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| - I usually try to go to spots for lunch around 2 or 3pm. One because I get up later than the 9 to 5ers and I have to get SOME work done before I eat, and two, I have this love/hate relationship with people, so I hate to be crowded. Walking in around 3, there was only one other customer there and no one eating in (SCORE!), so i'd have the whole place to myself. Right when you walk in, you are greeted with the bakery counter (maybe this is why they put the bakery part first in the name), so you want to just stand there and oogle at all of the confectionery offerings before you even remember why you came there in the first place! Making your way down the counter, you see the menu for the cafe portion of the business. It's not very big, but sometimes being good at a couple things is better than being ok at a lot of things. I really like empanadas, so I immediately gravitated toward those for my appetizer, not even thinking about the size of the cuban sandwich. I figured, if I was too full after the empanada, I could always just take the sandwich home and enjoy it all over again, right?
I go for the beef empanada and remembered my coaching from Scotty and got the cuban. He also told me that the Tropi-Cola is to die for, but more on that later. The older guy at the counter (puerto rican I'm assuming), asked me if I wanted the empanada first, then he'd bring the sandwich.... I was taken aback. Almost everywhere I go, I'm always getting the appetizer and the meal at the same time.... at RESTAURANTS! So imagine my surprise going to a cafe/bakery and they are asking me if I want something first. I was a fan already! The empanada was good and basically what you've come to expect from ground beef in a fried shell. Meat could have been a bit more flavorful, and the shell itself had been sitting for a minute, so it wasn't as crunchy/flaky as it could have been, but this is also the game you play when you come for lunch at 3pm, AFTER the rush. Overall though, it was a good starter.
Sitting in the dining area, I noticed that the place was clean, there was lots of sunlight from the huge storefront window, multiple fans to keep the place cool, and all the furniture was sunbeam metal patio furniture. Maybe it was the flood of sunshine coming in, but I actually thought that was kind of cool because I HATE eating outside. Too many things to contend with (bugs, wind blowing ur stuff away, ants, etc), and I just like to eat my food and enjoy my conversation. So eating on patio furniture w/ the fans providing a breeze, being close to the window bathed in the sun made me feel like I was on a patio. Best of both worlds.... POW!
An extremely polite young man brought me my cuban, and I couldn't wait to dig in. For those of you who don't know, the cuban sandwich (also called a Cuban pressed sandwich, or a mixto), "is a variation of a ham and cheese originally created in cafes catering to Cuban workers either in Cuba or in the Cuban immigrant communities of Florida, most likely Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. Later on, Cuban immigrants and expatriates brought it to Miami where it is also still very popular. The sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami on Cuban bread." - From Wikipedia. At Lelolai, this is called a "miami cuban." I opted for the regular one which had ham, swiss cheese, pulled pork, lettuce, tomato and mayo (sorry to the fundamentalists!).
Digging in, I thought the sandwich had a good overall flavor profile... the bread had that good soft vs crunchy texture (hard bread and the roof of my mouth do not get along), the ham and cheese did its thing, and the pulled pork was nice and stringy. I never trust a pulled pork sandwich that has big hunks of pork (attention to detail is a must!). I killed it pretty quicky, and at the end it was just the right amount of food after my empanada. Then it was all washed down with the Tropi-Cola, which bills itself as champagne cola or something... That was the most curious name i've ever seen for a can of pop and I even had to ask the guy at the counter if it had alcohol in it, since I recently stopped drinking (told you I was serious). It was a weird taste. Imagine a coke/pepsi, but sweeter, fizzier, and this strange taste I can't quite identify (vanilla + something....). I guess you'll just have to try it for yourself. Overall a great experience. I invite you to do the same...
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