Cuban food is what
Miami does best, and it's not
limited to the traditional
haunts in
Little Havana
- the hearty, comfort food,
notably rice and beans, fried
plantains and shredded pork
sandwiches, is found in every
neighborhood. It is, however,
complemented by sushi bars,
American home-style diners,
Haitian restaurants, Italian
eateries and Indian venues,
among a handful of other
ethnic cuisines.
Coral
Gables stakes its claim in
upmarket cafés and ethnic
Italian and Greek restaurants,
while
Coconut Grove
features American, Spanish,
New Floridian - a mix of
Caribbean spiciness and fruity
Florida sauces - and even
British.
Seafood is
equally abundant; succulent
grouper, yellowfin tuna and
wahoo, a local delicacy, are
among five hundred species of
fish thriving offshore.
Stone
crab claws , served from
October to May, are another
regional specialty. A tropical
climate provides Florida with
a juicy assortment of standard
orange and grapefruit citrus,
as well as the exotic flavors
of the
lychee, mango,
papaya, tamarind and
star
fruits - many of which are
used in sauces and
batidos
(light milkshakes). You'll
also want to drink Cuban
coffee: choose between
café
cubano , strong, sweet and
frothy, drunk like a shot with
a glass of water;
café con
leche , with steamed milk,
and particularly good at
breakfast with
pan cubano
(thin, buttered toast); or
café
cortadito , a smaller
version of the
con leche
.
Ayestaran 706 SW
27th Ave, Little Havana tel
305/649-4982. The sprawling
Cuban restaurant offers hearty
daily specials and superb café
con leche that you can mix
to your liking.
Bambu 1661 Meridian
Ave, Miami Beach tel
305/531-4800. Celebrity
eateries are big business in
Miami, and this one is
co-owned by the actress
Cameron Diaz. But the draw at
this place is the food - great
Asian fusion sushi and the
occasional celebrity sighting
make it a good place to splash
out.
Big Fish Mayaimi 55
SW Miami Ave, downtown tel
305/373-1770. A lively spot on
the Miami River, it has great
fish dishes and a splendid
view. The menu includes
home-cooked fish sandwiches
and fresh seafood chowder.
Big Pink 157 Collins
Ave, South Beach tel
305/531-0888. Big portions of
comfort food - mashed
potatoes, ribs, macaroni and
cheese, and classic "TV
dinners" at 1950s prices
- are served up.
David's Café 1058
Collins Ave, South Beach tel
305/534-8736. Cuban restaurant
with two locations on the
beach (the other is at 16th
& Meridian Ave), where
suited Cuban businessmen doing
deals sit alongside cholo
teenagers. The food is
authentic and there's eat-in
and take-out at both
restaurants.
Fishbone Grille 650
S Miami Ave, downtown tel
305/530-1915. The busy,
friendly restaurant serves
excellent seafood with
creative starters like shrimp
potato fritters and smoked
fish mousse.
Gino's 731
Washington Ave, Miami Beach
tel 305/673-2837. Open 24
hours a day, it serves true
New York-style pizza to shift
workers and clubbers alike.
It's famous, too, for a
dedication to staying open,
even in the face of
hurricanes.
Greenstreet Café
3468 Main Highway, Coconut
Grove tel 305/444-0244. Its
terrific breakfasts make this
café a real scene at
weekends. It has a large
number of outdoor tables for
watching the world go by.
Joe's Stone Crabs
227 Biscayne St, South Beach
tel 305/673-0365. A legendary
restaurant, it is always
packed for its superb stone
crabs - if you're impatient,
do as the locals do and head
to the takeout window.
Crabcakes, fresh fish and
crispy fried chicken are also
good. Open mid-Oct to mid-May.
Larios on the Beach
820 Ocean Drive, South Beach
tel 305/532-9577. It is better
known for being owned by
singer Gloria Estefan rather
than for its sophisticated -
and surprisingly affordable -
"Nuevo Cubano" food
served in a Latin nightclub
atmosphere.
Monty's 2560 S
Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove
tel 305/854-7997. Skip the
pricey indoor restaurant and
head for Monty's Raw Bar
on the waterfront. Sit in the
tiki huts eating fresh fish
and sipping well-priced
drinks.
News Café 800 Ocean
Drive, Miami Beach tel
305/538-6397. The established,
fashionable sidewalk café has
front-row seating for the
South Beach promenade -
although the food's
unremarkable. Open 24hr at
weekends.
Puerto Sagua 700
Collins Ave, South Beach tel
305/673-1115. The Cuban diner
serves great, rich black bean
soup and other filling meals.
La Sandwicherie 229
W 14th St, South Beach tel
305/532-8934. Don't be put off
by the silly name. This place
serves serious sandwiches
starting at around $6 from its
open-air lunch counter; each
giant French loaf doorstop
could make two meals, and it's
open until 5am.
Tap Tap 819 5th St,
South Beach tel 305/672-2898.
Haitian food is at its
tastiest and most attractive
in one of the best-looking
restaurants in Miami Beach,
hung with local art.
Versailles 3555 SW
8th St, Little Havana tel
305/444-0240. At this legend
in Little Havana, very little
English is spoken. Local
families, Cuban businessmen
and backpackers congregate
here for the wonderfully
inexpensive Cuban dishes,
served by one of the
friendliest staffs in Miami.
Yambo 1643 SW 1st
St, Little Havana tel
305/642-6616. Try the good,
inexpensive Nicaraguan food at
an undiscovered gem. Step out
of the USA and into Central
America without leaving Miami.
Yuca 501 Lincoln Rd,
South Beach tel 305/532-9822.
Discover Nuevo Cubano cooking
at its best - and most
expensive. Expect to pay at
least $50 a head. Latin music
at weekends.
