Carteles

As you move closer to the equator, sunlight hits the planet's surface more directly, focusing into narrower but more powerful beams. And thus the new Cuban restaurant Carteles, a diminutive blast of socialist cheer on an otherwise brown-and-beige East Village street. Carteles only has ten stools, but its color palette is so bright and cheery that it feels like it's one good tune on the huge white boombox away from breaking out into a block party.


The menu only has five sandwiches and a couple of soups. We went with the jardinero, a messy but rather crunchy mix of peppers, zucchini, sofrito, and provolone, and the sloppy joe, which combines ropa vieja with peppers, tomatoes, and cheese in a sandwich that left us envious of Cuban school lunches.