Harlem's Floridita Bar Restaurant - New York City

While visiting Andrew in New York in May we ate Cuban cuisine at Harlem's Original Floridita Bar Restaurant, just down from Riverside Park and near Andrew's Columbia studio.

The restaurant below as we walk down the steps from Riverside Park. 

This was not our first choice, or even our tenth choice, but after driving blocks and blocks trying to find parking places near other restaurants, we found a parking place in Riverside Park and were able to walk down some stairs to Floridita. 

Andrew wanted some platano frito guacamole which was long strips of fried plantains and a bowl of guacamole. The plantains are very crisp and have no salt, like traditional tortilla chips or potato chips. They do have a very subdued sweetness. I think I would like them more if they were salty. I tried a few and had enough.

I got a Cubano sandwich, mostly because of the fantastic Cubano sandwich I had at Open City near the National Cathedral. Alas, it was not comparable. It had a sliver slice of ham and pork, likely some butter and a smattering of mustard and a few small chunks of pickle. It was very forgettable. 

We shared some toston carne which were little cups made of mashed plantain filled with chopped and fried pork. They were okay.

We also shared some soup I didn't write down the name of, with boiled shrimp in a tomato broth. It was mild and okay.

Andrew got an ensalade de aguacate which I did not get a picture of and did not taste, and Judy got lechon asado, slow roasted Cuban style pork in mojo served with yucca and rice. The fatty portions of pork were juicy and soft, but large portions of the big chunks of pork were dry. Not even close to the roasted pork we ate in Puerto Rico. 

Overall it was a very average meal. The restaurant itself was large and roomy and nicely air conditioned from the humid heat outside, but the food itself was forgettable.