Taste of Havana- Revisit

It has been a minute since hubby and I have been back to Taste of Havana for lunch. We both really enjoyed it when we went, so the other day, we took advantage of a free lunch time together and headed to Broad Ripple. They have expanded since the last time we were there (I told you, it has been awhile), and it’s nice to have more seating. It’s casual seating and there’s a fair amount of it. The only downside is it was freezing in there, which made us eat very quickly and get out. Who knows, maybe that’s what they want.

Anyhow, we went with the traditional Cuban sandwich (I got the mini version for $7.50, and it is really not that small). It is your traditional pressed Cuban sandwich with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. It hits the Cuban sandwich spot for sure and I like that it is pressed and not so fat it’s hard to eat. When I was waiting for mine, I heard someone else ask for extra pickles and I think that is definitely the way to go. There were only a few pickles on there, and they are some of my favorite parts. I just went and asked for some on the side and doctored it up myself. The pickles and the mustard are where its at for sure. It’s a solid, traditional sandwich. If you want something on the side, you have to get it separately. I just went with a bag of chips.

The sandwich that hubby ordered, that we have had before, that is probably the star though, is the pan con lechon ($10.49). This one is served on the same type of bread as the Cuban, but is topped with pulled, marinated, roasted pork, caramelized onions, and mayo. They also give you a little container (you’ll want two) of au jus to dip in and it is fabulous. I like the way it makes the sandwich nice and moist as well as adding some saltiness. I love the pickle and bite of the mustard on the Cuban, but this is probably even better.

All in all, it’s a cute place and the owner is exceptionally friendly. I am glad to see they are doing well and have expanded. And it’s a place I need to think of more often.

Taste of Havana

815 Broad Ripple Avenue

Indy 46220

317/559-4369

http://www.tasteofhavanaindy.com/

Noise rating: 0 bells (out of five)

Elena Ruz Cuban Cuisine

First of all, Elena Ruz is actually located within the building that holds Black Circle Brewing. It’s on 46^th right near Keystone, in the back of the old Double 8 foods building if you know the one I mean. It’s sort of hard to realize there’s a Cuban place in there unless you just know. You go into the bar, order drinks at the bar (lots of beer choices, and even a record player) and then order your food from a doorway nearby. Sort of food truck style.

You can’t take kids in there obviously though, since it’s a bar. And we live in Indiana. They do have some limited outdoor seating though. Anyhow, my friend Suzanne and I wanted to try a variety of things so we got the Cubano sandwich ($8.50), the beef empanadas ($6.99) and ended up with a side of tostones ($3.99) because they were out of the plantain chips. 

I thought the best things were the empanadas. There were three of them, and they were filled with super juicy and flavorful beef. A pet peeve I have is when an empanada is all dry inside and these were the opposite. At one point the liquid from the thing was running down my arm. The fried pastry was nice and crisp and held everything in. The cilantro cream sauce was the best. There is no need for other sauces, this stuff was so good, and I wanted to dip everything in it.

The Cuban sandwich was very traditional—layered with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. I like Cuban sandwiches because; duh, pickles and mustard are two of my favorite things, but also because they are inherently flat and easy to eat (I know, I am weird). This one was solid, although I would have liked a couple more pickles (the ones that were on there were nice and thick though). It’s totally worth getting, or doing what we did, and splitting it along with something else.

I did not care for the tostones. They were really dense and didn’t have a lot of flavor. The garlic sauce that came with it was interesting—pretty much just like crushed garlic in oil, but it wasn’t the right mix with the tostones. I liked them better with the cilantro cream, but even then, not my favorite. 

There are a lot of good sounding things on the menu though—I’m intrigued by the rice bowls. And it’s a great place to have in the area, that doesn’t have a lot of sit down independent places to grab lunch. They’re not open Mondays or Tuesdays though, so plan accordingly. And let me know what you get and what you think.

Elena Ruz Cuban Cuisine 

(Located in Black Circle Brewing Company)

2201 East 46^th St, Suite 207

Indy 46205

317/828-7068

www.elenaruzindy.com 

Taste of Havana

I mentioned in a recent post that hubby and I wanted to try Taste of Havana recently and couldn’t get in the door because it was so busy. So the other day when we needed to have an early lunch, we decided it was the perfect opportunity and yes! we walked right in and got a table too (there’s a limited amount of seating in there).

Knowing we would of course need to try the Cuban sandwich, we chatted with the owner about what our second choice should be. He said he loves everything, but his personal favorite is the pan con lechon sandwich ($9.50). We ordered the “mini” sized Cuban ($7.50) and then also decided last minute to throw in a Picadillo pastelito ($2.99).

They brought the pastelito first—they are premade and just sitting in a case next to the register waiting to tempt you. It’s basically a little flaky pastry dough filled with, in this case, ground beef and pork simmered in a sofrito sauce. The sauce is a seasoned sauce with garlic and various spices. There were some raisins in there too. It was nice and hot and it tasted delicious. They offer a special on certain days of this meat over rice and I bet it’s a tasty option. There is also a chicken pastelito (I want to try for sure) and several sweet options as well. Who has tried these?

The Cuban sandwich was solid—and according to the owner, the most popular item on the menu. It’s the classic thin bread (crisp on the outside, but not thick) sandwiching ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. I love the pickles and mustard part of a Cuban—because it gives it that zip and vinegary acid that I love on a sandwich. The meat was fine, but I wished for a few more pickles to balance it out. But I love pickles. The mini is more than big enough and I even saw construction workers order it and not finish it. 

The pan con lechon though? The owner is right, that sandwich is just plain great. It’s the same bread (this one only comes in one size though and it’s bigger than the mini) topped with chunks of marinated and roasted pork, caramelized onions and some mayo. And the best thing ever--a little container of the pan drippings to dip your sandwich in. It tastes of the marinade and the pork and is just wonderful. I recommend asking for another one and dipping whatever you get into it. The Cuban was also good dipped in there. Anything would be good dipped in there. If I could make a hybrid and add the pickles and mustard on this sandwich, it would be crazy, but so delicious. Anyhow, if I were going to pick just one sandwich to recommend, it would be this one. The Cuban is good too though.

There are actually a lot of different kinds of sandwiches on the menu—which ones have you tried? Oh, and if you are a coffee drinker, the Cuban coffee is delicious. The owner explained, it’s the way they roast it that makes it a super mellow and smooth easy drinking coffee. He gave us a little shot of it to try. I am not often a coffee drinker, but this was tasty.

Taste of Havana

815 Broad Ripple Avenue

Indy 46220

317/559-4369

http://www.tasteofhavanaindy.com/