[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

The Oxtail Stew ($11) is a special on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at Sophie's Cuban, so plan your lunch schedule accordingly. And bring your appetite—or plan to take the leftovers home for dinner. A generous portion of oxtail, pieces ranging from an inch to two inches long, are fried and slow-cooked, stewed tender with onions and peas lacing the sauce. All you need is a fork—it's a pull-apart wonder, marbled in fat for maximum flavor. You have a choice of two sides with this dish; one of them should be yellow rice. Absolutely essential, so that you can ladle all that meaty, savory sauce over the rice with abandon. As for the other side? I'd recommend the fried plantains, whose exteriors have a slight crisp crunch: a sweet lift to the hearty meal.

Sophie's Cuban

Multiple Locations in NYC
sophiescuban.com