Earlier
this year I had the pleasure of spending a foodie week in Miami via a
connecting flight from Baltimore. I walked out of FL Airport and I
didn’t think much of the area. However a good 20 minutes into the
journey, we entered Ocean drive right next to south beach and the smile
on my face widened. On my travels I can only think of a few beaches that
rival what I saw that day. One was in Rio De Janeiro and the other was
in Santorini, which almost brought tears to my eyes…but I wouldn’t go
into that one now. Haha.
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| South Beach |
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| Jewish War Memorial |
During my stay I stumbled across the most interesting neighbourhood ‘ Little Havana’ and I was struck by how warm and friendly the residents were.There were a few record stores, Cuban cigar shops and the whole place oozed culture. The Calle Ocho festival also happens along this stretch.
When I travel, food is very, very important and I have to say I can be fussy. I like to take my time when choosing a restaurant to ensure I don’t leave disappointed. Out of all the place we ate there where two local restaurants that really caught my eye and my taste-buds…
Puerto Sagua
After eating at a few restaurants on Ocean Drive, many of which were overpriced and average to say the least ( If you want good food, stay off Ocean Drive), I came across this local traditional Cuban Restaurant just a few streets down the lovely stretch of South Beach on Collins Avenue. The restaurant is off course, the great Puerto Sagua. Ranked 69th of 824 restaurants in Miami Beach on Trip Advisor, the restaurant combines affordable pricing with flavourful mouth watering dishes. I visited this restaurant around 9pm and I have to say the atmosphere was electric and vibrant. If you need fine dining then a visit to Fontainebleu is the way to go. However if you want a traditional place that serves good homely food, then Puerto Sagua is the place to be.
★★★★☆
Oxtails with white rice and plantains ( 4.5 stars)
This dish was perfectly seasoned in a flavourful gravy , it fell off the bone at every touch. Combine this with the soft plaintains and fluffy rice and what I tasted that night was a match made in food heaven. If I ever visit Miami again, I intend to spend more time eating out at this restaurant.
This Haitian restaurant is just a few minutes walk away from the noisy South Beach. Nice colourful décor with beautiful murals, warm ambience,very friendly staff and good food makes this place a lovely place to spend your afternoon if you aren’t in a hurry.
★★★☆☆
Taso Kabrit
Fried goat tidbit with creole sauce
★★★☆☆
Karbit Nan Sos
All natural Bolinas goat stew
The goat stew came served with rice and fried plantains. I also ordered a stewed Okra dish on the side (be aware…this is a main dish on its own. However I like food, so side dish it is). It was hard work finishing everything I ordered. I think I actually nearly passed out in the chair! Everything I ordered tasted nice and simple. I wouldn’t say it was amazing, however it’s definitely worth a visit if your up for trying something different.
There are a few restaurants in the famous Fontainebleau that are really worth a visit, however I chose these 2 local restaurants just because it was something different to the usual ‘dining experience’. I hope enjoyed this post and I look forward to having you back soon 🙂
