The lost meals entries consist of meals that occurred at various times throughout 2012 which, for any number of reasons, escaped my documentation – some due to a cross country move and a new job, some due to the Los Angeles Kings run to the Stanley Cup, and some simply as a result of too much travel. Having enjoyed many of these meals with friends or family and with some of them amongst the year’s very best the reality is that with time my memory has deteriorated and as life moves forward I’ve realized there is little hope to ever “catch up” or document these experiences as well as I’d hope, yet in order to preserve them I present these pictures, notes, and thoughts on the experience.
Papas Cache Sabroso
Garlic Bread
Jibarito Pollo and Jibarito Steak
Half order Yuca with Onion, Half Order Tostones
Pastelillos with Guava
Carrot Cake
Cemitas Puebla
Cemitas Atomica
Quesadilla with Chicharrón
After a dull breakfast at La Fournette and vastly superior experience at The Art Institute of Chicago a miniature food tour ensued focusing on some of the more well regarded spots juxtaposing my sister’s apartment, the first stop being the adorable mom n’ pop Puerto Rican shop called Papa’s Cache Sabroso where we arrived to find ample parking, a few regulars, and exemplary service paired with some truly unique and delicious food. Known for their signature garlic plantain jibarito sandwiches as well as a small selection of rice bowls and sides it would not take long to decide on our order and taking the suggestion of our server we opted to share a pair of sandwiches, two desserts, and a duo of sides.
According to Wikipedia and local experts, the jibarito is technically not “Puerto Rican,” but rather a Puerto Rico inspired specialty sandwich of Chicago with grilled plantains replacing bread and topped with garlicky mayonnaise, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cheese – the end result something at once savory, sweet, smoky, and smooth – the original steak version actually better than the chicken and simply unlike any other sandwich I’ve tasted to date.
Moving on to sides and dessert, if there is one thing that Papa’s doesn’t go soft on it is flavor; the garlic bread like eating a whole roasted clove of garlic, the tostones intensely sweet, and the yucca intensely aromatic but a favorite of nearly everyone at the table. For dessert, at the advice of our server we opted for the pastelillos while I followed my personal preferences ordering the carrot cake and while both were good the pastelillos were almost too sweet while the carrot cake was nutty, aromatic, and dense – just the way it should be – with a frosting far lighter and less sweet than the traditional American cream cheese version…perhaps not the way it ‘should’ be, but in my opinion better.
Up next, another spot known for their unique sandwiches, we stopped at Cemitas Puebla for a shared bite of their two most oft raved options and with service far more matter-of-factual and expeditious than that at Papa’s Cache Sabroso we were quickly ushered through the line, orders requested immediately, and subsequently ushered to a table where some pamphlets sat describing the restaurant’s heritage pursuit of authenticity – the house made salsas, fresh Oaxaca cheese, and garden grown Papalo – a nice touch, albeit a bit ‘touristy’ and thus making me wonder if the restaurant’s appearance on The Food Network may have changed the demeanor (and patronage) of the restaurant, or if the service has always been so brisk.
Service aside, once the food arrived it was hard to argue that the food at Cemitas Puebla is special – the quesadilla hefty with fresh cheese and crackling pork while the hefty “Atomica” featured fluffy egg buns loaded with sesame seeds and spread thick with avocados surrounding pork in three distinct flavors and textures – Milanesa, Carne Enchilada, and Jamon – plus the aforementioned chipotle peppers, Oaxacan cheese and papalo. At times crispy and others creamy but entirely smoky, tender, and large enough to share this is most certainly a sandwich worth the praise – my only regret of the whole afternoon being that we were rushed through the process so quickly that I did not have time to sample the menu more thoroughly.