DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 🇩🇴
On multiple occasions the neon signs had beckoned during walks up or down Grand Concourse, but for whatever reasons on those past trips the pull was not quite strong enough. Recently the promise of coffee and a sandwich cubano was too much though, and Mi Casa had finally won. When you open the door, the smell is distinctly more bakery than coffee shop, freshly baked breads and cakes find their way to your nose before the busy grill.
This location is actually the third of three for what is an expanding franchise, and the furthest south so far. They have another location on Kingsbridge Road and the first was further up on Bedford Park Blvd. All three took over the spots from other bakeries with a focus on custom cakes, a business that is always in high demand amongst certain communities. Flip through their photo album on Facebook to see some of the truly creative cakes they have designed.
There is a list of breakfast foods and sandwiches available up on the wall which most people order takeout from, but grabbing one of the barstools and settling into the rhythm of the place is more recommended. The women who run everything are quite friendly and manage the always swirling goings on very well. They treat their regulars the way they want to be treated, and get good laughs at people who come in for the first time asking for something they do not offer.
Never afraid of taking extras home, an order of two sandwiches was made, both of which were even larger than expected. The first, a pernil ($6, above) was loaded with thin slices of pork shoulder obviously marinated with care and full of spices and flavor. The bread also shined and was the first hint at the skill of the baker here. Soft and pillowy, slightly sweet, easy to bite through yet strong enough to hold the heft of the sandwich without falling apart.
The same bread was used for the cubano ($6.50, below), which I marvelled at for its mashup of so many ideas. The bread's sweetness wanted to trick me into thinking it was a sort of medianoche, but the bread was unlike any of a traditional Cuban sandwich. You can get many versions of a cubano around town, but this rooted itself here in the Bronx, a Dominican-American hybrid loaded not with mustard and pickles but with lettuce, tomato, and mayo like at any proper bodega. This might infuriate a purist, but on this day it was appropriate, and delicious.
With more ingredients but including the tasty pernil, this sandwich is an upgrade and highly recommended with Swiss cheese, ham, and those aforementioned toppings. A New York deli sandwich on quality bakery bread and a touch of Bronx Caribbean flair.
After eating half of each and tucking the other halves away to go, focus shifted on the other patrons, one of which seemed to have his own seat at the counter and knew everyone working here. He was proud of the fact that it was his 81st birthday the next day.
Right before I left, a woman came in asking for flan, but the bakery had just ran out. It was not a tough switch for her to decide on cheesecake instead. At Mi Casa, it seemed very appropriate.
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