It’s midafternoon and you’ve got a pile of work in front of you, but all you want to do is crawl under your desk and take a nap. At this point, you can do one of two things: move to a civilized country where siestas are the norm, or fight that afternoon drowsiness with a jolt of caffeine. Since we don’t intend to move anytime soon, we have to settle for the latter, and one of our favorite ways is to knock back one of Cuba’s sweetest little exports, the cortadito. This little cup of espresso and sugar with a squirt of steamed milk is just the ticket for busy workers with sagging energy levels and even saggier checking account balances. Unlike certain gourmet coffee chains, most Cuban cafes that serve cortaditos don’t charge more than 95 cents for this delicious energy shot. Take away the milk and you have an espresso-like Cuban coffee, which often goes for 40 to 50 cents. If you happen to work near one of our favorite cortadito joints, then you are one lucky duck. If not, try one another time with a cheese and guava empanada or after lunching on a toasted Cuban sandwich. We like the 50-cent cortaditos (which are actually a lot like cafe con leche) at Lo Mejor de Mi Cafeteria, 3304 W. North Ave. (773-227-7044) and Marianao Food Mart, located at Albany and Armitage Avenues. For stronger ones, we head to Rancho Luna, 3312 1/2 W. Foster Ave. (773-509-9332; 95 cents) and the Cuban deli ($1) at the Citgo gas station at Sacramento and Fullerton Avenues. But for one that falls perfectly in between, we go to Cafeteria de Pancho (pictured), 2200 N. California Ave. (773-772-7811; 85 cents), where the coffee’s good and Cuban and Puerto Rican food commingle like peanut butter and jelly.
cortadito
price varies
Spanish for I feel so peppy: Me siento muy energetico!
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