The Cuban Sandwich at Capitol Roasters
By Brooke A. Brown
I don’t have a fancy title for this post. Nor do I have any photos to share of the culinary offering I’m about to describe. So I apologize in advance for a rather bland looking post. All my efforts henceforth are dedicated solely to the purpose of hyping the Cuban sandwich at Capitol Roasters.
I have lunch with my boss about once a week, and we typically frequent the same 2 or 3 places in downtown Charleston. Every time that we’d be on our way to one place in particular, we would pass by Capitol Roasters and he’d ask if I was in the mood for a Cuban sandwich. I always declined, thinking that there’s no way that a coffee shop in Charleston, W.Va., is going to produce a Cuban sandwich as delicious as the ones I’ve tried while visiting my father-in-law in Florida.
Can you say mistake, boys and girls? I finally gave in one fine afternoon and ¡Dios mio! was I ever impressed! The sandwich, which consists of ham, roasted pork, pickles, Swiss cheese and a spicy sauce, is pressed and toasted on a panini grill. The use of the panini is not traditional. A ‘plancha’ press is the preferred method of flattening and toasting as it features no grooves, just smooth and heavy iron slabs. But I don’t mean to get all Alton Brown on the topic.
I’ve had the Capitol Roasters Cuban sandwich twice now, and it has proven consistently tasty, spicy, warm and toasty. They serve it simply with a side of potato chips and a dill pickle. Can’t blame ‘em there as the sandwich is the star. I recommend having a lemonade with the Cuban, or a beer if you’re not having lunch with your boss. Mostly I just recommend trying the sandwich as soon as possible. It’s somehow perfect on a hot, summer day.
IF YOU GO: Capitol Roasters, 160 Summers Street, Charleston, W.Va., 304-720-PERK (7375)
July 13th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
I agree - no where NEAR as good as the Tacky Turtle in Clearwater…but a welcome stand in. As the only “authentic” Cuban restaurant I have ever visited was in NYC (and I ate chicken, beans, and rice - the best ever), I can’t claim to be a true Cuban critic. I hook it up old school and crunch some of my chips into the sandwich. Try it…you’ll feel like you are 8 years old again. But, with your mouth on fire from the chipotle mayo!
July 18th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Not to split hairs, but it’s not a Cuban sandwich. It’s close but the bread nowhere near as good as the traditional bread used in Florida. The spicy sauce isn’t traditional either. And the pork is quite different. When food is this simply prepared, and with such specific ingredients and techniques, changing anything makes a huge difference. It’s good, but a Cuban this sandwich is not.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Dave,
Thanks for the comment! I read ya loud and clear. This explains why I initially refused to try the Roasters version. The bread is completely different, there’s no Dijon mustard and, again, no ‘plancha.’ So it’s a touch misleading, for sure. But it is a good sandwich, nonetheless. Perhaps deserving of a name change?
The Cubamericanized Sandwich?