Restaurant experiment: Amor Cubano

Amor Cubano

2018 Third Avenue at 111th Street

New York, NY 10029

212-996-1220

http://www.amorcubanorestaurant.com

Mi amor es comida de cuba!  I don’t know if that was proper Spanish, but it’s fine for my purposes.  Amor Cubano on this particular evening featured a two piece band (percussion guy, keyboard cat, err guy) with guest cameos by a flute lady.  The music was a little too loud for me but it did add a pleasant touch to the atmosphere.

Dave and I shared a Cuban sandwich and two mini Cuban hamburgers.  I have never heard of a Cuban hamburger; they looked like breakfast sausage sandwiches.  Smaller than White Castle.  I think I goofed and waited until after the sandwich to eat the hamburgers which were naked except for a pickle.  Lots of various spices in the pork.  Not bad.  The Cuban sandwich was great.  I liked the special sauce they used to bring it all together.

There aren’t too many Cuban places in Manhattan, and I do believe I’ve been to a healthy chunk of them.  Amor Cubano luckily rates well amongst the others.

Restaurant experiment: Son Cubano

Son Cubano

405 West 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues

New York, NY 10014

212-366-1640

http://www.soncubanonyc.com/main1.htm

The Meatpacking District is a graveyeard on Saturday morning.  More like DeadMeatpacking District.  I learned that quickly as Laura and I strolled around the bumpy road-ed neighborhood, killing time until our reservation.  The reservation was not needed since we were the only diners in Son Cubano until we were about to leave, post-meal.  The space is beautiful.  We sat in a corner facing 14th Street, but drapes, chandeliers, and photographs pretty up the joint.  Our waiter, Henry, was attentive and very polite.  Props to him.

Us two grazed on the complimentary bread and sipped our cocktails as we were waiting for the entrees to make appearances.  Laura’s selection was a mojito, and I daintily sipped a pina colada martini.  We approved, though $13 for alcoholic beverages was steep.  There needs to be a rule where your mains do not cost the same as your drink.

I ordered the pan con bistec, which was the “traditional Cuban steak sandwich: sirloin steak, melted onions, yucca sticks.”  I was expecting a sandwich the size of a postage stamp, but I was happily surprised that I would not be starving by the last bite.  The steak was flavorful with a few chewy pockets here and there, but overall satisfying.  Thumbs up to those sticks.

Apparently Son Cubano has quite the scene in later hours of the day: dancing, live music, more patrons.  Glad I missed that though.  It was like having our own private dining experience.  Now, if that could only happen when I go to the movies…

Restaurant experiment: Havana Central

Havana Central

151 West 46th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues

New York, NY 10036

212-398-7440

havanacentral.com

Havana Central is a mini-chain of Cuban restaurants in Manhattan.  Lisa and I paid a visit to the one in Times Square recently, but the other locations are in the “West End” and in Union Square.  The restaurant was not short of patrons, all the pre-theater crowd crowd, including us.  Luckily the space is generous so we didn’t have to wait long at all.  Our table was a tiny top wedged into a corner, surrounded by a mirror on the back wall (I am not fond of checking myself out while I eat) and a picture of Ernest Hemingway.  The tables were so close together that our waiter didn’t stand next to us to take our order, but he leaned over some other nearby diners to write down our requests.  Water took a while to arrive, and with the refill, ice and agua splashed all over the table.

Lisa and I both opted for $9 sandwiches even though the expansive menu offers a plethora of Cuban standards such as ropa vieja and picadillo.  The $5 mojito happy hour deal was incredibly tempting, but I refrained.  Lisa opted for the classic Cuban sandwich and I handpicked the roast pork Cuban sandwich with garlic mayo.  The sandwiches are partnered with sweet potato fries, or wedges, but who wants those?

The SP fries were crunchy but a bit bland; I dashed the old pal salt on them.  Now for the sandwich.  The pork was fine.  The garlic mayo?  Also fine too, could use more garlic.  The bread?  Is there even that much oil in Cuba?  The slices of carbs were glistening, slippery, slightly nauseating to behold.  I.  Don’t.  Understand.  Cuban bread should not be punished this way.

Restaurant experiment: Cafe Habana

Cafe Habana

17 Prince Street at Elizabeth Street

New York, NY 10012

212-625-2002

ecoeatery.com

Lime.  Chili powder.  Cheese.  On grilled corn.  Hold that thought. 

There was a similar eats joint in the previous city where I lived which had a slogan like “Too crowded, too bad.  Too loud, too bad.” and that would sum up Cafe Habana exactly.  The wait wasn’t ungodly, and I may have missed a few words of the conversation, but you gotta make sacrifices. 

The three of us squished into a corner table.  Thirst quenchers all met with approval.  Me: frozen guava margarita.  Stacy: frozen mojito.  Rachel: Michelada Corona which was interesting despite me not being an enthusiast of Corona nor hot sauce.  The frozen guava margarita may have used Goya juice, but whatever, I liked it. 

Did you hold that lime/chili powder/cheese/corn thought from earlier?  We ordered an order as an appetizer because that’s what you’re supposed to do; corn is Cafe Habana’s infamous signature dish.  These ingredients seem wack smashed together, but somehow it works.  Maybe cotija cheese is Mexican slang for crack.  I kid.  But there was something addictive about the corn despite the spiciness which usually repels me.  Get the corn. I ordered a Cuban sandwich since I knew the corn would take up real estate in my belly and I didn’t want to be pants popping full, and while that was a wise plan of action, I still lost because I left a wedge of sandwich and a few fries on the plate.  I’m so ashamed.  The sandwich was all right, but Miami does it better.  God, the Cuban food down there is amazing.  I thought Cafe Habana would serve up Cuban cookery only, but there are a lot of Mexican offerings.  Reading the fine print on the menu, this Cafe Habana was inspired by the original location in Mexico.  Huh.  It is also amusing that nearly two years ago, I tried to go here with Deborah but the line was too long so we gave up and at somewhere else that was totally eh.  Aw, we should have waited that day!