Half...hmmm

oh and. once again. ways to figure out a restaurant is actually cuban v. some other carib latin joint:

a) fried cheese on a breakfast plate = not cuban
b) mashed sweet plantains with fried pork bits called "mofongo" = not cuban
c) item described in point b called "fufu" = cuban and/or african (and, well, I'm biased, much better)
d) black beans and rice (as a combo dish cooked TOGETHER) called "congri" = not cuban (congri in cuban cuisine is made with red beans, pork and rice cooked together)
e) above dish called moros = cuban
f) black beans and rice with pork = not cuban (this is a traditionally vegetarian dish)
g) boiled/stewed yuca is dry = not cuban
h) a pan con bistec sandwich (if it's on the menu) without both sauteed onions AND shoestring potatoes and a thorough pressing = not cuban
i) no materva or iron beer on the menu = zomg not cuban! (we do actually have non-alcoholic, soft-drink things that are delicious)
j) bottle of hot sauce on the table = sweet jesus NOT CUBAN

I could go on but really, this is getting sad. just live with the fact that 99% of the joints in nyc that claim they're cuban aren't. and the truly cuban ones largely fail. I'm glad I can cook.

But fufu isn't made with plantains, anyway! At least, not West African fufu.
*ah sorry, just looked it up and sometimes it is.

alafairnadia, is there any place within a 15 minute walk from my block (at left) to get a real cuban sandwich? There is a decent place near me at work but since there are so few worthwhile places near the office, I tend to give up, be good and have salads for lunch, saving the serious calories for dinner.

I've never had a problem with Soda's service, but I also don't go that often. Still, sometimes I crave a blue-cheese bacon burger and it's the first place I think of.