TAMPA — This year’s annual “The Science of the Cuban Sandwich” may have been short on competitors looking for top sandwich honors, but it did offer variety, as well as rum, flan and live entertainment.
Held at the Museum of Science and Industry, it was not for Cuban traditionalists, whose heads may have exploded seeing their beloved sandwich served on croissants or with jackfruit instead of meat.
The entrants into the Cuban sandwich competition included reimagined offerings from the My Hungry Vegan food truck, Hotel Haya and past winner Station House BBQ — which has a location at MOSI — while Soul De Cuba served up a more traditional Cuban.
My Hungry Vegan may have strayed most off course from the expected Cuban, serving up a twist on the oft-debated sandwich that substituted jackfruit for pulled pork with smoked vegan gouda, bread coated and crisped by coconut oil and a mayo-mustard barbecue sauce.
Somehow, it all worked.
“We definitely offer something different, but it’s still delicious,” said owner Johnny Douglas.
Hotel Haya, which is in Ybor City, served up a Cubano Croissant, substituting the French pastry for Cuban bread. It was rewarded with top honors from the judges panel, as well as the People’s Choice top spot.
Station House BBQ delivered its smoky-barbecue infused sandwich with smoked meats and an option for multiple sauces, like its sweet guava barbecue sauce. In 2023, Station House BBQ took home top honors in the People’s Choice category.
The closest thing to a traditional Cuban, as many would know it, came from Soul De Cuba Café, which is on North Florida Avenue, which was a popular choice for sandwich seekers.
The event, which is a fundraiser for MOSI, also added a few new touches this year, including a cigar-rolling station from the masters at JC Newman Cigar Co.
The most notable of the new additions this year were rum and flan vendors.
Downtown Lakeland’s Banquet61 didn’t just offer samples of its flan, it offered entire servings, which we wish we had known before sneaking back for seconds (and thirds, if we’re being truthful) of the sandwiches. The judges deemed it the best.
The Habana Café, the People’s Choice winner, was also on hand and served a delightful cream cheese flan — essentially substituting cream cheese and a little extra sugar for the egg whites — with owner Josefa Gonzalez-Hastings.
The native Cuban also handed out copies of her “Habana Café” cookbook — the cream cheese flan is on pages 85-87 — which was named Best Latino Cuisine Cookbook in 2004. Her Habana Café in Gulfport remains a popular spot for authentic Cuban cuisine.
Although she didn’t take part in the sandwich showdown, we couldn’t help but page through her cookbook and discover she is, not surprisingly, an old-school expert on the Cuban: spread the mustard on the bottom half of the Cuban bread, then lay four to five pickle slices down, followed by layering in the Swiss cheese, slices of sweet ham and slices of roast pork. Put the top piece of bread on, butter, and, of course, press.
Lugo’s Draft Distillery, the busiest table at the event, was tabbed with Best Rum.
The event also showed off MOSI’s new Saunders Planetarium & Digital Dome Theatre, and music (with some dancing lessons) from Izis La Enfermera de la Salsa.