saving some dough in pinellas
Starting a discussion about what makes a “real” Cuban sandwich can elicit strong opinions and unearth longstanding feuds. There is one ingredient on which all the sandwich sectarians agree. It’s not a Cuban sandwich without authentic Cuban bread. The ingredients are simple enough; flour, water, salt, yeast and lard. But the result cannot be duplicated outside the family owned bakeries of Tampa and Miami; a crusty torpedo that would make any Frenchman envious.
My introduction to the staple came at age six, when I entered the Hillsborough County school system from more Northern climes. I doubt the recipe has changed much in 25 years. The public school version of the Cuban sandwich consists of one or two thin slices of cheap boiled ham and salami, one slice of stinky government cheese, pale neon green pickles and mustard on five to six inches of semi-fresh Cuban bread; a logic defying composition, MUCH GREATER than the sum of it’s parts.
The bread was so hard and chewy that it often led to the lunchtime extraction of the last of my baby teeth. New teeth grew in, almost as fast as I grew an appetite for that most Cuban of confections. At least once a week, and later as a daily option, the Cuban sandwich was the heart of the school lunch menu. As bland and unassuming as it sounds, that simple chewy sandwich was a welcome relief from the reheated Salisbury steak and chicken nuggets. Throughout our school years, my classmates and I consumed millions.
More than just a meal, the Cuban sandwich was my introduction to the history and cultural identity of Tampa Bay. The sandwich was a bridge that connected me to the Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, the mysterious minarets of the Plant Hotel, cigar factory workers of Ybor and the Diaspora of communist Cuba’s refugees; some of whom were my classmates.
I’d like to think that the Cuban sandwich has given me a certain kind of cultural identity, something that everyone who has grown up in Tampa Bay has in some part shared. As I’ve traveled to and lived in other cities across the country, I’ve sampled many imitation Cubans. Their similarity to and difference from the five inch version that I had in school fondly reminds me of bay area and that culture and history that we’ve all shared.
That’s why it saddens me to read that Pinellas County schools will no longer be serving locally baked Cuban bread in their cafeterias. For the students and staff, who will now dine on soft and starchy instant-bake rolls of the frozen variety, it’s not just a culinary tragedy. It’s a cultural tragedy.
Here’s hoping that Hillsborough schools will not follow suit. For pennies on the dollar, Cuban bread is worth a little extra dough.
Tags: money, pinellas
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July 24th, 2008 at 11:17 am
A cultural tragedy indeed. One by one, each little cultural icon slips away. I loved your description of the Cuban sammie, by the way. It makes me want to plug two of my favorite places. One is Mauricio Faedo’s bakery at 5150 N. Florida Avenue (west side of street just south of Hillsborough.) They make fresh Cuban bread (palm frond and all) all night long. When the neon “fresh bread now” sign in the window is lit, that means they’ve just taken it out of the oven. Pure heaven.
Forest Hills Grocery uses Mauricio’s bread to make their to-die-for Cuban sammies. (901 W. Linebaugh at North Boulevard). Still the basics, but the meat is good (they have a butcher shop in the store) and the bread is fresh. They’ll even press it for you if you want. Their roast pork sammies are also great.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Good roast pork is a key ingredient in a real Cuban sandwich. Lettuce & tomato is a no-no.
Lara, you do know your Cuban bread - palm frond and all. Faedo’s is a Tampa treasure. I grew up on their deviled crab and stuffed potatoes.
July 24th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
If you are ever out on Treasure Island, make sure to stop by The Floridian for a Cuban Sandwich. I don’t know where they get their bread, but I do know that it is fresh and it’s fantastic.
They also serve a tuna salad on Cuban that gets a thumbs up.
July 25th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
The sandwich is eternally disputable. I’ve gotten my share of nasty mail after daring to write about it. I love the sandwiches at Brocato’s near 50th street and Columbus. They also have some of the best devil crabs and stuffed potatoes in town. Seems crazy that so few Tampans know about the place, as it has been around for 60 years!
July 27th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Sandwich sectarians unite! I prefer my Cubans “con todo,” as I say in my broken Spanish to the Cuban ladies that make the sandwiches at the bodegas in my neighborhood. Of which, La Mercedes on Hanley Road is probably my favorite.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I used to sneak out of my biology class at Hillsborough and go down to Faedo’s for a Cuban bread breakfast. I remember the school sandwiches too - awful, yet soemhow I always finished it.
My favorite in the area is Pipo’s. They put the real pulled pork on the sandwich.