One of the many great things that Felix left behind in America before he left for Sydney (besides a lovely stack of Tim-Tams on my shelf) was advice on where to eat. You’d think that after only spending a week here in the city to visit Stephanie, I’d have to give him some dining picks. But nope, he’s already been to Megu, which I have yet to been able to splurge on, and of course, Cafe Habana. He also went all out on a shopping galore spree. Man, this kid really got his bang for his buck for his plane ticket.
I took Suzie for lunch at Cafe Habana for our last big/little meal and to my surprise, she’s already been here. The place is literally a block from her apartment. By the time we got there, around 12:45pm, it was getting really crowded. The place is extremely tiny to begin with, so we were forced to squeeze into this ridiculously small area. I felt as if I was eating on top of the woman next to me. But the place is in high demand, so I guess we were lucky that we didn’t have to wait.
If you go to any review site, you’ll find that people always talk about the corn and for good reason. At only $3.75, you get two Grilled Corn on the Cobs and its sprinkled with chili powder, lime, and cheese. This is a definite must. If you don’t get the corn, you’re missing out. Supposedly, this is how corn is served in Cuba anyway, but I’ve never had anything like this. I don’t even like corn and I loved this! I just loved the extra kick the chili powder gave and of course, anything with cheese is bound to be delicious!
Our entrees came before we could finish the corn. Suzie ordered the Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad, which was epically huge. The greens looked so fresh and the chicken looked really moist and tender. I really have to give the restaurant props for rolling out such fresh and beautiful food at a really fast pace.
It took me a really long while to decide between the Cuban Sandwich and the Grilled Steak Sandwich, but when I asked the server what she recommended between the two, she didn’t even hesitate to answer the Grilled Steak Sandwich.
When it came out, it looked soooo appetizing. Like overflowing chipotle mayo (I know, that sounds a bit horrific, but seriously…? ) and what seemed to be an endless pile of juicy, tender steak. I asked for it to be done medium rare and it was perfect! It must have only been on the grill for a minute or so, because the center was still rosy pink and it retained all of the moisture. And the grilled onions and peppers! I could go for another one right now!!
I was so stuffed by the time I got onto the second half of the sandwich. I tried eating the salad first to at least get in my greens. I knew that if I doggy bagged the second half, it just wouldn’t be as good reheated or cold. So, I man-ed up and ate the rest of it. Of course, I was in pain after, but I think, in this occassion, it was a rare worth it move.
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17 Prince St.
New York, NY 10012
At Elizabeth St. See Map | Subway Directions 
212-625-2002
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- An interview with Terry Chen of “Filled with Sweets”
- Co. Pizza
- Crif Dogs (take 2)- best hot dogs ever
- Saturday brunch at Locanda Verde
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I had a bite of that corn when my friend got it! I need to get a whole corn on the cob for myself next time I go..
that corn looks insane!!!!
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