Week: Thur. November 17th
The most renowned of all Cuban street food is the pressed sandwich. Crunchy Cuban bread filled with roast pork, ham, melted swiss, mustard, pickles and a faintly vinegary mojo sauce. What’s not to like? A traditional Cuban sandwich is cut in half long ways forming two unusually long-shaped triangles. Variations of this sandwich are sold all over town, but nobody does it better than Midtown’s Kool Korners.
Recently, I gave Fuego’s version a go. Many of you probably know Fuego for their infamous grilled bacon-wrapped “Dream Dates” filled with gorgonzola cheese. But there’s a whole lot more to this underrated Midtown tapas eatery, which features many authentic Cuban dishes such as Ropa Vieja and a Cuban sandwich that ranks right up there with the venerable Kool Korners (KK). And believe me I am fully aware of just how bold a statement that truly is.
There are many similarities between Fuego’s version and that of Kool Korners. Rodney Wedge (chef/owner) is a big fan of Kool Korners and admittedly modeled his Cuban after the old man’s. The first thing I notice is that the bread just so happens to come from the very same producer. As Cuban sandwich enthusiasts know too well – proper bread plays a vitally important role in pulling off a worthy edition – and they revel in its crusty glory.
But don’t think for a New York minute that Fuego’s variation is a carbon copy of KK’s. Despite the many similarities there are a few differences, most notably is that those impossibly succulent slices of pork Fuego uses are slowly roasted on premises – the benefit of having a fully locked and loaded kitchen.
No, I won’t go as far as saying that Fuego’s Cuban is better than that of the infamous Kool Korners, but I will say that they are in the same league. And honestly, isn’t that good enough?
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Fuego's crusty Cuban sandwich
Type of Cuisine: Tapas with Cuban influences
Address/Tel:
1136 Crescent Ave, Midtown, Tel: 404-389-0660
Recommended Items: Cuban Sandwich, Dream Dates, Chorizo & Cheese and Tres Leches
Pricing:
Tapas: $5 - $10
Lunch Sandwiches: $8
Entrees: $12 - $30
Hours:
Mon - Thur: 11am - 10pm
Fri: 11am - Midnight
Sat: 12pm - Midnight
Sat: 12pm - 9pm
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