Super Pans Superwiches!

So if you don’t know by now about Hector Santiago’s new lunch spot, Super Pan, then you need to get some. This place is the jam up.. big time. I heard about the place for a couple months, and if I had a pie chart of the money I’ve spent there, then I would step back in alarm. This is, by far, one of my top three lunch spots in the city.

Why is this the best spot in town? Because Hector is a food genius– his is the only place I’m aware of where I can get proper Latino sandwiches, each a home run every time.

You might be familiar with the name Hector Santiago from the Bravo T.V. show Top Chef. He is also the owner and chef of Pura Vida and Super Pan; he also runs a burrito food cart each weekend in the Poncey-Highlands. Hector has a degree from C.I.A. and frequently travels to Spain and both Central and South America to learn cooking techniques and Latin cooking traditions.

This place is busy, so if your lunch break is short get ready to be late. Fuck your boss, the traditional Latino sammies are worth it. Super Pan is located in the basement of Pura Vida, so it feels like your sneaking into your eighth grade girlfriend’s parents’ house. After you enter through the side of the Pura vida building, walk into the dinning room, and head left up the stairs, you choose: the menu is small, but damn everything is good. Also you can chose from daily specials posted on the wall. On my first visit, I got the hand stuffed blood sausage.

Jesus Christ, these things were dank. (That means good for the older readers.)

I also went with the Medio Dia: the Mother Earth of sandwiches. Complete with adobo roasted Berkshire pork, Neiman ranch ham, chayote pickles, swiss, and habanero mustard on the best fucking bread I’ve ever tasted this is seriously the best $11 sandwich money can buy. You can eat your sack full of crusty Krystal burgers– these sandwiches are made from the best ingredients on earth!

The second time I went I had to go with the Pork Belly Buns. Holy mouth-gasm! I mean, how can you go wrong with pork belly; this is meat butter, and it melts in your mouth. It’s served on a steamed coconut bun, the likes of which I’ve never tasted before. As for the bread, think airy marshmallow cloud meets steamed burger slider pita forged by that three-boobed chick from Total Recall. Its absolutely fantastic. I personally would share this with someone as an appetizer, but hey– your the boss of you.

All jokes aside, after you eat there, you’re gonna thank me for this. You can taste the love and respect of quality ingredients and the passion of cooking good food. Say,”What’s up?” to Hector– he’s a cool dude and appreciates everyone who walks through that door.

Photo Credit: Tim Song