Have you watched the ridiculously dreamy video Thrillist put out about the Tampa Cuban? Well, don’t — depending on how much you have, or haven’t, eaten.
I say that because the footage of this most legendary sandwich, which is featured above and started floating around on social media Monday, will — I repeat, will — lead to a series of serious stomach growls from start to finish. You’ve been warned.
Part of Thrillist’s No Leftovers show and nearly 10 minutes long, the new “Keep It Cubano” episode features iconic scenes all over Cigar City, including shots of the Hillsborough River, streetcars and Seventh Avenue. Some black-and-white film of cigar rollers doing their thing is even mixed in.
“Local tips: Don’t mind the roosters. Watch out for streetcars and cobblestones. And never, ever accept a Cuban sandwich that’s been made with mayonnaise,” says host Dave Infante.
Infante heads to Ybor City and West Tampa, where he discusses the Cubano, its connection to the cigar industry, those carefully assembled layers, and other sandwichy goodness with five locals — including Andrea Gonzmart Williams (Columbia Restaurant), Copeland More (La Segunda Central Bakery) and Felicia Lacalle (Hemingway’s, set for The Heights Public Market at Armature Works).
“You have the sweetness. You have the saltiness, the creaminess, the texture,” Lacelle says inside the beloved Aguila Sandwich Shop on Hillsborough Avenue. “It’s just amazing. It’s delicious.”
Seriously, did anyone else just get super hungry?
This article appears in Nov 9-16, 2017.