Place: Blimpie
Item: The Cuban
Price: $4.79 for 6-inch
Tucked in the back of many a gas station is the Land of Misfit Franchises. Some used to be big chains with prime strip mall spots; now they're mere strips of counter space. Alongside a TCBY and a Godfather's Pizza, we found Blimpie.
Why Blimpie didn't take off instead of Subway got us talking about how communism sputtered while capitalism sprouted. That intellectual discourse (a rarity for the Lunch Guys) put us in the mood for Blimpie's spotlight sandwich: the Cuban. Could this gas station attendant whip up a lunch worthy of Castro -- or at least Gloria Estefan?
Chris: Expecting a gag-inducing flashback to Quiznos' embarrassing Philly cheese steak experiment, I took a nervous nibble of Blimpie's Cuban. After all, what gave this C-list sub shop the cojones to think it could replicate the subtle masterpiece that is a true Cuban sandwich?
But with seven ravenous bites in four minutes, my Cuban disappeared just as fast as my doubts. This sandwich succeeded not as some ethnic flavor gimmick drenched in orange-colored Southwest/Cuban/ Panamanian sauce. It excelled with excellent meat, always a Blimpie strong point. The ham and roast pork
heated press, which, when added to what would otherwise be a ham and Swiss on a sub roll, almost makes you hear a little Tito Puente number ringing in your head.
Chris: This Cuban might take Blimpie into prime time. But promise us you'll order it EXACTLY as it appears in the picture -- white bread, mustard and pickles. Please do not get all fancy with the bread and toppings or you'll miss the boat on this Cuban.
Tom: I don't think one Cuban can elevate Blimpie to an international superstar but this is probably my favorite national sub chain sandwich, and it's reasonably good for you. And you're right, Chris -- there are plenty of ways to ruin this sandwich. Do NOT use wheat bread, tomato, lettuce, olives, oil and vinegar, mayonnaise or any other American favorites. We don't need another Cuban crisis.
Rating: 5 sporks (out of 5)
Food Facts (for 6-inch): 462 calories (23.4 percent from fat), 12 grams fat, 50 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams protein, 1,526 milligrams sodium.
E-mail The Lunch Guys:
tomandchris@thelunchguys.com
had just enough heft to stand out in a warm cocoon of bready, mustardy, pickly, cheesy goodness, all pressed together better than Taco Bell's Grilled Stuft Burrito. I only wish I hadn't gone with the Cuban Combo, filling up on a bowl of Aztec (huh?) Black Bean Soup instead of a standalone foot of Cuban sandwich.
Tom: Chris, I too was hesitant to try this sandwich because chain sub shops usually butcher regional specialties, so much so that you're more likely to find Paris Hilton in a Wal-Mart than a decent Cuban sandwich in the heartland. But that was before Blimpie's effort.
I forgive Blimpie for not having good Cuban bread, but otherwise the Cuban they turn out does the job. Sure, they press their sandwich in an oversized George Foreman grill, giving it a corrugated look, and they don't seem to butter their bread, but the essence of Havana is still there. The keys (no, not the islands 90 miles from Cuba) are the medium-thick-cut roast pork and the
Blimpie's Cuban could take over U.S.
