The Cubano panini is certainly not something you'd put on your kosher-only diet, especially with 'extra bacon' on top. This handheld slice of heaven normally comes stuffed with pulled pork, ham, pickles and deli mustard, but the lovely lady behind the counter seemed to have an uncanny psychic ability because she asked me if I wanted jalapenos and red onions. Without hesitation, I agreed to those toppings, and quickly added that I would like an order of bacon as well.
Before continuing, I would like to note that if you're in a hurry, don't get a warm/hot/panini sandwich, especially during the lunch rush. I'm certainly not complaining, because believe you, me, I would have waited 45 minutes for this panini. Not that it's uncommon, but they make everything fresh. Except the bacon and pulled pork. That would just be impossible. But they sliced the ham, just for my sandwich, the cheese, just for my sandwich...I watched as they made my co-worker's Mojo Steak and someone else's Chicken Pesto. They actually prepare the meats as they're ordered! This place is no joke. As I'm sure you can imagine, the wait times associated with that type of service are a little longer than normal, but it's certainly worth it. Think of it this way; you can call up your kids and settle a dispute over a Harry Potter DVD in the meanwhile.
Back to the food.
I get back to my desk and tear into this thing. The panini was toasted to perfection. I'm not even kidding. At some places the crust is too hard and it cuts into your gums and sometimes it's too soft and it's just like you're eating a microwaved piece of bread. This was perfect. It was crispy, and chewy at the same time. And I can't forget to mention the textbook panini grill lines. If there was a poster child for panini bread, this would have been it.
After the first bite, I couldn't stop. In the short while this sandwich existed on this planet, I was able to savor the sweet bbq flavor from the pulled pork, the tart crispiness of the pickles and that flavor you can only get from eating jalapenos. Once again, they managed to put some random ingredients with very distinct flavors inside one panini and have them all harmoniously melt together in my mouth. The bacon was an obvious enhancer, but I'm glad that it didn't overpower the other two types of pork in my panini. Unless you're a true bacon fanatic, I'd recommend leaving it out as it's just additional calories and $.50 more out of your pocket.
Unfortunately, I didn't taste the deli mustard, or the cheese, but I can assure you, I did not miss either.
As you can see, Swiches is fast becoming a favorite. The one thing I'd like to see them improve upon is their napkin department. For a restaurant that serves such delicious foods that require you to 'get physical', they hand out the cheapest napkins on the planet. They're similar to the style napkins you get wrapped around your sugar cone at Baskin Robbins. Other than that, I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit.
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