SLO LIFE AprMay 2020 Low Res

HAVANA, OOH NA-NA
Chrystal Trenado pokes her head out of the order window
of the Cubanissimo food truck, which is covered in colorful
vintage images from Cuba. She hands me my cubano
sandwich, and explains that her husband, Arqui, was born
and raised in Cuba.
“Most of our food is coming from family recipes,” she says.
“Our cubano is just like one you’d find in Cuba.”
In fact, the Trenados are so committed to authenticity that
they have the bread for their cubano sandwiches custom
baked, just for them. “Getting a Cuban sandwich in
California, the bread is usually French or Italian-style,” she
says. “But we use the real thing.”
Inside, marinated pork, ham, swiss cheese, mustard and
pickles are pressed between slices on a hot grill. My kids,
husband and I each take a bite, marveling at the shatter of
the bread and the umami ham and cheese against tangy
pickles and mustard.
Chrystal also offers us an order of yuca fries, a house/truck
specialty made from cassava, a sort of tropical potato. The
fries are big, chewy and satisfying, especially with the little
pot of mustard-y sauce that accompanies them. >>
84 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | APR/MAY 2020