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| - It's rare I come across a place that gets everything right. There's almost always something I'd do differently if I owned the business. But A Piece of Havana is the sort of place where I'd really have to be stretching to find any reasonable criticism.
In the 10-15 times I've been here I've tried several different appetizers, entrees, desserts and cocktails and not once has anything failed to impress. As far as I'm concerned, there are really only a few things a Cuban place has to get right: Cuban sandwich, mojito, ropa vieja, flan and cortadito. And finally, some effort has to be made with the decor and music to make the diner forget for a moment that he/she is actually still in Charlotte, NC.
In every one of these and many more, A Piece of Havana surpasses expectation. Something as simple as their black beans are the best black beans I've ever had. The flan is also the best I've had, at least outside of the Spanish speaking world.
Perhaps most impressive, the Cuban sandwich is as good as you're going to get outside of south Florida. I grew up taking family vacations to the Tampa Bay area to visit family. And until I found this place I'd given up on finding a proper Cuban sandwich in Charlotte. I don't know where they get their bread or if they bake it themselves, but it makes the sandwich. Everywhere else, to their eternal shame, seems to substitute French bread.
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