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!

Key West Fish

My main goal while in Florida was to eat as much fish as possible. Lunch and dinner. Breakfast if I could find any. So when we arrived in Key West, my immediate suggestion for a restuarant for dinner was a seafood place. We took the little hotel bus down to the Duval Street area, and we chose a restuarant called Alonzo's Oyster Bar. While the inside of the restuarant was really loud, the food was pretty decent. Too bad the raw oyster and seafood towers started at $45. A little too rich for my blood.

I got a mixed seafood plate, with fried fish (anonymous white fish!), oysters, shrimp, and conch fritters. The side dish? Sweet corn mashed potatoes. We were incredibly curious, but in the end, it was just canned corn dumped into mashed potatoes. Oh, well. At least I met my seafood quota.

Fried Conch Anyone?

So, on the drive down to Key West, we decided to stop at a little seafood shack of sorts off of US 1 in Marathon. The place was called Keys Fisheries, and their menu literally took up an entire wall next to the order menu. Since I had never tried conch before, I decided it was the sandwich for me. When you order you have to give your favorite celebrity's name, which is kind of cute, but the food is the real star.

My sandwich was fabulous. The conch was chewy, and the breading was crunchy and flavorful. The cole slaw was fresh, and it wasn't too sour or creamy. My sister got fried hogfish, and she said it was delicious. My mom's lobster salad wrap looked amazing. Mom dad got a chicken salad, but we won't talk about that. This place is definitely recommended, especially since you get to sit on a porch overlooking the marina.

South Beach Dining

Well, today I was in South Beach, Miami, Florida. The beach was stunning, the water was turquoise, and the sun was hot. After baking for a couple of hours, my family was hungry, so we trooped off down Ocean Drive to look for a place for dinner.

We finally decided on a place called Cafe Medi. I think we chose well, because the food was fabulous. I had the tuna tartare (with avocado!) and the seaweed salad. My mother and sister split a seafood dish served over mashed potatoes with a balsamic vinegar reduction. My dad had pasta with shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce. Delicious!

A Little Bento Surprise

I've always loved bentos. There's something about the fact that so many little tidbits are packed into such a small container. You get so many different choices and flavors, all in one neat package.

Well, I just went to a Japanese grocery store near me for the first time, so I stocked up on all sorts of fabulous goodies. It also seems like fate, since a couple of days before, I happened to pick up a couple of Japanese cookbooks that I liked. So with a full refrigerator and some great inspiration, I decided to make some side dishes for a great little bento to accompany my curry rice main dish.
In the picture, clockwise from the top, I made stewed pumpkin (my favorite!!!), crunch soy sauce pickles, sauteed asparagus (this should have had sesame seeds, but I was out), hard boiled quail eggs with sea salt, and sauteed asparagus with bonito flakes.

Fabulous Fresh Fruit

Well, today I saw the first beautiful strawberries in the store, and even better, they were on sale. They were so fabulously red and juicy, that I couldn't resist snapping some beauty shots. These little lovelies are going to make me very happy for the rest of the week.