Before meeting my girlfriends for happy hour, I stopped into Cafe Cortadito to escape the cold and handle my hangry. Trav ended up having things to do and I almost stopped to get junk food, but I am so grateful I decided to keep the date with my Cuban Sandwich.

The worst part of NYC living is the ridiculously expensive food. We were headed to the Blvck Caviar networking event at The DL that was bound to be packed, but I had a few hours to kill before doors opened. The best part of NYC is the options; I decided to find a place nearby with a decent menu. The key to managing your coins is understanding the menu before you get to a place. The mini Cuban sandwich was perfect for 1; at $9.95 with the complimentary water, it was 100% better than stopping by the local bodega and getting a $7 steak and cheese. Bocaditos means “small bites” in Spanish, and I certainly took my time eating my mini. It’s definitely not enough to fill you if you share, but enough to fill you until you get something to eat later on ;)

Ordering small plates is how I try to experience nice places when I’m by myself; I’ve always wanted to stop by Cafe Cortadito since my days of waiting in line at the Nuyorican Poets Café. Wrapped up my meal with a coffee and wonderful service. It wasn’t crowded, so I was able to take my time, enjoy my cafe on leche & admire the chandeliers before I headed out to meet my friends — when they were in a good place in line ;)

Will definitely be stopping back in for a real meal soon. I had my eye on that Ropa Vieja! Catch you all there!

xoxo,

ELLA