Cuban in Little Havana

One of our last nights in Miami, we decided we wanted a little Cuban food. After all, our hotel was about two miles from Little Havana. So we asked the concierge at the hotel for a recommendation, and he took us in the shuttle van to a place called La Rosa.

We were greeted at the door by an old Cuban man that appeared to be guarding the parking lot. Inside, a woman was playing old show tunes on the piano and fudging her way through more difficult classical pieces. In the corner, a Cuban family was finishing dinner while an aristocratic matriarch of at least seventy looked on. We admired her rose corsage and elegant hat.

We definitely weren't expecting the fabulous food. I started with a grouper soup that was rich and spicy, but almost too much to finish. My mojito had a complex flavor that is missing in almost every other bar I've tried it at. For dinner I picked the snapper in garlic sauce, with yellow rice and black beans on the side. My father and sister got the roasted pork special, and my mom ordered a petite fillet minion. Everything was amazing. Everything melted in your mouth.

We were stuffed, but after looking at the dessert menu, we knew we had to order something. We got caramel flan, tres leche cake, mango pie, and my dad ordered chocolate mousse. The caramel flan was a revelation. It was dense (not watery), and the caramel flavor travelled all through the custard. I begged for the recipe, but it's a family secret. I wish I could go back!