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Home / Posts Tagged "cuban food"

12:14 pm
Restaurant Features
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Versailles

By Sherri Balefsky | Online Editor

With the highest Cuban population in the United States, it’s no wonder that Miami has some of the best and most authentic Cuban restaurants in the world. Here, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 picks, in no particular order.

1. Versailles {3555 Southwest 8th Street, Miami; 305.444.0240}
The “World’s Most Famous Cuban Restaurant,” has been serving up authentic Cuban cuisine for over 40 years. Since it opened on Calle Ocho back in 1971, Versailles has been the unofficial town square for Miami’s Cuban immigrants. The expansive menu overflows with tasty Cuban classics for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night bites, as the restaurant is open until at least 1am daily.

2. Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop {186 Northeast 29th Street, Wynwood; 305.573.4681}
If you ask any Cuban where to find the most authentic food from their native land, hands down the majority will tell you Enriqueta’s. Since 1965, this bustling Wynwood eatery has been a local favorite, serving up breakfast and lunch from its simple dining room and L-shaped coffee window. Affordable, fresh, and delicious, this is Cuban cuisine and its best.

3. Bread + Butter {2330 Salzedo Street, Coral Gables; 305.442.9622}
This Coral Gables eatery is the brainchild of Cuban-American Chef Alberto Cabrera, whose childhood nickname was Pan con Mantequilla (translation: Bread and Butter). Rustic-chic décor with exposed ceilings and chalkboard walls sets the tone for this casual spot, which offers a unique menu that marries traditional Cuban fare with the flavors of a modern American gastropub.

Bread and Butter

Bread + Butter’s Pan Con Tomate

4. Little Bread {541 Southwest 12th Avenue, Little Havana; 786.420.2672}
On the heels of the success of Bread + Butter, Chef Alberto Cabrera introduces Little Bread, a unique eatery whose focus is solely on Cuban sandwich culture. The Little Havana spot, which just opened this past December, offers some 15 scrumptiously innovative sandwiches. A must-try: the Media Noche Club, a combination of porchetta, ham, Emmenthal cheese, mustard caviar, and pickles.

5. La Carreta {multiple locations}
From the same people behind Versailles, La Carreta has become a casual go-to spot for Cubans throughout South Florida who are looking for authentic Cuban cuisine. The first La Carreta was founded on Calle Ocho back in 1976; today, the chain has nine locations throughout Miami, including Hialeah, Kendall, and Bird Road in addition to a very popular outpost at the Miami Airport.

6. Larios on the Beach {820 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; 305.532.9577}
Since the early ’90s, Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s internationally acclaimed restaurant has been one of South Beach’s top destinations for Cuban cuisine. The happening spot on Ocean Drive features a newly redesigned dining room, lively Cuban music, and world-famous mojitos, not to mention the “Calorie Conscious Cuban” menu (created by Gloria herself), which offers healthy spins on classic Cuban dishes.

Larios on the beach

Larios on the Beach

7. Puerto Sagua {700 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.673.1115}
Cool, casual, and cozy. Sometimes a “no-frills” lunch is exactly what a day at the beach calls for. This bustling South Beach eatery on Collins Avenue has been serving up tasty Cuban sandwiches, real Cuban coffee, ropa vieja, and other traditional dishes since the early 1960s.

8. Havana 1957 {multiple locations}
Classic Cuban cuisine meets the chic ambience and sophistication of 1950s Havana for a truly remarkable experience. Now with four locations, (Española Way, Lincoln Road, Brickell, and Pembroke Pines), Havana 1957 has become a must-visit for visitors and locals alike, providing a fun, family-friendly atmosphere that combines Cuban flavors, music, and vintage memorabilia.

9. Sergio’s {multiple locations}
“Simple, fresh, and homemade” is the motto of the family-run chain, which was established back in 1970 by a Cuban immigrant family. Today, the family’s dedication to using only best and freshest products has made Sergio’s one of the top destinations for Cuban comfort food in South Florida. Added bonus: easy online ordering and fast delivery.

Sergios

Tapas from the new bar Sergio’s Kendall location

10. El Exquisito {1510 Southwest Eighth Street, Little Havana; 305.643.0227}
In 1974, the Coro family began their American dream by opening a small family-style restaurant in what is now the heart of Little Havana on Calle Ocho. The family operated the 20-seat restaurant for almost four decades, until they sold it to local entrepreneurs. They revitalized the space, which now seats about 100, but maintained its authentic feel, as El Exquisito serves the same homestyle dishes as it did when it first opened.

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1:34 pm
Restaurant Features
0
Larios on the Beach

Left to Right: Alexander Dinelaris, Gloria Estefan, director Jerry Mitchell, and Emilio Estefan

People from Miami—and truly, the world over—know that it’s not hard to fall in love with the Estefans. Ever since they settled in Miami and began making a name for themselves, musicians-cum-entrepreneurs Emilio and Gloria Estefan have won our hearts not only with their music, but with their community involvement and philanthropic spirits. And for the last 25 years, we’ve especially loved their flagship Cuban restaurant, Larios on the Beach.

Larios Mojitos

Mojitos at Larios on the Beach

“After leaving Cuba and arriving in Miami, we thought that it would be great to open a restaurant to share the flavors of our culture,” Emilio says. “Most of the recipes are from Gloria’s grandmother, my mother, or our chef who’s been with us for 25 years.”

The recent renovation and revitalization of the restaurant placed renewed emphasis on quality products and healthful items, like Gloria’s Triple C: Calorie Conscious Cuban offerings. The menu features dishes made with the freshest daily catch and ingredients like black bean hummus, whole grain brown rice, and baked plantain chips. “Sometimes the best food is the simplest food,” Estefan says. His personal favorite? The Vaca Frita—pan- seared, sizzling flank steak topped with grilled onions, garlic, and lemon.

Larios Paella

Paella at Larios on the Beach

The Estefans themselves aren’t in the kitchen much anymore, but Emilio is quick to point out that Gloria is known throughout their family for her cooking talents. “She makes the best pancakes in the world,” he says. “Our children and all their friends know it, but the recipe is her secret.”

This year, the Estefans are developing a luxurious new building on Northeast 14th Street and First Avenue. After nearly 14 years in the making, the building—scheduled to be completed in 2016—will provide a towering view of Miami, crowned with a rooftop restaurant named, simply, Estefan Kitchen. “Our restaurant will serve high-quality Cuban food, with an emphasis on presentation, service, and of course, great music. It’s a wonderful opportunity that we’re very excited about.”

Larios Tres Leches cake

Tres Leches Cake at Larios

In late 2015, the Estefans will raise the curtains on their first ever Broadway production, “On Your Feet,” which will tell the story of Gloria and Emilio’s emigration from Cuba and their journey to stardom—set to music written by their daughter, Emily. “It’s about getting on your feet again in the face of hardship,” Emilio says. “It’s about our experiences leaving Cuba—how I played the accordion in restaurants to send tips to my mother, and all the things we did for freedom. It’s about chasing your dreams.”

Whether it’s sharing their revitalized Larios on the Beach or their timeless music, the Estefans hope to convey a message of strength, resilience, and pride in all they do.

It makes us love them all the more.

Learn more about Larios on the Beach by visiting lariosonthebeach.com.

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3:01 pm
Restaurant Features
0

Bread + Butter

What most inspired you to forge a career in the culinary world?

I come from a family of great cooks, fishermen, and artisans. I grew up with a passion for cooking.

What things come to mind when you think of Cuban culinary traditions?

Cuban cuisine is incredibly intriguing to me—not just because it’s where my family is from, but because it is a forgotten cuisine. A lot of the real traditional dishes that you would find in the more rural parts of the country have been lost.

Bread + Butter is a Cuban gastropub-counter restaurant. Did all these elements come together seamlessly? What challenges did you encounter in combining different food cultures?

The idea of making Bread + Butter a gastropub with Cuban cafeteria culture was not a difficult one. There are a lot of similarities between the two. Cafeterias have always been a place where the average Joe can enjoy a home-cooked meal in a casual setting. To incorporate the gastropub culture, we made the design funky, added good beer and wine, and sourced the best ingredients.

The menu includes variations on traditional Cuban sandwiches and fritas. What do you do at B+B to make these classics unique?

The sandwiches at B+B are playful renditions of classics produced with homemade ingredients. For instance, we take the Elena Ruz Sandwich—which is traditionally made with turkey, cream cheese, and strawberry jelly—and give it a makeover. We bake our own Cuban Pullman bread, slice it thin, toast it, and fill it with whipped pistachio goat cheese, housemade roasted turkey, papaya jam, and arugula.

You’ve talked about your desire to affect Miami’s “evolving palate.” How do you think B+B will affect tastes or expectations when it comes to dining out?

My hope for B+B is that it changes the way people perceive Cuban food. It’s not always greasy and poor quality. There are some Cuban restaurants in Miami that do it right and we hope to be part of that group. It’s also important to me that every age group can enjoy what we are doing. We want to be that place where a whole family (from grandparents to grandchildren) can sit together, reminisce, and have a good time. Our commitment to family comes from our respect for everything that came before us; it’s very Cuban. At B+B, family comes first.

Your restaurant name was inspired by your childhood nickname. Do you still love to eat bread and butter for breakfast?

Unfortunately, I love to eat my own food and that’s why I’ve gained a few pounds since I opened the restaurant. It’s not easy arriving at the restaurant each day to freshly baked loaves of bread made in-house by our baker.

Are the elements of nostalgia (childhood nicknames, the black and white photos, etc.) important to Cuban culture? Or do they stem from your own personality?

The black and white pictures, the nickname, they are all part of what I mentioned earlier: respecting what came before you. As a first generation Cuban American, I have two major responsibilities: to make sure my kids know the country where their grandparents were born, and to make sure they know it still exists and they have family there.

If you could go to Cuba today for an authentic meal, what would you eat?

I went to Cuba in October of 2013 and I can tell you the best meals are in the small paladares—family run mom-and-pop businesses. The best dish I had was Masa de Puerco Frito. The pork in Cuba tastes different. I’m not sure why, but it was delicious!

You share a name with a professional baseball player. Has that connection brought you any unexpected fame, funny stories, or misdirected autograph requests?

No. Like Cubans say, it’s a good thing to have a tocayo (a person with the same name) who’s a triple crown winner.

 

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