NYCReview
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
El Floridita Restaurant
Included In
One day, Washington Heights should get its own version of Mount Rushmore. It would be a great use of all the exposed rock in Fort Tryon Park, and would justify why driving across the George Washington Bridge costs more than a full-service car wash. The sculpture’s logical inclusions are Alicia Keys, Babe Ruth, and a unicorn from one of the tapestries at the Met Cloisters. And our fourth and most important nominee is the Cubano sandwich from Floridita.
Floridita serves a big variety of Cuban and Dominican food, like mofongo, asopaos, and rotisserie chicken, but the reason to come to this bright spot in Washington Heights is for the Cubano. The crispy bread and crunchy pickles perfectly balance out the fatty ham, pork roast, and swiss cheese. For $6, the sandwich is huge and very filling, and the browned, pressed bread keeps it held together like a corset. Floridita is open 24 hours a day, so order one with a coffee at the diner counter or a beer at the bar, or get it to-go and eat it in the park where it’s going to be memorialized. Just look for the exposed rock.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Cubano
This is the best use of $6 since that Beverly Hills Cop DVD box-set at a stoop sale. It’s fatty, salty, and garlicky, and a weaker person might need to share it with a friend. Don’t be that weak person.
Rotisserie Chicken
The chicken is spiced well and it comes with a huge portion of your choice of side, like tostones or rice and beans. Unfortunately, the flabby skin doesn’t add much flavor, the meat is dry, and the tostones are drier. Get another Cubano instead.
