El Cubano es magnifico!

Source: gastrolust.com

About six months ago my girlfriend introduced me to a sandwich I had never tasted before – the Cuban (or (El Cubano). It was excellent and has easily become my favorite over the previous champion Tuna Manhattan and Tuna Bagels prior to that.  Since becoming hooked on these yummy treats, I have searched far and wide for the best Cuban sandwich in the land. Here are my reviews of the six dining establishments where I have had a Cuban sandwich to date. Please note, none are quite as yummy as the homemade ones that Alison makes.

Grand Champion:

• The Beach Shack – Melbourne Beach, Florida (an awesome taste bud experience at a charming  beachside location – be sure to try their black beans and rice too)

Other contenders in order of excellence:

• Le Bon Café – Melbourne, Florida (excellent! – nearly the champion)
• Founders Brewery – Grand Rapids, Michigan (best of del Norte)
• Soup Spoon Café – Lansing, Michigan (good sandwich)

Need improvement:

• Fish on Fire – Orlando, Florida (yummy, but used plain yellow mustard which lacked a certain zing)
• Zingerman’s Deli – Ann Arbor, Michigan  (way too overloaded with Dijon mustard that overpowers the rest of the sandwich)

I highly recommend trying a Cuban sandwich (or El Cubano) – I have seen them also referred to as a Tampa Cuban, a Havana, a Cuban Press, and a Castro.  Below are weblinks to several variations on the recipe for these yummy Caribbean delights (my personal preference is using pulled pork instead of slices):

• http://www.flanboyanteats.com/cooking_recipes/el-cubano-the-almighty-cuban-sandwich-an-amazing-knife/
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-best-of/original-cuban-sandwich-recipe/index.html
• http://www.tasteofcuba.com/cubansandwich.html
• http://latinfood.about.com/od/cuba/r/cuban_sanwich.htm
• http://icuban.com/food/cuban_sandwich.html