There is no conference yet (registration is tomorrow), I cannot brain, and so ye shall have food photos. People do seem to want to know what I eat on the road.
Googling the restaurants around my hotel, I found there was a surfeit of ones that sounded good and got high ratings, ranging all the way from the upscale and famous Gage & Tollner, where I will likely splurge on lunch in the next few days, to Dave’s Hot Chicken, only a 2-minute walk from the hotel. (Confession: I’ve never had “hot chicken”, a spicy subspecies of fried chicken that is a specialty of Nashville.)
One of the ethnic restaurants that got good good reviews was the Cuban Shack, only a 12-minute walk from where I’m staying (menu here and also pictured below). Since I adore Cuban food (in truth, the only ethnic cuisine that I find blah is Jewish!), I decided to make my way there. And I had a lovely and authentic lunch.
Well, I don’t know if the famous “Cuban sandwich” that I had is really eaten in Cuba, but it’s ubiquitous in Cuban areas of Florida, and Wikipedia says this:
A Cuban sandwich (Spanish: Sándwich cubano) is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich that likely originated before the turn of the 20th century in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West, two early Cuban immigrant communities in Florida centered on the cigar industry. Later on, Cuban exiles and expatriates brought it to Miami, where it is also very popular. The sandwich is made with ham, mojo, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami on Cuban bread
Mine had all the ingredients above (the pork was chopped) save salami, which is superfluous. It came with plantain chips and garlic sauce for dipping, but I decided to order a side dish of fried plantains (they come sweet or green, but they had only sweet), a dish I love, and is usually on tap only in Cuban places.
Here is the inside of the Cuban Shack, which is unprepossessing, but that means nothing when it comes to food.
And my lunch. The portion of fried plantains was huge, and I had to bring half of them back to my room (in fact, I’m snacking on them now).
A close-up of the layered sandwich, with chopped, roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, very thinly sliced pickle, and mustard. One might think this a weird combination, but the flavors meld wonderfully, which is why the sandwich is so popular. The only off-note was that the cheese could have been melted a bit more. Still, I loved it:
The menu (click to enlarge):
Here’s the part of Brooklyn where I am, and of course since I rarely ventured outside of Manhattan when I lived in NYC, I don’t recognize anything. Perhaps some readers do. There is a sign right outside that says “Last left turn before the Brooklyn Bridge,” so I must be close to the East River and The World’s Most Beautiful Bridge. But I am ignorant, and only the dead know Brooklyn.
For people like you and I – you who lived here a long time ago – and I who moved here a long time ago (1994), Brooklyn was very much “across the river” and like the NYer cartoon famously “over there.”
That has changed in the past 25 or so years I’ve noticed.
We might not have changed however. 🙂
Eg. – I was surprised the Hillary Campaign HQ where I volunteered was in Brooklyn not Manhattan. I guess being more affordable Brooklyn is more popular with the sexy youngsters and culture moves in that direction.
It is funny how the world changes irrespective of our personal mental maps of it.
D.A.
NYC
Try to walk along the Promenade. You’re near it. Gorgeous views. You’re also not far from Junior’s. Very un-blah Jewish cheesecake.
Enjoy!
The Cuban food looks awesome. There is an authentic Cuban restaurant within 1/2 mile of my house. Not only is the food excellent and inexpensive but, for those who indulge (not me), the restaurant has a cigar bar that offers handmade cigars rolled on the premises. Cigar tobacco smells wonderful—especially when it’s not burning. 🙂 Our Cuban restaurant is not in Brooklyn, of course, where so many of my relatives lived their entire lives.
Looking forward to reading about the conference!
I thought the Millau Bridge was in France. I must have missed the news it was moved to New York.
Just about my first thought!
Genuine Nashville hot chicken is very tasty, and comes in various spice levels. I have found almost no restaurants outside of Nashville that make an acceptable version of it. Once you’ve had the real thing, you are spoiled.
I do love a good Cuban sandwich, all flavors balanced and melded together; and your lunch looks great. Haven’t had one in years. Sure that you will run into friends this evening as they arrive at the hotel.
The sandwich looks quite good, and I must add the Cuban Shack to my list of places to go when I am on a job in Brooklyn. I don’t know the boro well, though my ex lived there in the late 1990’s, and I spent a fair bit of time there, though mostly Prospect park, Jay street, and Red Hook.
These days, work takes me there maybe one or two jobs a year, usually to the navy yard drydock (Dumbo-ish), but sometimes to Bay Ridge or down by JFK, so it isn’t too far out, maybe.
I do love me a good crackling crust Cuban sandwich. I also love your travelogues.
I don’t know if I’ve ever had a Cuban sandwich, but now I want one!
Why is a vegetarian Cuban the same price as one with meat?
I have no idea. But a vegetarian cuban sandwich makes about as much sense as does a vegetarian pastrami sandwich.
I once saw a vegetarian haggis.
I guess vegetarian haggis would be oatmeal porridge. A definite improvement on the original I should think.
The VERY BEST ever Cuban sandwiches ever can be found in Miami at Enriquetas, 186 NE 29th Street.