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Boston Restaurant Blog >> 2010 archives >> July, 2010 >> blog entry

Boston Restaurant Blog -- July, 2010

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Sublime Cuban Sandwiches at Chez Henri, Cambridge

One of my favorite shows on TV is "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network. The show focuses on well-known chefs and other celebrities in the culinary world who dreamily talk about dishes at various eateries around the country that they can't stop thinking about. Well, if I were on the show, I would probably tell the world about the pressed Cuban sandwich at Chez Henri in Cambridge. and yes, I know it's just a sandwich, but it is indeed that good.

photo of Chez Henri, Cambridge, MA Chez Henri is located on a side street just off Mass. Ave. between Porter Square and Harvard Square. It is easy to miss, especially since the often-busy Mass. Ave. doesn't make it easy to casually check out the shops and restaurants while driving. The interior of the restaurant is broken up into two spaces, with a rather dark and rustic bar to the right and a slightly more formal-feeling dining room to the left. Both rooms are small, and, especially in the case of the bar area, it can get crowded and noisy at times, but on a weeknight, it is often fairly easy to grab a table in the bar area (or the dining room, for that matter). One note: The bar menu is not available in the dining room, but both the bar menu and regular menu are available in the bar area.

In the times that I have gone to Chez Henri, I have only had two items (and the same can be said for my several dining companions): The ham croquettes, which were awfully good (though they no longer seem to be on the menu) and, of course, the pressed Cuban sandwich, or Cubano as they are often called. On a recent visit, several of us tried both the regular Cuban sandwich and the vegetarian version, with both getting top marks. The regular Cubano is what I ordered, and once again it impressed me more than perhaps any single food item in recent memory. The combination of roast pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, and mustard placed into pressed (and slightly greasy) bread was sheer perfection, and the delicious plantain chips on the side were just icing on the cake. Yes, the sandwich is $14, which means a Cubano and a couple of beers will set you back $25 to $30, but it is well worth it in my opinion.

So the Cuban sandwich at Chez Henri is quite possibly the best thing I ever ate, which is saying a lot considering all of the dishes I've eaten over the past several years. If you haven't tried the Cubano there yet--and you love sandwiches--you should definitely give it a shot.

For those who want the address for Chez Henri, here it is: Chez Henri, 1 Shepard Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The phone number is (617) 354-8980.

Chez Henri on Urbanspoon

Chez Henri

Related Blog Entries: Cambridge restaurants, French restaurants

2 COMMENTS:
sherman said:
The only thing keeping this place open is the Cuban sandwich. Without it, I bet it would be 6 feet under.
Posted on 7/28/10
Taylor said:
I went there for my one year anniversary and it was the worst dining experience of my life. The staff was rude, the food was inedible, and the night was almost ruined. I work in the the industry and as such I sent them an email giving them a head's up about how hoorribly wrong my experience had been. No response at all. Don't bother with this place.
Posted on 7/28/10
Soma Sengupta said:
The Cuban sandwiches are awesome!
Posted on 7/29/10
Linda said:
Any Cuban sandwich not made in Miami or Union City, New Jersey is suspect.
Posted on 7/29/10

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