Cuba Libre

Ironside chef Bob Cina has a powerful culinary calling card: his Cuban sandwich. The masterful creation followed Cina from his former position in Boston--as chef at French-Cuban bistro Chez Henri--here to San Francisco, where it found a home at the new SoMa restaurant.

How to explain the sandwich's bicoastal popularity? It has everything to do with the pork. Cina marinates pork butt in an orange-and-molasses brine for two days before slow-roasting the meat for six hours, interrupting the cooking only to baste with more orange, molasses and garlic.

The gently sweet, tender pork--along with Gruyère, country ham and pickles--is then piled on a Cuban-style roll lashed with chipotle aioli. For the last hurrah, each sandwich is baked until the cheese begins to melt, then pressed on a griddle until crisp.

At Chez Henri, the sandwich was only available at the bar, and its limited availability made it more desirable. At Ironside, the tradition continues--it can only be ordered at lunch ($12). We suspect the Cubano siren song will soon have you scheduling your midday meetings in South Park.

Ironside, 680 Second St., 415-896-1127, ironsidesf.com