El Rinconcito Cubano on Fullerton

I go by this restaurant twice a day on the bus and live fairly close by but have never actually ventured in there. Has anyone? Is it good? I've been meaning to try it now for almost a year.

Maybe this week? Whenever it happens, I will certainly report back. I was just curious if anyone else had eaten there.

Are you referring to Rinconcito Sudamericano on Armitage or is there a Rinconcito Cubano in existence that I'm not familiar with?

Rinconcito Sudamericano is just east of the Damen/Armitage intersection, and does a great job with Peruvian cuisine.

If there is indeed a Rinconcito Cubano, please share the address so that I might try it! I've been somewhat dissapointed with the other cuban eateries I've tried in Chicago.

But, having grown up in South FL, I'm a bit particular about my Cuban food!

Has been mentioned before. It's pretty good, esp. the coffee. Very Cuban vibe, with viejos smoking, playing dominoes and talking smack. Compare the crowd of old-timey Miami-ish Cubans here with the young recent immigrant crowd at Marianao. Consider also the striking similarities to the manly smoke-and-coffee "clubs" at Greek, Balkan and Egyptian spots on Lawrence and Italian on Harlem.

Cook is PR or Dominican, or was. But food was solid Cuban last time I visited.

JBanana wrote:If there is indeed a Rinconcito Cubano, please share the address so that I might try it!

Sorry!

El Rinconcito Cubano, 3238 W. Fullerton Ave
773) 489-4440

My main squeeze's mother is directly from Cuba, and El Rinconcito on west Fullerton is one of her favorite places to go for authentic cuban food. I haven't been there yet, so I can't comment. I'm still lamenting the loss of Ambassador Cafe.

sharon

Last time I was there, was about a year ago. It was very good, like it's always been very good.

Here's a great thread on the place (Ligament RIP!)

http://www.chowhound.com/midwest/boards ... 23625.html

Vital Information wrote:Last time I was there, was about a year ago. It was very good, like it's always been very good.

Here's a great thread on the place (Ligament RIP!)

http://www.chowhound.com/midwest/boards ... 23625.html

Blimey, that is a very detailed thread. I'm obviously a bit late about this place - for some reason I thought it was a fairly recent opening.

I will dine there either this week or the next for sure.

Just to add some more cache, Jose Contreras recently named this as his one of his favorite Cuban joint in Chicago.

"7. Can you find good Cuban food in Chicago?

[Nodding before the translation.] There are two very good places – Pancho's and El Rinconsito Cubano [on Fullerton Avenue]. They're about 30 minutes outside of downtown, but they're really good and worth it."


I'm not sure I've heard of Panchos?


(yes, I'm essentially one-track mind worthless since I got Series tix yesterday. GO SOX!)

This was, as is so often the case, an unfortunately late discovery of mine (meaning just before I was set to leave Chicago), but I managed to sneak in a few visits, during those two or three unspeakably hot and humid weeks we had in late June/early July this Summer.

As JeffB says, very solid, Miami-esque Cuban fare, with all the usual suspects in generous portions. Despite the heat, I tried their fabada Asturiana (the Cuban take on a Spanish white bean soup, always one of my favorites), and it was quite good - thick and hearty, studded with pork hunks, served with a side of so-so "Cuban" bread (I believe JeffB has done enuogh lamenting for all of us about the dearth of real pan Cubano en la Ciudad Ventosa) for a decent price. In fact, the whole menu is decently priced, and the servings are quite substantial, though perhaps not Versailles (ie, Flintstones) sized. But the quality is good (I sampled their medianoche and pan con bistec, the boliche, picadillo, and, of course, the requisite platanos maduros and moros y cristianos or congris for side dishes.) and the setting is simple and homey, with a smoking section (might want to bring the spare lungs, JiminLoganSquare... ahem...I'll deal with you later, Smokey McNofun...). What was a little disturbing about the place, though not totally unexpected, was the overwhelmingly old-school, chauvinstic vibe in there. Trying to be my usual, ingratiating, friendly self (especially in a new, neighborhood restaurant with a 100% Latino clientele), I smiled and shifted into my best faux-Cubano Spanish for the entirely female staff, and was met with an ice-cold steeliness that was off-putting, to say the least. It wasn't until I had spent a little time in there, observing the (overwhelmingly male) customers, that the dynamic was realized - men come in, demand service, don't say thanks or please, and otherwise ignore the hard-working cadre of women in the kitchen, all of whom are running and sweating and slaving to meet the demands of these Johnny-cum-Patrones, all gabbing loudly amongst themselves and talking on cell phones and dropping food and napkins on the floor. Had this been a different time in my life, and had my grasp of Cuban idiom been stronger, I definitely would have made a comment to one of these pendejos, but I decided that I needed to leave Chicago with all of my limbs intact, and thought it wiser to hold my tongue. Regardless, I paid the place another visit (after tipping extremely well and bringing my own dishes up to the counter my first time there) at a less hectic, almost empty time, and found the women who run the place to be a little more relaxed and open. But still, they get treated like non-entities by the regulars, and I guess the natural response to such treatment is to do exactly what they do, ie, block it out and do your job and not expect anything in return. I can only imagine how a single woman who ventured to Rinconcito Cubano would be received. If anyone's experiences differ from mine, please chime in, but I found the whole situation to be disturbingly neanderthal but, unfortunately, all too common, especially (and I'll get pasted for saying this, but, alas, it's true) in Latino establishments. My one method of subtle rebuke to the crew of men, by the way, was a dose of the coldness I found myself using as a defense mechanism - one of the men tried to engage me in the White Sox game on the TV in the corner (and I was watching)... I said, without a smile, "I'm a Yankees fan" and returned to my meal. The silence that fell over this crew was akin to if I would have said, "Viva La Revolucion, Gusano!" A mini-victory, perhaps, but, hey, I don't play that mierda. Still, worth a visit for the food, though you might want to get it para llevar.

-- Reb

Panchos is discussed by Zim and me in the 2003 thread VI linked. Note also the michelada digression. What's old is new.

PS, Rabbi,

My note to compare RC to the kafenaios and Bosnian espresso parlors was meant to convey just what you so eloquently documented about the machismo that these places revolve around. I can only say they come by it honestly, and I fear that in RC's case, the dynamic is exacerbated by intra-Latino chauvinism as well (the staff not being Cuban).

JeffB wrote:Panchos is discussed by Zim and me in the 2003 thread VI linked. Note also the michelada digression. What's old is new.

Thanks for the heads up.

Shockingly, I've been to Panchos numerous times, live down the street, and didn't realize it was Cuban (assumed it was PR). I think next time I'll be ordering a bit differently. Although they do make a terrific Puerto Rican-Chicago Jibarito.

Also, gotta say after reading through that thread that I'm very thankfull for the setup and software we have here. Cheers.

Ab--

As I mentioned in the old thread, I also was surprised to find out Pancho's is Cuban owned because the menu is so Puerto Rican. But there is lots of Cuban there too, particularly the ropa vieja. I think Pancho just knows his customers.

hungryrabbi wrote:I can only imagine how a single woman who ventured to Rinconcito Cubano would be received. .

-- Reb

Whoa. Sounds like a challenge to me. I'll have to stop by one day when I'm in a really bad mood

Giovanna

Giovanna wrote:

hungryrabbi wrote:I can only imagine how a single woman who ventured to Rinconcito Cubano would be received. .

-- Reb

Whoa. Sounds like a challenge to me. I'll have to stop by one day when I'm in a really bad mood

Giovanna

Well, be sure to, as Stewie Griffin says, "wear your ovaries on the outside." Either that or be prepared to hear a Tony Montana-like catcall of "Puta...Lesss-bian" as you leave. Seriously.

Reb

hungryrabbi wrote: I can only imagine how a single woman who ventured to Rinconcito Cubano would be received. If anyone's experiences differ from mine, please chime in, but I found the whole situation to be disturbingly neanderthal
-- Reb

As i said earlier, i've never eaten there, so I can't comment on the food, but on my few times passing by, a glimpse in showed me this exact picture...

tho it hasn't scared me off from trying the place. when i get a chance i'll venture in, by my lonesome, and let you know how i was treated...and of course how the food was

leesh

ab wrote:
I'm not sure I've heard of Panchos?

Here's a little more on pancho's:

fried porky goodness

I should say that I go back to pancho's not infrequently, mainly for sandwiches, am always fairly satisfied.

Vaca Frita

At El Rinconcito Cubano tonight, The Wife’s sharp eye caught “vaca frita” on the whiteboard.



I had read about this dish in previous posts, and our server described it as ropa vieja “without the sauce,” which was not very accurate. The fried filaments of beef in the vaca frita were much thinner than the long strands of beef in ropa vieja, and it was a kind of hash that benefited from a spritz of lime. I very much enjoyed the crunch and lightness of the preparation, with a texture more akin to pig than cow.

Though her initial description was off-base, our waitress suggested an excellent accompaniment: sweet, moist platanos maduros to balance the dry beef, rendered slightly tart with white onion.

Allegedly, this dish originated at La Teresita in Tampa (yes, JeffB, I still mean to post about that place, though I’m embarrassed to admit I’m starting to lose the memory).

After 27 years of lauded Cuban food at 3238 W. Fullerton Avenue, El Rinconito Cubano has closed.

https://chicago.eater.com/2017/8/9/1611 ... sures-2017

El Rinconcito Cubano was a stop on the 10th Anniversary Chowathon and ended up being one of the highlights.

--
edc