Continuing on our Cuban theme, today we are going to talk about our favorite Cubano / Cuban sandwich. There is some controversy as to where the Cubano sandwich originated, though it is not in Cuba, despite the name. Currently, the disputed home of the Cubano is likely either Key West or Tampa, FL. The typical composition of a Cuban sandwich is roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles on Cuban Bread. Despite murkiness around its origins, we can safely say we have found our favorite Cubano in Miami (and probably the US) at Sanguich (various locations in Miami, we have visited the Calle Ocho location multiple times).
Sanguich’s menu – true to name – includes only selected classic sandwiches. All are on perfectly crusty Cuban bread, with a soft interior. Along with the Cubano ($13.49) you can get a medianoche ($11.59), which is similar to a Cubano but on sweeter bread, or a pan con bistec ($14.59) topped with mojo rojo, Swiss cheese, and sous vide beef. All of the sandwiches are slight spins on classics, topped with unique sauces and only top-notch ingredients. The whole of each sandwich is definitely more than the sum of its parts, and they are truly memorable.
Of all of the options, our favorites all involve the amazing slow roasted pork! This special ingredient completely makes the Cubano (seen above), and you can also just get a roast pork sandwich with mojo onions and garlic-cilantro aioli (L’s favorite, $11.99). While the menu is primarily sandwiches, you can also get milkshakes (batidos), including the unique trigo flavor, made with condensed milk and puffed wheat, apparently a Cuban classic. Of course, there is also made-to-order cafecito on offer.
The restaurant itself is tiny, so expect to wait for your sandwich (probably outside), and there is always a danger of them selling out. Whenever you visit (last time we went was a Sunday at 4 PM), there will likely be a bit of a line, and you will have to wait to receive your order, even if you are picking up. We usually just get our sandwiches to go, and once even brought them to the beach – highly recommend the lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park – as a picnic lunch spot. The next time you are in Miami, be sure to make a beeline for Sanguich for the best Cubano of your life!
We were cruising around Miami, in the mood for some Caribbean flavors and seafood. Bahamian restaurants, specializing in the nation’s fish-heavy cuisine, dot the city. We heard good things about Bahamian Pot (1413 NW 54th St. Miami, FL), so we decided to pop in for a quick lunch. When we entered, a few tables were full, and people were chatting over glasses of iced tea and huge plates of fried fish and chicken.
We scanned the tables and pretty much knew what we wanted to order, and what were the specialties of the house (FISH!). The menu was simple: a few breakfast items like fried chicken and waffles and a variety of fried seafood, including shrimp, whole snapper and tilapia. If you are feeling like meat, the oxtail draws praise. Bahamian Pot’s prices were reasonable, with everything falling in the range of $10-15. The portions of the dinner plates were generous and came with 2 sides, which included mac and cheese, plantains, string beans, crinkle-cut fries, okra or beans and rice.
When we are in Miami, we feel spoiled for choice at all the Latin American options we have. We were especially happy to try some restaurants that make food from countries that aren’t really available in Chicago. One among these is Honduras. When we were searching for Honduran options in Miami, Paseo Catracho bubbled up as a favorite (the “Catracho” in the name is a nickname for people from Honduras). One of our good friends who lives in Miami who is of Honduran heritage said it was her favorite place to get Honduran food in the city. When we walked in, we were impressed by the bustling atmosphere, and the cute touches like straw hats hanging from the ceiling as lamps.
We are always excited to visit Miami, because of all of the awesome Latin food there, and because we get to see our friend K & M, who are both awesome people and food pros! One of M’s friends recommended Patio D La Morocha (2175 SW 1st St. Miami, FL 33135) for dinner – it is owned by a friend – and it was truly an awesome local spot. The restaurant is Uruguayan – a new restaurant country for us – our only experience with Uruguayan food was previously 
El Mago de las Fritas
We are obsessed with old school Italian groceries, and we absolutely pine for an offshoot of our gold standard, Tenuta’s to open in Chicago. Laurenzo’s (16445 W Dixie Hwy, North Miami Beach, FL 33160) is Miami’s answer to Tenuta’s, an old-school 1960s era supermarket with a little restaurant inside and a prodigious selection of olive oil and cheese. We were on our way to Hollywood beach for the day, so we decided we needed to pack a perfect picnic. Fortunately, Laurenzo’s had everything that we needed. We wandered the aisles, spending some extra time in front of the cheese counter, where we spied imported mozzarella and provolone. The baked goods selection was also pretty impressive, with a rainbow selection of Italian cookies and house-made cannoli. We could have piled up a basket or two of food, but we tried to keep our appetites in check. Check out the photos below of our wanderings through the store (and of course, we’ll definitely be back next time we end up in Miami). We ended up buying some crostini, buffalo mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto. These are our typical picnic fixin’s, but not typical beach food. We still think it pairs pretty well with the sun and sand!
We first had 
There were 6 kinds of mofongo available: mixed seafood, fresh fish, churrasco, pork in mojo sauce, chicken and shrimp. We ordered the pork mojo mofongo, since M can never pass up a roast pork dish, and split a little of the churrasco with our friends. The price, $17, was a little high, but it was more than enough to feed two hungry people. The pork was tender and flavorful and it was chock full of plantains. It was still had some substance to it, not too mushy. They weren’t lying, this mofongo was delicious.
To say we had some difficulty in finding Las Americas would be something of an understatement. 
So we first saw this pig on our first visit to Miami in January, and well…. we didn’t know if she’d still be around in February. Made into lechon, we assumed. We didn’t know if she was a pet or dinner! Turns out she is a pet, and her name is “Chucha,” and you can see her and her menagerie any day. It seems like she has a pretty content life. Case in point – we ordered two watermelon jugos one day, and Chucha got the entire watermelon rind, so we like to think we are contributing a little bit to her happiness. There is also a baby pig nearby, but you have to ask permission to see her. We’ll be back whenever we are in Miami – for the ambiance, the drinks, and to visit our favorite animals!
Eating The World 