I’ve written about Havana a couple of times, both drinking and eating. It’s been around for awhile and has become something of a Commercial Drive establishment, although I had given up on it for anything other than Caribbean style cocktails.

And I like the decor. The scratched out walls and the mural and the Cuban photos make the umbrella drinks go down a little easier, so I gave it another try. And this time around the Cuban sandwich was delicious.

Roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and pickles on super soft Cubana bread, it was flavourful and tasty. I had the soup to accompany it, a spicy chicken and orzo dish that was flavourful and balanced and makes me want to get back for the chicken and chorizo penne and huevos rancheros.

But it’s still doubtful that I’ll ever be hungry enough to ever try the Es Una Locura – the sheer madness. Two beef patties, bacon, chorizo, back bacon, avocado, Dijon mustard, spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onions, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, sauteed peppers and mushrooms on a ciabatta bun. OK, that’s not very Cuban. It’s still not overly authentic but it’ll do in a pinch.

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Havana
1212 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Photo Credit: ecstaticist.

So I’ve dedicded to start a new project for dining in 2010. The tagline of this site is “Sampling the World’s Cuisine Without Leaving Vancouver” and so instead of of traipsing around Vancouver’s culinary delights in the random way I have been for the last (almost) 2 years, I am going to present my finds country by country.

I still have a bit of a backlog of reviews, so I may post those interspersed with the project and if I feel really keen, I may even post some recipes.

First stop on the grand tour: North America. Got any favorites you’d like to recommend?

I’ve reviewed Havana before, but I haven’t said much about the food.  Usually when I eat at Havana, it’s because I have to, either because I’ve drank so many mojitos that eating is imperative, or because someone else wants to go there. The food used to be good but it’s gone through so many fads and phases that it doesn’t seem very authentic anymore. That’s ok, they’ve got a beautiful decor, good service, great drinks and a fantastic patio, does it really matter if they’re not authentic? It hadn’t to me until I tried to order a medianoche sandwich. The last time I had one of these was in Calle Ocho in Miami and I was so enthralled by it that I ordered it without thinking, so grateful to have another taste of it. It’s supposed to have pork and ham on slightly sweet, spongy bread, which technically this one did, but it’s not anywhere near the sandwich of my dreams. It was so dried out and sad that I abandoned it for yam fries and beer.

Brunch is better, with omelettes and black beans and chorizo, but your best bet it a mojito.

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Havana
1212 Commercial Drive, Vancouver