Atlanta food and restaurant blog | The Blissful Glutton » Cuban

The saga of Havana Restaurant

blissfulglutton — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Debbie Benedit and Willie Benedit

On Oct. 6, 2008, Debbie Benedit watched as 32 years of her family’s backbreaking work was reduced to nothing but a soggy mess of char and ash. “Half of me died when my husband passed away,” says Benedit. “The other half died the night Havana caught on fire.”

Debbie and her family weren’t the only ones who were affected. Loyal customers were beside themselves. Many showed up in the following days to help Debbie, her son, Eddie Jr., and “her girls” wade through the muck and salvage whatever they could. At the time, Debbie told the Cherokee Tribune she had no plans to reopen Havana on Buford Highway, and was going to instead focus on the second location she’d opened near her home in Canton. “We’ve lived up here 20 years,” said Debbie. “We decided to stop feeding strangers in Atlanta and start feeding our neighbors.” That statement would come back to haunt her.

Havana Sandwich Shop started as a bona fide American dream and became a livelihood for the entire Benedit clan and the restaurant’s extended family of employees. The first of the Benedits, brothers Eddie and Guido Jr., immigrated to America in 1962. In 1964, their parents, Felisa and Guido (or “Mami and Papi”), followed with the third brother, Willie.

One of Guido’s dreams was to bring the food of Cuba and his family’s arsenal of time-tested recipes to America. Shortly after the Christmas of 1975, Guido found a space to make his restaurant a reality. The building was old and the family had little money or restaurant experience, but they opened Havana Sandwich Shop on Feb. 9, 1976.

Buford Highway wasn’t the mainstream culinary destination it is today, but people came to eat and became instant regulars. The restaurant earned around $200 on its first day, which was a fortune considering that a sandwich only cost a dollar and a Coke was 25 cents.

Continue Reading “Cuban unrest”

(Photos by Joeff Davis)

Havana Sandwich Shop reopens on November 3rd!

blissfulglutton — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Despite conflicting reports on opening dates (and locations), I received confirmation today from Havana’s co-founder, Debbie Benedit, that she’ll reopen next week at 3979 Buford Highway in the Crossroads Village Shopping Center (Buford HIghway and Clairmont) 404-633-7549.

Debbie writes in her sweet note:

I am Debbie Benedit, one of the co-founders along with my late husband, Eddie and his dad, Guido that opened Havana Sandwich Shop in 1976. Right before the fire that destroyed the Buford Highway location, my son, Eddie, opened up in Canton. One month later, Atlanta burned down. For the past year, I have been trying to find a “new home” for my restaurant and my life of 32 years. On a wing and a prayer, and a WHOLE lot of help and support from my kids, friends and a wonderful general contractor, we have done just that. The “Original Havana Sandwich Shop/Restaurant” will be opening next week.

Me, my son Eddie, the girls, that have been with Havana for 15-20 years are all coming back. We look forward to seeing you and all our friends from “the old yellow brick building.”

Debbie also writes that she has launched a new website for Havana. Congratulations to Debbie and her family. I know I’m looking forward to dining at the new digs of my old favorite next week.

Coming soon: Havana 76 Cafe

blissfulglutton — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:26:00 +0000

I was taking a shortcut through a newish strip-mall on Buford Highway where that weird Aldi Market is (3979 Buford Highway) and spotted this sign. My heart jumped at the site of “Havana.” Could it be the beloved sandwich shop of my youth was reopening? Being the nosy person that I am, I pulled over and walked right into the space to get the scoop. The gent inside told me it is a new Cuban spot being opened by a staff member of the restaurant that sadly burned down last year.

They are supposed to be open in a couple of weeks, but restaurant years are like dog years. So, I’d give them a month–minimum. It might not be the original Havana, but a new Cuban spot is never a bad thing. And they’ll be serving the same menu and have much of the original staff. If you are jonesing for some of the original Havana Sandwich Shop cooking, they have opened a new location in Canton, Georgia (editor’s note: the Canton location has closed). I haven’t been, but let us know if you have.

Cheap Eats: Little Cuba

blissfulglutton — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Cuban food in Atlanta has its limitations. Yes, we are blessed with spots such as the exceedingly warm Las Palmeras. But Atlanta’s Cuban cuisine scene has taken a big hit in the past year. Havana caught on fire, and the sweet owner of Kool Korners closed his restaurant to everyone’s dismay. Both have since opened in other less convenient locations — Canton and Alabama, respectively. But that doesn’t help the rest of us folks pining for a little taste of Cuba closer to home.

Little Cuba (3350 Chamblee Tucker Road, Suite D, Chamblee. 770-451-0025) is not a new restaurant, but it deserves a little love for its massive menu of classic Cuban dishes. The restaurant has managed to receive very little press in the 10 years it’s been open. But the seats have been filled every time I’ve dined here, and a wait at lunchtime is not uncommon.

In the spirit of Cuban joints that specialize in coffee, fresh-pressed juices and small bites, Little Cuba serves a nice selection of fried goods that are all made in house. The croquets are crisp and stuffed with an abundance of chopped ham. The crust of the empanadas is flaky without the excess oil, and the picadillo stuffing is a pitch-perfect balance of salt, beefiness and slow-cooked vegetables. The restaurant also serves an assortment of sides such as tostones, maduros and sticky fried yucca. Click here to read the rest…

Cheap Eats: TINY Bistro

blissfulglutton — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:24:00 +0000

TINY Bistro (1039 Marietta St., 404-745-9561, www.figsandhoneycatering.com) is one of the latest restaurants to open its doors on the booming Westside. The little lunch spot, owned by Karen and Robert Haan, is tucked away behind Octane Coffee. While it’s minimally decorated, flourishes like the ironically capitalized “TINY” sign, faux silver flatware, the vibrant pink floral dining room and the infectiously cheery staff make it exceedingly warm (and kind of precious). In a weird way, the bistro feels like it’s been around forever; this is undoubtedly due to its eight-year history as a catering company (in this same location) whose name recently changed to Figs & Honey Catering.

Most of the wall space in the front room is occupied by the daily menu, which is written in multicolored letters on an expansive chalkboard. Sandwiches dominate the menu and most are made with hand-stretched Cajun “pistolette” bread from a New Orleans bakery that’s been in business for more than 100 years; the croissants and marble rye come from Masada Bakery. Those mourning the recent closings of Kool Korners and Havana will delight in the news that TINY offers a worthy Cuban contender for your consideration. The fillings are standard — all natural ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and a few hand-sliced pickles — but the homemade slow-roasted guava mojo-marinated pork makes all the difference. Each bite into the super-compacted sandwich is crackly, meaty, gooey, and rings with the tang of the dill pickles and mustard.

The turkey meatloaf tastes like the Haans took everything that’s warm and loving about your mother’s cooking and stuffed it into a hand-held meal. The combination of mashed potatoes, thick slabs of bacon, cheddar cheese and a substantial hunk of tender turkey meatloaf is easy to eat, thanks to its turn on the sandwich press. Click here to read the rest…

First impression: The New Orleans Connection: Smyrna

blissfulglutton — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:42:00 +0000

Cheesesteaks, Cubanos and po’ boys all have one thing in common aside from being sandwiches. They are, by far, among the most challenging sandwiches to find authentic versions of outside of their birth places. I’m not saying you can’t find good versions here (I love Roy’s Cheesesteaks), but a true representation is almost as elusive as good Atlanta dim-sum. And that is why we trekked up to New Orleans Connection in Smyrna after reading the raves about it on Atlanta Cuisine.

The restaurant, which is tucked away in a mini strip mall, has all the markings of a New Orleans style restaurant: File gumbo, jambalaya, beignets and po’boys. We tried to show a little restraint despite the abundance of Creole classics and “only” ordered two po’boys (oyster for Moon and shrimp for myself), an order of jambalaya and some beignets.

Moon’s oyster po’boy: This looked delicious, but the sandwich fell flat in a big way. The oysters tasted off, the bread was stale and no amount of hot sauce or seasoning from having it fully “dressed” could save this sandwich.

Oyster po’boy innards

My shrimp po’boy: This sandwich had the same problems the other suffered from and the shrimp were tiny and tough. I left 3/4 of it in the basket and made a meal out of the semi-acceptable hush puppies we were told came from a bag. Sigh.

Hush puppies

The jambalaya tasted like it came from a box. It was dry and processed tasting. I needed two big gulps of soda to choke it down. The beignets–something I haven’t found a good version of since Huey’s closed–were a mess. They tasted like they’d come from a package (sensing a theme here?) and reeked of old oil. To make matters worse, the interior was completely dense like a donut instead of puffed and airy as a true beignet should be. Massive FAIL.

Verdict: Would I go back? Definitely not. The trip was a waste of gas. Moon and I could barely make it through half a sandwich. Meh. We had to go have a second lunch to wash the oyster and old oil funk off our tastebuds. I can’t say there is any reason go here when there are so many better options like Muss & Turners, Tasty China, Tandoor, etc. nearby. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

INFORMATION

Address: 1669 Spring Road, Suite B, 30080

Phone: 770-874-3404

WEBSITE

Nibbles

blissfulglutton — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:39:00 +0000

The Bureau is a great space and the time taken to renovate the spot is evident in the décor. The restaurant/bar is broken up into two levels but I’ve hung out downstairs during my visits. I would like to say the food is good but it is just competent. The poutine everyone on the interwebs has been salivating over was a big disappointment. The cheese was the consistency of nacho cheese—no curds to be found. I couldn’t figure out if the gravy was from a package or just blah. It all blended together in one bite. And the fries were frozen. Fail. Moon had pork belly over white beans, which was nice but lacked the touch of acid that it needed to pop. My chicken paprikash was a mess. The sauce tasted more like salsa and the only sour cream in the dish was a meager dollop crowning the chicken. I stopped eating after two bites. This is definitely not a food destination but a cool spot to drink beer and shoot some pool. There is valet parking across the street.

Cakes & Ale has received mixed reviews from you guys and others but I still love it. It possesses that low-key vibe and effortless elegance so many restaurant strive for but never achieve. Thoughtful touches like twinkling candles against the dark wood, a chalkboard full of daily specials straight from the market and Edith Piaf singing sweetly out of the speakers make it so cozy and warm. Service is knowledgeable and attentive. On my last visit, we had the irresistible arancini with fennel pollen, pristine breakfast radishes served with room temperature butter and sea salt and what has to be the most amazing chicken potpie I have had in a very long time. This version was baked in a little dish filled with fresh seasonal vegetables and chunks of tender chicken bathed in a silky sauce that was just thick enough without being heavy. But the cherry on top was the crust. Buttery, flaky, golden brown and not a gummy spot to be found. I am slowly working my way through their short but delightful cocktail list—my French 75 was perfection. The wine selection has improved, the beer list is still strong and they serve some fabulous coffee. I really wished I lived within walking distance. I’d be there once a week.

Editor’s note: I have been informed that the restaurant has closed since my post.

I was meandering around Marietta after an assignment and happened upon this little Cuban sandwich place in the same strip center as Bagelicious. Quick aside: thanks to the readers who recommended the bagels there. They were as good as promised and I am dying to explore that menu some more. Ok, back to the sandwiches. Since we’ve lost both The Kool Korner Grocery and Havana this year (R.I.P.), I was excited to see Cubano. They also advertised an assortment of Cuban coffees in their window. I went in and checked it out. I had just eaten two meals for work so I was stuffed but had had to get a taste. There were no Cuban coffees—guess the machine left with the previous Cuban owner when it was sold. But the new owner—who is not Cuban but does hail from Miami—is still making a wide range of Cuban sandwiches.

I got a classic and asked for it to be well pressed. My sandwich wasn’t bad. The bread was flavorful and they’d done a nice job making it crispy. But the pork was on the dry side and the sandwich could have been tangier—maybe a little more pickle and mustard? Still not a bad version given our current drought. I’d go back if I was in the area.

I spotted these fill-to-order cannolis at Harry’s Farmers’ Market in Marietta/Cobb while shopping there a while back. I didn’t order one—we were there post Tasty China—but thought it was a cool idea. There is nothing worse than a soggy cannoli. Anyone tried one of these?

Check out my latest in this week’s Creative Loafing

blissfulglutton — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:40:00 +0000

Cheap Eats: Chez Carmelle Pastry and Restaurant

Recently, my sister let me in on her favorite Haitian restaurant in Atlanta, Chez Carmelle Pastry and Restaurant (560-A Windy Hill Road, Smyrna. 678-213-2892), tucked away in the corner of a nondescript strip mall. Click here to read the rest…

Mouthful: Grilled cheese

LOTTAFRUTTA: The “Queso quartet sanduche” is a gooey medley of four different cheeses — cheddar, Monterey jack, feta and asiago — stuffed into sweet Latin bread and compacted Cuban-style on a sandwich press.Click here to read the rest…

Liquid Diet: The Grange Public House

CRAIC (“FUN”) HOUSE: The owners of the Grange Public House (formerly the Angel) have taken the traditional route. They’ve created a pub that resembles those they frequented back home in Rathfarnham, Ireland, from the tiled floors to the dark wood that covers the entire interior.Click here to read the rest…

A little trip to South Beach

blissfulglutton — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:26:00 +0000

After our quick trip to Dallas, I headed to visit the folks in South Beach with my man, Moon, for a few days. Moon had never been to South Beach/Miami so I wanted to give him a taste of my favorite hangouts. After picking him up from the airport, we headed over to meet my sis at Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House–a Miami mainstay tucked away near the Orthodox community. The place is an absolute scene and home to many displaced New Yorkers. There have been rumors that it will be closing soon, so get there before it does. Moon had foolishly indulged in Tasty China the night before so went easy and got egg whites with salami. I did no such thing and got the Reuben. My sister got the corned beef hash after her usual 10-minute meditation over the menu. Each meal starts with a few sweets, pickles, rolls and coleslaw. You have to be careful or you’ll get full before your real meal arrives.

The prune rugelach

Half-sour pickle: the perfect snack food

The coleslaw

Moon’s egg whites with salami

My Reuben sammie

Corned beef hash

Our latkes–we all opted for these instead of the other sides available

Dinner that night was with my family at Macaluso’s in South Beach for some Italian food. The owner is from Staten Island and it shows. Is the food here great? No. But, the shit-talking servers and long list of rules on what you can and cannot do has a certain cache I like. The meatballs set on top of marina and ricotta and garlicky salads are pretty damn good though. They don’t take reservations and there is no menu. It is worth doing once if you are visiting.

The next day was all about Cuban food. I took Moon to Versailles Restaurant which (I believe) is one of the oldest Cuban restaurants in the country. The place is a compound broken up into a cafe, a bakery and a restaurant. We headed over to the bakery for some nibbles and coffees first.

Locals starting their days with a Cuban coffee and conversation

Multi-layered prosciutto sammies in the case

Our spread of nibbles and the first of many, many Cuban coffees (cortaditos–a sweet 75/25 espresso and milk concoction–to be specific) on the trip

The money shot–this stuff is like crack cocaine

A pressed chorizo and cheese sandwich

Yucca and ham croquettas alongside a meat empanada

Cuban sweets, like guava filled pastries, in the case. The place has so many things to choose from…

After our gluttony in the bakery, we decided to hit the restaurant for an early lunch. Hey…we were already there. I got the masas de puerco (fried chunks of pork), moros and maduros–my favorite Cuban dish short of roasted chicken or sandwiches. Moon ordered the boliche, a fresh orange juice (Cuban places are known for a variety of fresh squeezed juices like papaya and mango) and yet another cortadito–I think I got him hooked.

Masas de puerco

Boliche

Moon’s black beans, rice and maduros

Another cortadito

After our little exercise in gluttony, we headed to the beach to lie around like beached whales. After a quick shower, we popped over to The Shore Club Hotel for some mojitos (just okay) and then stopped into Nobu (which is in the hotel) for another drink and some nibbles. I have had great meals here, but this time was lackluster–a shocker since I normally love the place. We just grabbed some fried rock shrimp in creamy sauce and the miso cod. The best part about the experience was watching a table of three women share a salad with chopsticks while drinking tap water. Moon commented, “at least they can say they have been here!” We got a good laugh out of that one.

I went to pick up Moon the next morning and he was pissed about losing his sunglasses the night before. In an attempt to cheer him up, I took him out to Kendall to this Mike’s New York Pizzeria–a place I’d read was well rated on Zagat.com. Just stay away. It was horrible. Is Zagat ever accurate? Then, in true Bliss/Rand McNally fashion, I got us hopelessly lost and stuck in traffic for 3 hours. The whole experience was an utter debacle.

On our way home, I attempted to redeem myself by heading to my family’s favorite Cuban lunch spot, Las Olas Cafe. The little cafe is not much to look at, but the food is always fresh and changes up on a daily basis. My favorites here are the Cuban sandwiches (super pressed which is the key to a good one aside from the ingredients) and amazing masas de puerco. Moon was much happier with his meal.

Masas de puerco with moros and maduros

Close-up of the pork

Our last night was a visit to the dining room at the famous restaurant, Joe’s Stone Crab. I always hit the to-go area, but we decided to have the full dining room experience complete with the requisite 2-hour wait (they don’t take reservations). After a couple of martinis and some apps, we were seated in at a cute corner table next to a window. The place was absolutely packed, but the service was fabulous. We got some of the large claws, fried shrimp, creamed spinach with garlic and the hash browns. Everything was stellar–especially the hash browns.

Nibbles (and more crappy iphone pics!)

blissfulglutton — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:50:00 +0000

I have some catching up to do. I just got back from a multi-stop “tour” of southern Florida (Miami, Naples and Tampa) to visit friends and family so I haven’t been eating much around Atlanta. I still have a few pieces to report though.

First, let me talk about my trip to Florida. Made my usual stop at Las Olas Cafe in South Beach–a small Cuban joint with plenty of hot dishes, sandwiches, empanadas and the requisite cafe bar. One thing I love about this place is the counter. It has been around so long that there is a *huge* indention in the wood from the years of prepping sandwiches. So cool.

I normally get the Masas de Puerco Fritas (Cuban Fried Pork Chunks) from the steam table with the maduros and moros, but they didn’t have them that day–the offerings change based on the day of the week. So, I got a cuban (asked for it well-pressed, of course) and it was great as usual. You can’t tell from the photo, but the sammie was literally a foot long. So darn good.

The rest of my South Beach eating was done at home. I love cooking for my folks, so I made them so dinner with goodies from Epicure–and amazing (and pricey) store with lots of great ingredients and plenty of Jewish specialties like this sick chopped liver.

Left Miami for a wine dinner in Naples at a private home where the Executive chef from Guy Savoy: Las Vegas made us an incredible truffle-laden dinner where we were also treated to some incredible wines.

Chef Damien Dulas

I am a huge fan of Guy Savoy–both the Paris and Las Vegas locations. When I was living in Paris, one summer during college, I was lucky enough to eat there and had one of the most memorable meals of my life. My father and I returned to the Vegas location for his birthday a couple of years back after the grand opening and it was just gorgeous. At the wine dinner in Naples, I had the pleasure of meeting the producers of the Vega Unico (we tasted a 1996 among other wines) and it was probably the best wine I have had in quite some time. Such a fun event and a wonderful way to spend an evening.

My last stop in Florida was to see my friends’ new baby in Tampa. They took me to the famous Bern’s Steakhouse which I had heard about for years and years. What a menu and wine list! The food was, unfortunately, kind of meh. The place feels like an amusement park, but it was still fun to finally experience the place and I was with people I love so, who cares?

***Back to Atlanta***

My friend brought over a pizza, from Fortunato Pizzeria, after I got home from Florida and was way too exhausted to cook. Any NYC-style pizza worth eating, travels well and this pie was good–even on the reheat (another true test). Very flavorful crust, the right amount of cheese, minimal grease and great sauce. I would definitely hit the place up the next time I am craving NYC-style pizza, which is way more often than I’d like to admit.

Went to Taka last night after quite some time. I have not been going as much since I moved because I really hate driving to Buckhead. I was glad I did because the food was delicious.

Tuna tartare

Short rib (half-portion)

Taka is still on his game…maybe even more so. My sister and I feasted on sashimi, fried baby squid legs, fire fish liver, fish ovaries reminiscent of sweetbreads, completely grease-less, curry-laced vegetable croquettes with Japanese mayo, creamy (and unbelievably fresh) uni handrolls, slow-cooked short rib and more for only $50 bucks each (including tip and a moderately-priced chrysanthemum sake). Still the best in Atlanta and a much better option than the pricey MF Buckhead around the corner. Why haven’t you been yet?

A couple of weeks ago, I returned to Rathbun Steak for their burger at the bar. I think I am addicted. The bun was different than my last visit (no onion bun), but it was still delicious. It has to be my favorite restaurant burger in Atlanta right now and definitely worth the trip. Don’t forget to order some of their homemade fries with blue cheese fondue on the side.

Once again, sorry for the fuzzy pics. I didn’t have my camera on me, but a bad picture is better than none, right?