A Tale of Two Cubanos (The Dish and Bleubird)

Let me say a couple of words to you:  Cuban Sandwich.  Or Cubano, if you prefer.  Picture it in your mind.  What do you see?  Myself, I see ham, roasted pork, mustard, pickles, and Swiss cheese, layered on bread pressed so thoroughly that the outside almost takes on the consistency of a cracker.  It's one of those things I'm kind of anal about, like what constitutes a martini (you probably don't want me to get started on that topic, and since I'm feeling generous I won't).  I mean have you seen the movie Chef yet?  Because if you haven't, you really should.  It's a little hammy...I mean cheesy...hmm, how appropriate.  Well, you get the idea.  But it's also heartwarming, clever, and full of talented actors and food porn.  Seriously, it's on Netflix streaming, so you have no excuse.  I digress.  Anyway, look at the sandwiches that guy makes!  How the hell do you improve on that?  It's classic!

Of course, that doesn't stop some people from trying to improve on it...or at least put their own spin on it.  And a few months back (yeah, all my write-ups seem to be taking a few months to squeeze out lately...speak to the complaint department) the roommate and I both had some weekdays off, and one of the things we decided to do was hit up some eateries in downtown Boise, an area we both agree neither of us spends enough time in.  We're both big fans of the sandwich arts, so we decided to try a couple of spots for lunch; one because we've both been wanting to try it forever, the other because I was curious about it.  The connection?  Both places serve Cubanos...after a fashion.  You see, you can't really get a traditional Cuban Sandwich downtown, at least so far as I know.  Casa Blanca at Overland and Curtis is your best bet, though theirs can come out a bit dry at times.  The Cheesecake Factory has long had Cuban Sandwiches on their menu, but the presentation is wildly inconsistent, especially in the bread department (check out Google Images for evidence).  Plus, they put mayo on them.  But downtown?  Nope.

Let's jump right in by talking about the place that no longer serves lunch because it's taken me so long to write this review.  They're supposed to be starting up again in the next few months, though.  Don't worry, they still serve the Cubano at dinner, if you want it.