Fortuitous
circumstances have put me in possession of a vintage Eames chair, so now I can
sit alone in the dark and watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in style.
My part-time employment as an anime wrangler was fleeting, and I’ve taken up
tutoring to supplement my lavish lifestyle. Of course, this leaves me with free
days, so I’ve been thrill-seeking and friend-searching on the side to see what
adventures I can get myself into.
Well,
friend-seeking hasn’t been going so well. I never realized how difficult it was to be friendzoned when you actually wanted it. It’s hard to be in limbo – I’m moving
from one city to another, so there aren’t many preemptive measures I can take.
And humans, by nature, are frustrating, especially in this area. Apparently,
there isn’t a preferred gender pronoun for people who don’t know how email
works. Although I did have one extremely successful friend date, successful in
part due to equal parts of good conversation and vanilla milkshake! So,
thrill-seeking is the next measure. I considered taking a vacation to Florida
until I remembered that I was a student. Thankfully, Dunkin’ Donuts has brought
all the crushing disappointment of a real vacation to their restaurants up
here, with the glamorous Miami and politically-correct Amherst-exclusive Cuban
Sandwich.
The
new-ban Cuban features roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and a Dijon pickle spread
on a French roll. A tall order, especially on the pork front. This isn’t the
first time Dunkin’ has tried their hand at a Cuban, following the dismal
failure of the Cuban flatbread, with all the fun of a Cuban sandwich without
any of the components that designate it as such. This time, they appear to be
going pretty straightedge. The sandwich is tall, though in part, that is due to
the French roll, perennially fluffy.
Surprisingly,
all of the ingredients looked pretty legit. There was a fairly large slice of tender
pork, which, despite having doubtfully been really roasted, had a bold, savory
flavor unto its own. The ham and swiss looked plentiful and appetizing, despite
glistening with sweat. I mean, come on, Swiss, what is this, junior prom? And
the pickle and Dijon spread tasted just like Big Mac sauce. Which is honestly
pretty great. The
sandwich is bland, though, due to uneven distribution of the sauce, whose
acidic, brighter flavors really mitigate the basic saltiness of the meat. Only
the middle bite, the exact epicenter of the sandwich, carried any acidity or semblance
to pickle slices in a real Cuban.
And to be honest, that bite, had it not been
lukewarm, was great. The flavors are more distinct with that little hint of
brightness.
Without it, it ends up tasting like a generic mixed meat sandwich.
Just like Florida. And I didn’t even have to get sunburnt or sit next to a
crying baby on an airplane.
Labels: 7, fast food, sandwich
And to be honest, that bite, had it not been
lukewarm, was great. The flavors are more distinct with that little hint of
brightness. Without it, it ends up tasting like a generic mixed meat sandwich.
Just like Florida. And I didn’t even have to get sunburnt or sit next to a
crying baby on an airplane.