Last week I told you about my $3.50 pork banh mi sandwich in San Francisco. Time to talk about another of the world’s great sandwiches: the Cuban sandwich, that perfect marriage of pork, ham, cheese and pickles.
Now I’m no Cuban sandwich expert, but I have had my fair share, and what I find interesting is how they’re made differently wherever you go. When you order a reuben for example, you know what you’re going to get and how it’s going to look. With a Cuban, every restaurant has its own variation of this classic; that’s part of what makes the sandwich interesting.
So without further ado, let’s look at two Cuban sandwiches in Westchester…
Sometimes when I’m in “inhale food” mode after a hard workout, I’ll zoom over to Maselli’s Deli in Port Chester for one of these:
A very respectable Cuban with thin slices of pork and ham, gooey Swiss cheese, and chopped pickles. Maybe a little too heavy on the cheese, but I just pick off the excess. And at $5 (well, $4.99), it’s a bargain.
(Note: I would tell you more about Maselli’s other offerings, but I can’t, since I get the exact same thing every time I go there: a Cuban and a cup of minestrone. I’m Rain Man without the Wapner obsession.)
For a different style of Cuban sandwich, try Corona’s Lunch in Sleepy Hollow. My boss, Paul, has been raving about this tiny Spanish Caribbean eatery for a while… today, he joined me there for lunch.
The first thing you notice about Corona’s is that there’s no sign outside, there are no tables and the customers are all Spanish-speaking regulars. A true hole-in-the-wall that passes my “authentic food sniff test.”
(The “authentic food sniff test” is something my family and I use when it comes to Chinese restaurants— it’s unscientific, but extremely accurate. When you try a new Chinese restaurant, look around— are there Chinese people eating there? If the restaurant’s a sea of black hair, that’s usually a sign the food’s good. If it’s a bunch of, ahem, non-Chinese ordering crab rangoon and egg foo young, run, run away.)
Anyway, Paul ordered a chicken sandwich and some other goodies for his family; I went right for the Cuban. We took our food down to Pierson Park in Tarrytown and I unwrapped my sandwich.
Wow, I didn’t sell the sandwich with this picture, because it sure looks lousy. But trust me, this is a TERRIFIC Cuban. Very different style from the one at Maselli’s (although they’re both $5). The sliced ham, thin layer of mustard and hint of melted cheese all highlight the centerpiece of incredibly tender and flavorful roasted pork loin. Great sandwich. The only thing missing? The pickles! What happened? Did the chef forget them??
Oh yeah, and when you go to Corona’s, don’t forget to ask for a side of hot sauce. I would never have known about this if Paul hadn’t told me. It’s outrageously good homemade sauce that warms and tingles your mouth without blowing your head off. We dipped everything in it, including his tamale…
\And his chicken sandwich with caramelized onions.
I’m not sure I’d order the boiled yuca again. I’ve had yuca fried and in chips, but never boiled. It tastes like it looks… bland and starchy. Nothing a little hot sauce couldn’t fix though.
My pork quota filled for the day, I went home and took a long nap. But I’ll be back at Corona’s; I want to try their other dishes, and of course I’m getting another Cuban. With pickles this time.
Maselli’s Delicatessen & Catering
531 Boston Post Road
Port Chester, NY 10573
914-939-6528
Corona’s Lunch
194 Beekman Ave.
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
914-631-6393
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Tags: corona's lunch, cuban sandwich, deli, maselli's, port chester, sleepy hollow