might have to head over and tap the Great Lakes Christmas Ale and eat one later tonight.


Cubano Sandwich at Toons

Toons Bar & grill
3857 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 935-1919

No way. Love Toon's, respect DaBeef and know of his Tampa ties, but that thing is outta whack. We are talking about a sandwich class that exudes elegance and balance. That mess looks like the contents of 2 Cubans, missing 2 pieces of bread, smooshed together. I bet it tasted good, though. I'd buy one.

JeffB wrote:No way. Love Toon's, respect DaBeef and know of his Tampa ties, but that thing is outta whack. We are talking about a sandwich class that exudes elegance and balance. That mess looks like the contents of 2 Cubans, missing 2 pieces of bread, smooshed together. I bet it tasted good, though. I'd buy one.

Haha. Now lets be fair. We both know a real deal Cuban is hard to find outside of Tampa. Even Miami has many meh ones which amay be constructed properly but just dont taste quite right. While it did have extra pulled pork than the normal slice or two of roast pork I do remember saying if he added some salami it would be as close a version to Brocato's as we had in Chicago. But yeah like I said and you suggested, it tasted good. Its hard not to like the combo of bread, pork, ham, pickles, Swiss and mustard all pressed together.

Speaking of off balanced Cuban's I had one at Hannah's Sandwiches and Cafe on Milwaukee which I forgot to post about this past summer. Its a Latin sandwich shop attached to a car repair garage. Bet you've never seen a brick of cheese like this used on one, have you Jeff? Still I ate it and didn't hate it but next time I'll try their steak sandwich. It had the place smelling pretty good on my visit. I just haven't rode by hungry since.


a Puerto Rican interpretation of the Cuban at...

Hannah's Sandwiches and Cafe
3507 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 657-3148

i had a cubano at jerry's sandwiches in wicker park this week. purists won't like it, because rye bread was used instead of french bread, but the important part is that it was delicious.-it contained roast pork loin, ham and country ham, lots of pickles, yellow mustard, swiss cheese, jalepeno and cilantro. it wasn't overloaded, but contained a respectable amount of meat. i find rye bread much tastier (it was pressed, or toasted) than classic cuban bread so i was happy. some day soon i'll remember to take a picture and even learn how to attach it….

justjoan wrote:i had a cubano at jerry's sandwiches in wicker park this week. purists won't like it, because rye bread was used instead of french bread, but the important part is that it was delicious.-it contained roast pork loin, ham and country ham, lots of pickles, yellow mustard, swiss cheese, jalepeno and cilantro. it wasn't overloaded, but contained a respectable amount of meat. i find rye bread much tastier (it was pressed, or toasted) than classes cuban bread so i was happy. some day soon i'll remember to take a picture and even learn how to attach it….

That sounds tasty, but it's more like a ham melt than a proper Cuban.

justjoan wrote:i had a cubano at jerry's sandwiches in wicker park this week. purists won't like it, because rye bread was used instead of french bread, but the important part is that it was delicious.-it contained roast pork loin, ham and country ham, lots of pickles, yellow mustard, swiss cheese, jalepeno and cilantro. it wasn't overloaded, but contained a respectable amount of meat. i find rye bread much tastier (it was pressed, or toasted) than classes cuban bread so i was happy. some day soon i'll remember to take a picture and even learn how to attach it….

I just wish I understood why places insist on calling a sandwich a "Cuban" when it's not even close to that recipe--why not just call it something else. And, by the way, a Cuban is not made with "French" bread--it's made with Cuban bread. They are different. Although, at least French bread kind of sort of almost looks like Cuban bread. Rye bread and cilantro and country ham on anything called a "Cuban" are just silly. Doesn't mean it doesn't taste good--it just kind of bastardizes something that could lose it's meaning if no one knows what it was supposed to be.

Yeah. The main problem with "Cubans" outside Florida and, I suppose, Cuba is it's a bread-specific sandwich like a cemita. Most are mere approximations using Italian or French loaves (I think fresh Vietnamese baguettes at times come close), which are close cousins. But using rye is like making a "hot dog" with ground beef because you prefer that to frankfurters. And sure the important part is deliciousness. But there is often more than one important part. To some, the names and what they mean, to whom they mean it, and how it came to be, are also the important part.

Discussions always seem to come back to authenticity, and I tend to be slightly torn in this regard. But I'm generally willing to accept reasonably close facsimiles, even more when I'm not at a restaurant where I should expect to find something authentic and/or when the menu specifically describes the food item in a way where I can distinguish it from its authentic version (e.g., saying smoked pork or French bread, etc.).

What ticks me off though is when restaurants flat out lie about the products they are serving (e.g., saying you're serving Kobe beef when it is American wagyu is one example that comes to mind based on someone's recent dining post) . . . I believe restaurants have the responsibility to understand the distinctions, particularly where price varies dramatically based upon the difference in products used.

To me, it's really simple. If it's not actually a Cuban, just call it something else. I tend to feel the same way about Old Fashioneds, too.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:To me, it's really simple. If it's not actually a Cuban, just call it something else. I tend to feel the same way about Old Fashioneds, too.

=R=

If that be the case then Cuban sandwiches are only served in Florida (Mainly Tampa), the only place to get the bread. I dont mind calling something like that served at Toons a Cuban as its made with everything a Cuban is made of except the bread, but French gets the job done. But when people start using rye bread etc then yeah, just change the name.

Thanks to DaBeef for the picture of our Cubano at Toons. We do use our house smoked pork as a substitute for roast pork,, all the other ingredients are the same as a traditional Cuban. We press it and use a Turano french roll. I always wanted to call it the Fidel and now wish we had done so! Lol. All i know we ran it as a special and took off so when I took it down off the board people went crazy. Whatever it is called it will be a permanent fixture on our menu...Yes it is darn Tasty!

Danny

FWIW, Black Dog BBQ in Champaign (where I am way too often these days) has a special Cuban also made with the house pulled pork. Last week it looked like a very othodox version and everyone in the place was eating them. They ran out of bread and 86'd them so I had the tips platter. Gotta say, the place is as fantastic as people say. Massive tips platter and a big pour of Rowan Creek set me back like 15 bucks. Very nice to see a fancy competition type BBQ place selling tips, Chicago's great contribution to BBQ (with hot links).

Though not Cuban, I grew up in Miami and have yet to find anything resembling Cuban bread outside of there (never been to Tampa). I think the traditional stuff is made with lard and has a very light hue, a hard, thin, but papery crust, and a sponginess that still maintains itself somehow even after getting pressed on the plancha. It has a crack-like, devoid of nutritional value taste that has often led me to eat an entire loaf on the car ride back from the grocery before I can even get home to make a sandwich. If the crust cracks like a chiclet, you're on the right track.

La Segunda bakery in Ybor has been cranking out Cuban bread for 100 years. Back to a time just after Jose Marti was plotting his return to the island while lecturing thousands of Cuban cigar rollers and drumming up support at the factories. Miami was being incorporated around the same time with a population of a few hundred. Of course, the Cuban bread that came to Miami in the 60s is real Cuban bread, too. Just a bit different. Tampa Cuban bread is very similar to Miami's but generally less lardy.

JeffB wrote:La Segunda bakery in Ybor has been cranking out Cuban bread for 100 years. Back to a time just after Jose Marti was plotting his return to the island while lecturing thousands of Cuban cigar rollers and drumming up support at the factories. Miami was being incorporated around the same time with a population of a few hundred. Of course, the Cuban bread that came to Miami in the 60s is real Cuban bread, too. Just a bit different. Tampa Cuban bread is very similar to Miami's but generally less lardy.

La Segunda's bread is fantastic, I used to live a few blocks away for 4 years during the early 2000's. West Tampa Sandwich Shop was probably my go-to spot in Tampa. I have only tried a couple "Cuban" sandwiches here and both have dissapointing. I'm not giving up yet, this thread has pointed me to a couple spots that I'll surely try soon.

Has anyone tried Nini's Deli in West Town (on Noble St)?

While technically not a Cubano, Berghoff's downstairs cafe does its own version, the Cuboff. Very big, melty goodness, with tender roast pork. Much better than authentic version at Cafecito on Wells, which I found to be dry and disappointing.