Florida that is.
Sometimes it’s nice to get away and last weekend the Critic did just that, with his better half, and to get away they went to nearby Miami. The upside of Miami is that it is under 2 hours flying time away, a plus for the Critic who hates planes and the merest suggestion of turbulence. There is something unnatural about being at 30,000 feet, bumping around in a cloud bank, moving along at hundreds of kilometers and hour.
In Miami, besides the usual stops at shopping centers and malls, as well as just hanging out, there was some great restaurant sampling!
Shorty’s BBQ – South Dixie Hwy, Dadeland Mall area
The Critic loves barbeque and this is a down and dirty, high volume restaurant complete with long wooden picnic tables, concrete floor and paper bags for your bones. Fingerlicking good ribs and the corn on the cob hot ans sweet and drenched in something resembling butter. Mmm good!
Latin Café
Another standout was the Latin Café – a chain of restaurants – serving Cuban food in a Cuban atmosphere complete with supercharged mojitos and friendly/surly wait staff. If you are in the mood for a torta cubana this is one of probably a million in Miami where you can get a good one. Slabs of roast pork, Spanish chorizo, Virginia ham and melted swiss cheese in a crispy toasted pan cubano is unbeatable here. It’s the Latin 2000 and it’s a sodium bomb so make sure you have access to liquids later on, because you will need them.
On a second visit, the Critic tried the masitas cubanas, which are marinated and fried chunks of pork, succulent, chewy and oh so good. Served with pickled white onions, a huge helping of congrí and tostones (crispy fried bananas) these were absolutely scrumptious. Highly recommended for those days when you need real sustenance and a serious shot of bad cholesterol.
Latin Café locations are all over Miami – the Critic visited the one on LeJeune near the airport and another location on Biscayne Ave, near Bayside Market.
Sushi Samba – Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
Another place that is well worth a visit is Sushi Samba on the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall. While the rest of the party had some OK rolls, the Critic opted for the waiter’s suggestions, called Moqueque or something along those lines, which was a delicious seafood stew/paella/oriental combination, piping hot and featuring everything from shrimp and mussels to cashews and sprouts. All kinds of spices and condiments and then there is a luscious tender rice in the middle to soak up all the goodness. The photo hardly does the dish justice.
The green tea also deserves a mention, since they serve it with a bit of crushed fresh mint which gives it a real refreshing kick.
The Critic’s Better Half had a lemonade which was so much better than a regular lemonade that everyone at the table had to have a sip.
Try this link to see pics of the restaurant!
Nothing like a little trip out of town to refresh the palate and inspire one to write good things about food and restaurants. Enjoy.