The Order:
Cuba Si, Yankee No. For today’s order, AnnMarie put her foot down. Come hell or high water, she was getting a Cubano sandwich for lunch. The only issue was from where. There were two choices: Tina’s and Sophie’s. Turns out that they used to be the same thing. And since they still have the same menu and Tina’s is slightly closer, the choice was easy. AnnMarie ordered her Cubano, while I opted for the Roast Pork Special with rice and sweet plantains as my two sides. I wanted beans too, but I also wanted to still be able to walk after lunch.
The Meal:
The food arrived in about 10 minutes, piping hot and with plenty of green sauce. AnnMarie got everything she wanted and more with her sandwich. Packed with meat and very filling, her Cubano even managed not to be messy! It immediately reached “order again” status.
Roast pork is definitely a hit or miss dish. And the key to success is in the moistness of the meat. A dry cut and there’s gonna be a lot of leftovers, because even a whole bucket of sauce won’t be able to save you. Luckily Tina’s knows what it’s doing and serves meat that you want to eat. There were a couple dry patches, but when I combined those pieces with the moist rice and sweet plantains, along with the bonus onions and some green sauce, the flavor was still great. And it was a ton of food!
On the whole, Tina’s is a great reasonably priced option to satisfy any Cuban craving. Both AnnMarie and I recommend it for ordering.
FYI – We’re located near Bryant Park in case you want to try Tina’s for yourself or give us recommendations for future orders!