As a non-native Chicagoan, I had eaten steak sandwiches and dined on plantains, but when I stepped into a Cuban restaurant and saw the jibarito for the first time, my mind was blown. Such a simple substitution, yet so satisfying. I thought that this was Cuban genius, but I was told it came from Costa Rican cuisine. But this treat of thin, char-grilled steak and garlicky mayo, tomatoes and lettuce between crispy planks of smashed and fried plantains came to prominence in Humboldt Park in 1996, at a Puerto Rican place, Borinquen Restaurant. To delicious hometown ingenuity! (Lauren Knight)
