Victor's Cafe
236 West 52nd Street (between Broadway and 8th)

I am a big fan of Cuban food, but it has been a long time since I've had any. So when my friend suggested Victor's Cafe for lunch, I happily agreed. I have been on a health kick for the last fortnight, and have actually not eaten out since the last review. I just needed to burn off some of the excess, and it's worked well. So I felt wonderful as I walked into the well-reviewed eatery.

It's a pretty large space, and we were placed in the back under the sunroof. On a day like this, it was pretty nice. I love the mechanical fan paddles on the ceiling -- a nice touch. There's a real relaxing feel to the place, which I like.

I ordered a glass of white -- my first glass of wine in awhile too. The food was excellent, of course -- my friend went with the prix fixe but I wanted a bigger choice, so went for the main menu. My starter was a nice order of las croqueticas con jamon (croquettes with ham), which was nice with a tangy salsa.

But the main course was the awesome el lechon asado (roast pork). I always love the Cuban version of this classic, from the juicy and soft meat to the slab of roasted skin...I've been good for 2 weeks, I can enjoy this! The accompanying rice with beans was excellent. I have to say the balance was just excellent.

After a coffee, I was more than happy to venture back into the horrible heat and humidity. I had already walked quite a bit in this sticky mess, but ended up walking all the way back to the home office all the way across the island. I'm sure I sweated out more than I consumed...

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: B (*)