Cafecito - Lower East Side

Oh Cubano,

Seductive, tantalizing in every streamlined point--the apex of pressed consumables: spice, meat, cheese--so fine, so perfect in it's natural state.

Cubano, will you meringue with me? Will you tango? Perhaps, we were simply meant for the salsa or, better yet, the defiant--waltz. And now, we lay on the hull of porcelain appetite and slumber. The subtle tupping of margaritas punctuating our existence, one breath at a time.

--The Journal of Earl Sandwich Vol. 12 Ch. XIX

I've had my share of Cuban sandwiches from this and that bar or restaurant. This was by the best one I've had--maybe that's more telling than I want it to be (about me, not the sandwich), but it's the truth. Every facet of the meal was in the good, from the garlic sauce to the mild toasting to the phenomenal authentic au naturale chips. It was a very well thought out and complete meal for $10 sans tip.

The sandwich was pressed firmly as to conceal a thick a layer of roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles awash in spicy mustard and mayonnaise. It's a very ergonomic sandwich that stays together, is easily wielded with one hand, and facilitates the dipping or pouring of sauces like the light garlic sauce and range of hot sauces provided.

Taste and texture slalom peacefully with the savory cheese and meat on the steady and the perky tinges of the cucumbers and mustard on the peaks; your teeth will enjoy the various realms it passes through like the initial crisp crust, then the smooth entry into savory meat and cheese and finally the cold and crispy pickle slices. Pair this with the intriguing authentic brusque Cuban chips and you are in bliss.

That's a satisfying adventure for around $10--I will certainly revisit and report further explorations.

185 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009, 212 253 9966, www.cafecitonyc.com