Panini Pinups

During the week, Panini Pinups can be found wandering Saint Paul’s Lowertown. I’ve seen them near Mears Park and Rice Park many times during lunch hours, but never when I had the chance to stop. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to try their sandwiches at the ‘Tapped and Uncorked’ beer tasting event in Rosemont. It was a dream come true to have them there — and so many beers to sample along side.
I ordered their Cuban Panini, with Ham, Chicken, Swiss, and pickle. It also includes your choice of mustards — yellow mustard for their ‘classic’ Cuban, and Jalapeño mustard for their Atomic version. The owners were very accommodating and friendly when I asked for a «half and half» version for me with different mustards on each half.
Unfortunately, when the sandwich arrived, both sides were slathered in their respective mustards making it difficult to taste the subtle flavors of chicken, swiss and ham. The chicken was over-​portioned and pork was under-​represented. I would have welcomed a slice of Genoa salami (making it a Tampa-​style Cuban) for more dimension. As served, it wasn’t close enough to an authentic Cuban experience to satisfy my craving. It was a sandwich ‘out of balance.‘
I think Panini Pinups is capable of making good sandwiches — and this is my first visit — so I’ve given them three stars (great service) instead of two (disappointing Cuban). In part, this is because I still have HIGH HOPES for their SPAM Panini served with Siracha mayo, American cheese and pineapple.