Message: | Years ago, when I was still living in Florida, a friend of mine took me to a deli that served these great Cuban sandwiches. He said they were Cuban, anyway. They were really thin pieces of steak fried in cornmeal batter, and they had a really strong taste of cornmeal, like hushpuppies. Haven't had 'em in years. So a few months ago I'm reading an article in LA Weekly about this place in Glendale called El Morfi, and it describes these steak sandwiches they serve there and they sound alot like those allegedly cuban sandwiches I remember. I write down the name and address of the place, scribble the words "cuban sandwiches" next to it and forget about it.
Last weekend, its my birthday and I'm looking for someplace to go to lunch, and I see El Morfi on my list. We go, and having forgotten all about the article, I'm surprised to find that it's not a little cuban sandwich shop, but a nice italian/argentinian restaurant.
I had the steak sandwich, which had nothing to do with that steak sandwich in Fla, but was still great: almost raw meat deep fried in batter, with lettuce, tomato and mayo. My wife had chicken ravioli in alfredo sauce, the sauce tasted so good that you could tell it was bad for you. The Guy talked us into a chicken empenada for an apettizer, which was really fantastic: flaky crust, and the chicken tasted like good chicken soup. (The same chicken was found in the ravioli) By that time I had remembered the article, which had focused on the caramel deserts, so we ordered their signature desert: 2 crepes filled with caramel and topped with a little bit of whipped cream. OH!MY!GOD! This stuff was so good that I can't even describe it except to say that it was...YUMMY! Plus a good cup o' Cuban joe!
Another plus is that it's right in the middle of a bunch of used bookstores, and is there anything better than browsing through used books with the taste of a great meal lingering in your mouth? (Well, yeah...browsing used records with a great meal lingering on your mouth!)
Still, I wonder...does anyone know where to get a steak sandwich that might taste like that one I had in Florida? |