Lived up in Seattle for a time and lost my gizzard over Paseo’s midnight cuban sandwich and their 1/2 roasted chicken. I keep searching for a Cuban joint down here that delivers the goods as well. So far, no luck. Puhleeze, FTCers, any help from someone who KNOWS what I’m talking about (i.e. has EATEN at Paseo in Seattle)? (thx, but no thx in advance for mere Cuban recs. I’m looking for something specific here).
save up for a plane ticket.
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I think you need to be more specific on what your version of a medianoche sandwich should be like, and perhaps you’d get a better or more positive response. Maybe add what local places you’ve had it and why you didn’t like it. Expecting this board to know Cuban food from a specific place in Seattle is a bit on the outrageous side because Seattle is not known for its Cuban offerings. Not once in my many trips to Seattle have I ever considered a Cuban place for dining, and I’m quite sure I’m not the only FTC who feels this way.
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LA can’t compete? C’MON!
True, I would never choose Cuban food when visiting Seattle, but the OP lived there and thus was probably over the local specialties we Angelenos would choose visiting there.
That said I have never had Cuban food here to rival Florida. I love Porto’s potato balls and pastries, but their sandwiches are nothing like one can find in Florida. Its the bread. Perhaps Paseo in Seattle has the bread down. Best I have found here is El Criollo in Burbank.
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we do have cuban restaurants but they aren’t really specialists in sandwiches. Plus that is not a traditional Medianoche, I don’t know how you expect LA to have a sandwich which is particular to a place in Seattle.
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For cuban, medianoche, and roast pork sandwiches, my standby is Cafe Tropical. Not a full restaurant, but tasty sandwiches, cafe con leche, and guava cheese pie. Not all of the baked goods are winners.
Anyone who has lived in Seattle knows Paseo. It is one of Seattle’s most famous food joints. It has gotten national coverage. Yes, I don’t expect a non-Seattle person to know. But, lots of LA people have lived in Seattle, and I’m canvassing those people. I don’t know how you would expect anyone who hasn’t tried something in their mouth to be able to describe it. That’s like describing the sound of an oboe to someone who’s never heard the instrument. No approximations will capture it. Russell called that “knowledge by acquaintance” which is not mappable onto propositional knowledge of the sort you’d enter from your keyboard.
Thank you, ebethsdad. I’ll try it.
Paseo’s Midnight Cuban
eg. of news story: Seattle sandwich shop picked second best food joint in America - MyNorthwest.com
Looks tasty but doesn’t look like a traditional medianoche.
For something simpler and dare I say more in keeping with traditional cuban grub, I’ll second the Cafe Tropical suggestion. The medianoche is good but I prefer the cubano, as I’m not a huge fan of pan suave. As someone else stated, I’d stay away from the vast majority of baked sweets there, as they’re aggressively sweet and the pastry cream has the density of U235.
Great cuban coffee. Good sandwiches. Freak-show style people watching.
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Personally I would say the porchetta melt at Gjusta is closer to what he is lookng for even thought the bread is completely wrong- you might be able to get them to add ham…
But as I said before LA does not have a cuban midnight sandwich like that. You can get (mostly very average) medianoche’s around LA but that is not the same…
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That picture you posted looks like nothing you will get at El Criollo. Wow. I can see why you are looking for it. You might find something like it at Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, but you won’t get anything like that here unless the porchetta melt aaqjr suggested satisfies.
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Yep. You will drive yourself crazy trying to replicate a taste that is captured not only by ingredients and prep, but also a place and time. Instead of thinking L.A. can’t compete because it can’t make ONE sandwich, embrace all that it does have. Believe me, Seattle is lacking in many things too… 
If you want a proper cuban sandwich however that is one the best I’ve tasted anywhere (Including Miami), head down to Del Rey Deli. It won’t be home, but it still a damn fine sandwich.
–Dommy!
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Tragic situation really. LA does not have a good cubano or a good medianoche. And our Cuban restaurants are pretty average in general.
Agree with others that Cafe Tropical is OK.
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Have you tried the one at Del Rey Deli? It has it’s own parking lot and is pretty easy to get there.
–Dommy!
Notwithstanding all the smack that gets talked about them, Versailles (the Venice Bl location) still turns out a damn fine chicken.
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Maybe I’m missing something, but Paseo’s website lists nothing that is described as a midnight sandwich/medianoche.
Unless it’s this, which explains the funky look:
- PASEO PRESS 11.50
Succulent roasted pork nestled atop sweet banana peppers, draped with sheer slices of smoked ham, Swiss cheese, and caramelized onions; all melted together between a hot press. (No lettuce or jalapeños)
Haven’t been there in years bit I used to enjoy their chicken as well as the plantains.
It can’t be medianoche unless it’s on a sweetened bread.
Sounds like a pretty normal sandwich to me…less Cubano and more inspired by a Cubano.