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Bending the rules in our search for the perfect Cuban sandwich

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Yorgos Cuban SammyMe and Linds B took our traveling show downtown last week, paying a visit to a local landmark. Yorgos has been rocking the corner restaurant thing in the smack dab middle of Lancaster city since 1989.

In spite of this staple status, I had never stepped foot in the doors until now. And it probably wasn’t gonna happen if I hadn’t googled up a last minute change of plans.

Quick shout out to the National Champion Villanova Wildcats! They made it look easy against a couple of basketball powerhouses in Kansas and Michigan, and in so doing made some history. The win makes the City of Brotherly Love a sporting hot spot, with the Eagles and ‘Cats representing. Imma root for the Sixers to keep this streak going because it’s nice to see a hard luck sports town become the place to be.

Yorgos is a Mediterranean eatery dressed in a pub; and it’s small enough that Clark Kent would probably dash inside for a quick wardrobe change. I was instantly in like with the place as a result, because it was giving me a chill Martini bar vibe. My preferred dining experience requires ambient lighting, leather cushioned booths that pinch the walls, a lively bar crowd, music spilling out in symmetrical accompaniment with restaurant chatter and of course . . good eats. Home? Meet run.

So we dug into this buzz whilst ordering up a first round of friendly beverages- Linds going with a mixed rum drink while I cozied up to a frosty Sam Adams Lager. We talked up mental health, food, tats and the peeps we know and love and even the ones we’re not so crazy about.

Our entry level choice was tacos since the lovely waitress let us know it was dollar taco night . . and she got no further than that before we’d placed an order for a half dozen of the little buggers in a soft taco formation. They were delectably tasty company, and they were not lonely for very long before the main event hit the table.

Vera Farmiga The Departed
The Cuban traditional they serve up at Yorgos is sexy. Like . . if this thing was a person, it would be Vera Farmiga in The Departed, seeing as how I consider it her tastiest performance. And the hell with the Academy for not having a Tastiest Actress category!

The blueprint is true to the original- pork, ham, Swiss-cheese, pickles and mustard. The bread is where they went all curve ball on us. It wasn’t pressed. And as per our rule book, any Cubano which is not pressed to specs will not be considered for Best of Show. We aren’t much for the rules, excepting for this one. Because really . . it’s all about priorities.

Before I throw it back to the judges, I wanted to let you know The Twinkies Post is coming up this week. It will feature the Easter night dessert treats that me and my daughter cooked up. And umm . . . if you’re into heart healthy foods, the Twinkies post ain’t gonna appeal . . so just scroll down till you get to the music video.

The Verdict

Here then, is the Linds B recap as per her Facebook post . . .

Hittin’ y’all with that fresh Cuban post, because Marc and I are doing the Lord’s work here. Once again, completely unexpected and fresh from the sweet, sweet pits of Google; we’ve come across the current leader across the board with a hearty 9/10! To our complete surprise, Yorgos hit us with their Cuban panini and damn were we blown away! With every flavor present in every single bite! Why not 10/10 you ask? Well, as we’ve covered in the past, we’re hard graders! In spite of the bread being an absolutely delicious addition, it wasn’t the pressed bread that brings that 100% accuracy! However, amazingly delicious! Definitely go and give it a taste! 

This is how irony meets destiny, because this leader in the clubhouse might never have gained such an edge if they had played by the Cuban Sandwich Rules and pressed this puppy. The bread was that good, and like Linds B put it . . everything else about the sammy was winning. Big.
Kids, let this be a lesson to you that coloring outside the lines has its advantages. Just remember to bring the passion, the flavor and most importantly, the soul. And the right amount of mustard wouldn’t hurt.
 

 

94 thoughts on “Bending the rules in our search for the perfect Cuban sandwich”

  1. Seems the two of you found a winner! Serve up another Lager for that .. clink! … Looking forward to the Twinkies post – no matter what that crazy person north of the border thinks!

    Nova was awesome and deserving!

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  2. K. Now that I’ve taken care of “Cincy”, I can move on to my comment. That is one smart-looking Cubano, lemme tell you. That bread does indeed look like it should not even be pressed. I can see why it would get a pass.

    Should I ever make it to your neck of the woods, I’m expecting a a visit there with you both😉

    And yes, colouring outside the lines can bring you unexpected delights.

    Keep ’em coming…

    Q

    P.S. I’ll read that Twinkie post but I can’t promise I won’t grimace here or there…

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Lovely Person North of the Border,

      It was quite ironic, because like I said . . if they WOULD have pressed it, it wouldn’t have been the same. The point deduction . . ahem . . wasn’t personal, it was strictly business.
      Color . . colour . . . both!
      I oftentimes color outside the lines, to the complete amazement of most peeps who think me a tad big unhinged. But if you ain’t following your gut or the friendly voices in your head, then you’re just following the crowd. And I? Ain’t that.
      The Twinkies post will be grimace worthy for those of y’all who ain’t down with the snack cake. And I almost feel giddy when I say that . . .

      Peace and key lime!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Dear Funny Guy South of Me,

        Yes. You did say that. So… yeah… just business.
        We like the extra “u” – though there are some of my Canadian peeps who have dissed it. Not moi. Nuh unh.
        Way more fun to colour outside the lines. And yes. Following the crowd is B-O-R-I-N-G.
        I could, maybe, perhaps, be convinced to taste one…. if it’s enough to make you giddy!

        Smiles and Sachertorte

        Liked by 1 person

        • And it comes from Godfather I . . . but of course.
          U love the u, don’t u? I guess I can’t blame u . . . okay I’ll stop.
          Colouring (see what I did there) outside the lines is the only way you find anything that’s worth it. And following the crowd? Look at what that gets us in most general elections . . . just saying.
          I umm . . . am giving you a special mention in my Twinkies post. Please . . don’t punch me?

          Toodles and Twinkies

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          • So big of you to use the ‘u’… And right. Outside the lines is the only way to go.
            Please do. Wouldn’t dream of punching you!

            Twinkies and heart attacks…

            Liked by 1 person

          • The U is the moniker given to my favorite college football team- The University of Miami. I fell in love with them the minute they started breaking rules and pissing everybody else off supremely. They’re veritable choir boys these days . .
            Okay phew! I was practicing my self defense . . but I’ve heard about yous Canadians . . . that you fight dirty. Frank told me. . .

            Hey, every time a Twinkie is consumed, a hospital gets a new wing. 🙂

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          • I understand and respect your belt. And I come in peace, honestly. I know . . I know . . Americans have a way of saying that right before they attack the compound or break out barbed wire baseball bats . . but I actually mean it.
            I saw Kill Bill . . I know what happens when you push a gal too far.

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    • No less an authority on food than Alton Brown of the Food Network has hailed the Lancaster grub scene as one of his favorites. It’s really that good. The Cubano influence is primarily driven by the Puerto Rican population, whose culinary artists provide a spot on rendition.
      All this . . AND Twinkies!

      Liked by 1 person

        • That’s Amish Country. But Lancaster city is a different scene. It won Small City In America (or something like that) several years back. The art scene is really great and the restaurants are quite good. Yeah and Harrisburg/Reading are short trips from here with plenty of good eats as well.
          It’s the one thing that I love about this area. Access to many different places. Baltimore is an hour and change . . D.C. two and a half. Philly an hour and change, New York three hours. And then there’s hiking, hunting, fishing, the shore and the slopes, all are short drives away. Not bad . . .
          And now I will stop since I do not get paid one stinking dime by the Chamber of Commerce for this . . . 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

  5. Outstanding! I started drooling just reading about all that luscious goodness (and I’m a freakin’ vegetarian for crips sake!). So looking forward to that Twinkies post. Although I have not partaken any meats for over 25 years, sugar on the other hand… I should just get an IV inserted and mainline. 💉

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