National Cuban Sandwich Day Has A Manalapan Connection at Latin Bites

MANALAPAN, NJ — You'll probably want more than just a bite of Latin Bite's Cuban sandwich if you visit the restaurant Tuesday, National Cuban Sandwich Day.

Roy Villanueva, founder and owner of Latin Bites, has operated the restaurant at 349 Route 9 at the Ashley Plaza for four years now. And the story of his signature "Big Papi Cuban Sandwich" is spreading around the state and soon into Philadelphia aboard his five food trucks.

Villanueva isn't sure who started Cuban Sandwich Day, but "I wish I could take credit for it," he said. You can visit the National Cuban Sandwich Day Facebook page to really get into the spirit.

And if there was ever a day to try one, it's Tuesday. Not only can customers enjoy Villanueva's 14-inch sandwich, created with his and his partner's own special methods, they will get a free order of yuca fries, a traditional root vegetable, with each sandwich, he said.

Villanueva grew up in Aguada, Puerto Rico, helping his single mother sell her home-cooked food in their small rural community to help make ends meet. He and his family came to this area when he was age 11. He is 60 now and has been in this business for 10 years now, he said.

He and his business partner, Amore Fernandez, developed the signature Big Papi sandwich for his business, he said.

"The Cuban sandwich is not from Cuba," he explained. He said it originated in Tampa, Florida, among the Cuban immigrant community there and spread to other cities in Florida, such as Miami.

The sandwich traditionally includes roast pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on a Cuban roll.

Fernandez was born in Miami and brought her special background to Latin Bites' Big Papi sandwich recipe, Villanueva said.

It contains the traditional ingredients, but special attention is given to the pork. It is a half pound of pork that has been marinated in Fernandez's special recipe for 12 hours then slow roasted for 12 hours, making it super-tender, he said. The ham is sliced Serrano, from a region in Spain. Then there is Swiss cheese, golden mustard and 14-inch rolls made to his specifications in an Irvington commercial bakery. Oh, and the pickles? "I use Kosher dill pickles - I'm 2 percent Jewish," he said with a laugh. Traditionally, the sandwich is pressed and grilled.

Latin Bites food trucks use his Manalapan restaurant as the "commissary" for the food they will serve around the state.

His five trucks are based during the week in Hazlet, Lakewood, Roselle Park, Woodbridge and Camden. Next month he plans to site one in Philadelphia, he said. On weekends the trucks travel the festival circuit, he said.

His restaurant will be open Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and his trucks from noon to at least 8 p.m., he said. The Latin Bites restaurant is closed Mondays, and opens Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., its website says.