Aldo Ramirez, owner of The Crazy Cuban on 14th Street, is upfront about it: His sandwich shop was inspired by the much loved but now defunct Kool Korners, which was located just a few blocks away and closed in 2008.
As at Kool Korners, the specialty of the house at The Crazy Cuban is the Cuban, that dressed and pressed Latin version of a hot ham and cheese. But though imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, claiming to be heir to Kool Korners is sacrilege to many Atlanta Cuban sandwich lovers — something akin to settling in near Ann’s Snack Bar on Memorial Drive to serve up a “Ghetto Burger.”
Several local bloggers have taken The Crazy Cuban to task for not being the real thing. For his part, Ramirez claims he has the blessing of Kool Korners owner, Ildefonso Ramirez (no relation), and that he’s using the same purveyors and products Kool Korners once used. But Ildefonso’s son, Guillermo Ramirez, says there is no affiliation between the two restaurants.
Tiny and neat
Devotees who got a kick out of the quirky hole-in-the-wall atmosphere at Kool Korners won’t find anything like that at The Crazy Cuban. The tiny storefront space is neat and the bright blue and orange color scheme conjures a fast food restaurant.
Configured for lunchtime takeaway, the setup has you order and pay at the counter and take a number. While you wait, you can watch as sandwiches are assembled and loaded into the plancha presses. Right now, the only seating is at a skinny laminated bar with a few stools, but Ramirez hopes to build an outdoor deck, soon.
Classic variations
The concise menu features pressed sandwiches ($5.75) that are mostly variations on the classic Cuban — though that immediately begs the question: What is a classic Cuban?
The answer, according to Ramirez, is called the “traditional” on the menu. It’s a combo of sliced ham, roasted spiced pork, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and dill pickle chips, with mojo sauce and Cuban bread.
The “classic,” based on the Kool Korners “all the way” Cuban, adds lettuce, tomato, onion and jalapeno peppers. Another version, called the “media noche,” includes the same ingredients as the classic but it’s lightly pressed on medianoche bread, which is made with a sweet, eggy dough and resembles a yellow roll.
Of the three sandwiches, the traditional is the crowd pleaser — the buttery toasted bread melds with the richness of the warm meat and melted cheese, and the mustard and pickles add a tangy counterpoint. But the media noche is more interesting. The sweet bread plays nicely with the pork, and the piquant jalapeno imparts another layer of flavor.
Other sandwiches ($5.75) include mojo pork, ham and cheese, turkey and cheese or veggie with Swiss cheese ($2.75).
The combo meal ($7.79) includes a sandwich, drink and chips. Choose from fountain Coca-Cola products or bottled Mexican sodas, and a variety of Zapps potato chips or plantain chips.
Dining out
The Crazy Cuban
Address, phone: 290 14th St., Atlanta; 404-607-7348
Signature dish: Cuban sandwich
Entree prices: $2.75-$7.79
Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays
Credit cards: yes
Online: www.crazycubansandwich.com
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