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Friday January 19, 2007
“Considering Miami’s predominance of Cuban immigrants, it’s astonishing that truly wonderful, home-style, traditional Cuban meals are rare here.” But Pamela Robin Brandt found Las Delicias Restaurant to be to her satisfaction.
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Home style, traditional Cuban abounds. You just have to look off the beaten path. There are tonsof little cafeterias, many open just for lunch, that serve great Cuban food. You know the type: the owner is standing behind the counter, making cuban sandwiches, while his wife is in the kitchen. There was one such place around Doral eons ago. Another one, sort of famous, is Nena’s around Bird Road and Douglas. Nena is 90 something and still cooks.
True, true, true.
Also, “truly wonderful, home-style, traditional Cuban meals” abound in homes across the county. I think when you visit the regional center of any particular kind of cuisine, the restaurants fall short of what the locals cook at home.
Hhhmmmm… so maybe I should take advantage of my new big(ger) kitchen and turn my house into a paladar... :-p
Alex~ I realize, and I was hoping this would set off a list of such places. Thanks for starting it. More??
Get-together at Tere’s with Cuban cooking!!
I wish I remembered what was the name of the Doral place. “pepe” something, like “Don pepe” perhaps. It was really good. They’ll wheel out two caja chinas every Friday, very early, and by lunch time the special would be roasted pork -you wouldn’t believe the line out of the door. I wonder if they are still around.
Up where I live, there’s a place called Havana Vieja (Biscayne and 130something), it’s pretty good. But it’s kind of fancy, so it doesn’t qualify as a joint.
Another place I personally love is “El palacio de los jugos” Flagler and 57 ave. Best chicharrones and freshly squeezed fruit juice. The food is buffet style, but so good.
BTW, a mexican friend of mine, pure “chilango” swears that the best tacos in Miami are to be found saturday mornings at some carts parked alongside 37 avenue, by the athletic fields just before Bird. Not Cuban food of course, but a find nonetheless.
Alex, the one on Biscayne and like 129 is Little Havana – it IS really good, but yeah, not a joint.
Another good hole in the wall: Riviera Super Market on NW 17 Ave and 17 St. It’s been a good long while since I’ve been there, and I think you can only buy the meals to go, but their pork? TO DIE FOR.
Oh, happy day! I moved to Miami in 1978 and have never had Cuban food. Isn’t that sad?
For years, I have been asking my hispanic friends where to go for an authentic Cuban meal, and most people shrug and say, “Oh, there have to be restaurants everywhere!” without giving me the name of even one.
How does Versailles compare?
Does anyone want to have dinner with me, some time next week, pretty please?
Yvette,
Versailles is for show. Don’t go ther