Aug 04, 2010 9:30 PM ET
Aug 05, 2010 12:30 AM ET

Cuban Sandwich

Episode BT0712H

Cuban born chef Nick Vazquez came to America in the 1960's. And luckily for the New Jersey food-loving locals, he never abandoned his Cuban roots. His popular restaurant Azucar serves up delicious Cuban classics like ropa vieja and vaca fritta. But, it is his Cubano Grande sandwich that has customers doing the Rumba. Nick is all set to host a Cuban affair at his restaurant in honor of his famous sandwich, but when Chef Bobby Flay sneaks up on the scene, it is anybody's guess who will claim victory in this cross-cultural Cuban Sandwich Throwdown!

Quote:

I have not gotten use to receiving "bad service". It is everywhere. I must be living in the past. Still, I hope to find it, and reward those establishments that offer good and great service by being a loyal customer.

I never leave an establishment for good, until I have talked to the manager or written to the company directly, to tell them why I'm never coming back. It does nothing to benefit me because at that point, I've had it, but it may help to alert management as to what went wrong. Way too many people out of work; no need to settle for crappy employees. And if it's not the employees fault because they're short staffed, then it's managements fault and they need to know about it.

i've been to azucar in edgewater several times in the past and enjoyed it. went to the one in jc about a year or two ago and, while the food was decent, service was absolutely horrible. will not be going back again.

I went there once, everything was super salty. I guess I'll have to try again!

Thats awesome, i LOVE Azucar. Great Cuban food, unlike that garbage place on grove

Up from 'Throwdown': Nick Vazquez Cuban is one hot sandwich

By Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger
March 17, 2010, 4:30AM

Nick Vazquez of Jersey City’s Azucar is justly proud of his Cuban sandwiches — he takes no shortcuts, marinating the pork for a day in cumin, oregano, lime and sour orange juice, and “a lot, a lot of garlic.” The slices of slow-cooked pork are layered with Virginia ham for a hint of sweetness, Swiss cheese and thinly sliced kosher pickles. All that is tucked inside rolls baked especially for him in North Bergen.

Too bad you can’t find it on the menu most of the time. It’s strictly a lunch item, although you can order it from the medianoche menu on weekends. “It’s an $8 sandwich and it will feed two people,” Vazquez says. “Guess what? $8 is not going to pay my rent.”

But that may have to change.

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay challenged Vazquez, a Cuban native, to a Cuban sandwich throwdown for Flay’s eponymous Food Network show, which aired last week. Vazquez won, and demand for the sandwich has not let up.

“The first thing Bobby told me was, ‘Get security,’” Vazquez says. “I said, ‘Come on, Bobby.’

“ ‘Nick, there’s going to be a line out your door only looking for a Cuban sandwich.’ ”

Here are the ingredients for “Throwdown With Bobby Flay”: An unsuspecting chef is approached by the Food Network to appear on a special; while preparing a signature dish, Flay turns up to challenge the chef, putting his own spin on it. A two-person panel decides who prevails.

Vazquez says he always figured “Throwdown” was fixed, and couldn’t imagine the featured chefs didn’t know what was going down. Then it happened to him. Producers followed him at the restaurant, in the Newport section of Jersey City, and around Hudson County for three days; Flay showed up on the fourth.

“I said, ‘You know, this guy is not going to beat me,’ ” Vazquez says. “I took it very personally.”

Flay’s fatal flaw, Vazquez says, was using pork shoulder instead of leg; shoulder is more tender and shreds easier, so Flay ended up with a pulled pork sandwich — a delicious pulled pork sandwich, Vazquez admits, but it wasn’t a Cuban.

Still, Vazquez was sweating bullets.

“He’s Bobby Flay, let’s be honest. He’s an $8 million guy for the Food Network. You gotta be impressed. I’m just a lonely guy in Newport trying to make a living.”

Cuban Sandwich is on tonight, not next week.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/throwdown- ... cuban-sandwich/index.html

According to the Hudson Reporter, it is La Isla in Hoboken. Maybe it is two different episodes.
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Chef at Hoboken's La Isla to appear on Throwdown with Bobby Flay
Posted March 8, 2010
03.08.10 - 01:52 pm

HOBOKEN -- La Isla Restaurant in Hoboken will be featured on the Food Network’s Throwndown with Bobby Flay on Wednesday, March 17 at 9 p.m.

The episode will feature Iron chef Bobby Flay against La Isla’s Chef Omar Giner as he tries to outdo Omar’s popular Stuffed French Toast with his own interpretation of this unique version of the classic breakfast dish.

La Isla has been in Hoboken for over 40 years and under the ownership of the Giner and Luis families since 1996. The 39-seat restaurant on lower Washington Street provides a unique combination of authentic Cuban cuisine and Omar’s Nuevo Latino interpretations.

For more, see this weekend's Hoboken Reporter.


Hudson Reporter

Quote:

Amen to that. Bobby Flay always kinda came off as an arrogant s.o.b. imo.

I used to go and enjoy the original Azucar in Edgewater. Went once to the Newport JC and was not satisfied. However, I will never pay more than 5 dollars for a cuban sandwich. The best is at El Fenix bakery in Union City (Bgline and 41st) ..3.50 for a quality cuban.

Bobby Flay is one of my favorites on the Food Network. Seems like a cool, hip, kinda guy. Would have would have went, if I had known about it. So, I guess I'll look for the show on TV.

I heard that place sucks. Did I hear wrong?

JC list, you let me down. Why didn't you tell me when this was filming.

Bobby Flay paid a visit to Newport Cuban joint Azucar for a Cuban-sandwich Throwdown that airs on the Food Network next Wednesday. So why cubanos in Jersey City and not Miami?

Read more: Bobby Flay Rides the PATH for a Cuban-Sandwich Throwdown -- Grub Street New York http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2010/03 ... th_for.html#ixzz0hnZYiYeD