The Crazy Cuban

Aldo Ramirez, the owner of this streamlined lunch spot, and his muse, Ildefonso Ramirez from Kool Korners (a local Cuban classic now relocated to Alabama), may share the same last name, but as far as they know, there is no family connection. The spiritual link between the two restaurants is astonishingly strong, however. Customers trade stories of the legendary spot that sat almost across the street, swearing they can’t tell the difference between the original and the respectful imitator.

The short menu focuses on the business at hand: hot pressed sandwiches. Of the two variations on the Cuban, the Classic and the Traditional, the latter is the most elegant, without distracting lettuce and tomato ruining the precious bond between the ham, pork, cheese, and crisp, hot bread slathered with a garlic and citrus marinade.