Standing Room Only: Tropi Cuban
"It's one of the best sandwiches you can get in Chicago for under $4."
[Photographs: Nick Kindelsperger]
Tropi Cuban
3000 W. Lyndale Street, Chicago IL 60647 (map); 773-252-0230
The Short Order: Friendly stand in Cuban grocery store, with incredible Cuban sandwich.
Want Fries with That? Yep, and rice, and beans, and plantains.
Want Ketchup? With the fries, but its better with the large bottle of hot sauce.
Call me a heretic, but until last week I wasn't too sure the Cuban sandwich belonged in the elusive sandwich pantheon. Most versions I've munched on have been dry and tasteless, nothing more than a ham sandwich with overly pressed bread. The flaw was the lack of balance.
I mean, I had a few decent versions, but compared to the dynamic interplay of a bánh mì, the overstuffed awe of a muffuletta, or even the striking duality of my mom's PB&J, I'd say the Cuban deserved, at a best, a distinguished place in the minor league. Even the Cuban at previous Standing Room Only contender, Cafe Marianao, was a disappointment.
But the one I've found in the back of this local Cuban grocery store has changed my mind. Now, I had walked by this little corner store about a dozen times, and it never occurred to me to stop inside. But I began to hear little whispers of the wonders inside from places like Time Out and Centerstage. So, on a tired, rainy night I made my over to this stand in the northwest neighborhood of Logan Square.
The front of the place is a small grocery store but in the very back, there's a little counter with a few stools and one very large menu. There is one guy, with a whole range of pots and pans, and it feels like you've accidentally stepped into someone's kitchen. Of course, I ordered the Cuban sandwich.
It's the first version of the sandwich that really achieved a perfect balance. The bread is pressed but still has some chewiness. Then there are thin layers of ham and roast pork, along with some salty melted Swiss cheese. But what really sets this Cuban apart? The judicious use of pickles and mustard. The tang gives the sandwich some punch—that's what sold me.
Plus it comes with enough fries—crispy and thin—to feed your whole family. They'd be better if they were freshly cut, but they are fine for what they are.
The sodas, available in the front of the store, are also worth checking out. I tried Tropi Cola (champagne cola!) and Coco Rico, a coconut-flavored soda that was oddly not that sweet.
I also ordered a plate of Ropa Vieja (Spanish for "old clothes"), which is a slowly braised flank steak with slightly spicy tomato sauce. Absurdly tender and warming, this is the perfect food for rainy weather. Served with fried plantains, white rice, and some great black beans, it's enough for two. I've had better versions at other Cuban establishments around the area, but it's hard to argue with a plate for of so much food for $6.95.
In the end, it's the Cuban sandwich that will keep me coming back. Though I never thought I'd say this: It's one of the best sandwiches you can get in Chicago for under $4.
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8 Comments:
Cuban sandwich thread!
That is very close to an authentic Cuban but for the mustard. An authentic Cuban has mojo instead of the mustard. The mojo is olive oil based which keeps the sandwich from being too dry.
Here is a recipe for the mojo (not a good recipe, it should have garlic)
# MOJO SAUCE
# 3 T Lemon juice
# 1 T water
# 3 T olive oil
# 3 T Chopped parsley
# 3⁄4 t Minced garlic
# 1 t Dried oregano
# 1⁄2 t Salt
http://www.cookadvice.com/recipes/la_teresitas_cuban_sandwich-52909-recipe.htm
The mojo should be made fresh daily.
redfish at 12:02PM on 10/19/09
@redfish
hmmm I've never seen mojo on a cuban, the roast pork marinated in mojo yes, but never seen it on the bread. (and why post a recipe for one that doesn't include garlic?)
"Authentic" Cubans often do come with mustard, believe it or not, just depends who's so called "authentic" cuban your eating.
Burger365 at 2:33PM on 10/19/09
It's hard to find ones made with mojo now cause it's a lot more work (have to make the sauce every morning). In the late 60's my dad's office was next to a Cuban grocery store that made them like they make them in Cuba, most delicious sandwich I've ever had.
Mustard is okay too, that's your basic American-Cuban sandwich.
redfish at 3:15PM on 10/19/09
I had the best cuban I've had in years this weekend at The Chef's Table at the Edgewater hotel in Winter Garden, FL. For someplace with a fancy prix fixe dinner menu at night and the best wine and food pairings in Orlando, they can sure throw down with some cubans and roast beef po' boys for lunch!
jcrisco at 5:14PM on 10/19/09
all the cubans i ever had my years in NYC (i'm talking sandwiches, people) had mustard on 'em. the roast pork was made with mojo in the really good ones. and i've never seen one without pickles.
laerm at 10:37PM on 10/19/09
I had my first and best Cuban Sandwiches in Miami, both at real deal cuban barrio joints and a slightly touristy (but still authentic) cuban sandwich mega-restaurant (forget the name)
They're awesome and I've had plenty since then at restaurants, bars, gastropubs (even made them myself / put them on menus as a line cook) and nothing really "takes me back" to the real thing... they use soft cuban bread that doesn't really exist up north (as far as I know) and a plancha sandwich press.
If you don't get the details down it just ends up coming out like a grilled ham & cheese or a panini with pickles, not that there's anything wrong with that.
Hawk Krall at 1:05PM on 10/20/09
....although this one above looks as close to Miami as you're gonna get, who knows maybe there's a gem like this in my neck of the woods....
Hawk Krall at 1:09PM on 10/20/09
if you want authentic cuban then just have two slices of miscellaneous white bread, a thin slice of ham, some sliced cucumbers, and maybe there's mustard involved.
i spent three months in havana this year. none of the 'wiches i tasted came with a mojo sauce and pickles were beyond impossible to find. you should have seen how excited i was the day i found one little pickle in one of my sandwiches.
limegreen at 11:27PM on 10/20/09