“Tapas y Tintos” is a Spanish/Basque tapas restaurant & bar that has been bringing authenticity and flavor to the Spanish-inspired, historic street of Española Way in Miami Beach since 1981. From ceiling to floor, the walls are covered with authentic photographs and decor of Spanish novelties such as Spanish Matador costumes, Spanish fans, Flamenco dancers and Spain’s beloved soccer teams.

Tapas y Tintos has developed a menu with authentic Spanish dishes that range from “Tapas y Raciones” or small plates, and homemade croquettes with choice of chicken, cod, or ham, priced from $9 to $18, and can be shared on their own as a way to taste the wide menu. The star of the menu, is the house special “Arroces” with choice of Seafood Paella or Meat Paella (chicken, pork loin, sausage) that serves 2 people at $35 each. On the menu, you can also find “Tablas” or cold cuts boards with assortments of cured meats and cheeses with Selection of Iberico Cured Meats for $45, as well as seafood and meet entrees ranging from $21-$32. You can finish your evening with traditional desserts like the “Crema Catalana”, “Tarta de Santiago”, or “Tia’s Flan”, each for $8.95.

Stop by for daily happy hour to enjoy $5.99 Sangria, Mojitos and Beers! Also don’t forget to reserve your seat for the only live flamenco show on Miami Beach, “El Rincón del Flamenco” starting at 9pm on weekend nights. Every Friday and Saturday nights, join “La Marcha Nights” the late night bar kicking-off at midnight with live DJ entertainment. Enjoy brunch every Saturday and Sunday starting at Noon. Hours of operation are: Monday to Thursday from 5PM to close, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12PM to close. For reservations call 305-538-8272. #‎TapasyTintos‬

Compelling variety breathes life back into the 24/7 restaurant at Caesars Palace.

It seems like it was only a few weeks ago that I was telling you how I rarely review 24/7 restaurants located in hotels. Oh wait—it was only a few weeks ago. And then I went on to review Siegel’s 1941 in El Cortez. And now I’m back to write a bit about another around-the-clock casino “coffee shop” worth trying: Café Americano in Caesars Palace.

The latest modest entry into Caesars’ star-studded restaurant lineup replaces celebrity chef Michel Richard’s Central. Unlike many writers (and many members of the public), I actually thought Central was a very good restaurant, especially during chef Todd Harrington’s tenure. But asking a chef who has earned Michelin stars to adapt to the 24-hour hotel cycle was certainly a difficult undertaking. Fortunately, Café Americano isn’t saddled with such lofty expectations. Given its prime indoor/outdoor real estate just off the main lobby of Caesars, it could really get away with putting out the same mishmash of predictable staples you’ll find in just about every casino coffee shop. And don’t get me wrong, you’ll find a lot of those on this diverse and occasionally predictable menu. But you’ll also find a few surprises, which is why it’s worth a visit.

The first thing that caught my eye was the pizza selection. While everyone was oohing and aahing over Caesars’ rather unimpressive importation of Brooklyn’s famed Di Fara Pizza, the folks at Café Americano created an interesting pizza menu. How many other places in town offer a pie with San Marzano tomatoes, hand-cut pepperoni, andouille sausage, braised short ribs, vinegar peppers, whiskey onions, mozzarella and a fried egg? Or another with octopus cured in olive oil, pesto, mozzarella, arugula, Grana Pedano and roasted cipollini onions? And if you can think of someplace that does, I’m guessing you can’t get them at 5 a.m., when you come down with a case of the late-night munchies. And those are just two of the seven pizzas this café offers.

Among the pizza selections, I found the octopus to be a bit too close to a salad for my taste, but that’s just because I’m an unhealthy eater who tends to get scared by too many greens on the dish. If you’re a fan of arugula and octopus, you should love it. The Whole Hog—made with pork belly, andouille, pulled pork, pecan-smoked bacon, house-pickled jalapeños, mozzarella, cheddar and a lightly sweet guava barbecue sauce—was a bit more to my liking. And the pizza oven (gas, despite the decorative wooden veneer) also puts out a wonderful dessert in the form of a Nutella and banana calzone. It’s big, messy and delicious.

The rest of the menu is surprisingly diverse. Appetizers include such predictable options as fried calamari and sliders alongside more interesting dishes, including short-rib tacos and red-pepper hummus. There are, of course, plenty of burgers and sandwiches. The bar boasts 11 beers on tap and another nine in bottles. A dedicated “skinny menu” features entrées that are less than 500 calories.

In the soup section of the menu, alongside French onion and lobster bisque, you’ll find tonkotsu ramen. I’ll admit it might not be as good as what you get at your favorite Chinatown haunt, but it’s still quite satisfying. And a Cubano sandwich I had on a recent trip was solid, but a bit on the salty side. Of all the dishes I’ve had here so far, the only real disappointment was a giant mozzarella-stuffed meatball that was rather dry. Nonetheless, I appreciated the playfulness of creating an inside-out meatball parm, as well as the fact it was accompanied by delicious house-made ricotta and vinegar peppers.

Every time I wander into Café Americano, I see staff I recognize. Some are holdovers from Central, while others I know from various other establishments. But the service has been nothing but fantastic. Although Café Americano is far from fine dining or haute cuisine, Caesars Palace isn’t exactly lacking in those spots. Here, I found a place that’s interesting enough to make me rethink my disdain for round-the-clock casino joints, and satisfy my appetite any time of day.

Al’s Menu Picks

Ramen bowl ($19)
Whole Hog pizza ($20)
and Nutella calzone ($13)

Café Americano

Caesars Palace, 702-731-7110, Caesars.com. Open daily 24 hours. Dinner for two, $40-$100.

The Formula: Authentic Cuban cuisine
Number of Locations: 4 in South Florida
Meal for One: Traditional grilled Cuban steak topped with chopped onions and parsley, served alongside boiled yuca ($15.50) and paired with a mango mojito ($9.95)
Menu Highlights: Classic Cuban dishes full of juicy meats, fried plantains and roasted potatoes

https://www.zagat.com

Con música de los años 1950, comida cubana de la buena y un menú para comer sin culpas, ‘El habanero delgado’, este restaurante-club pone sabor en Brickell.

ALBERTO SÁNCHEZ

Casi a la una de la madrugada el grupo Palo!, que dirige Steve Roitstein, sube al escenario del Havana 1957 de Brickell para celebrar su onceno aniversario. La cantante Leslie Cartaya pide “Tabaco y ron pa’ mi santa”. Ed Calle, Philbert Armenteros y Raymel Olalde completan esta mezcla virtuosa y contagiosa del afrocuban funk de Miami, música genuina de la Ciudad del Sol. Se escuchan La malanga, Qué lengua más larga tú tienes, Camina con los codos y Están afuera fumando.

La música en vivo los fines de semana distingue este salón ubicado en el área de Brickell de los otros restaurantes de la marca Havana 1957. Temas típicos, los de antes y los de ahora, se escuchan de jueves a sábado. La Charanga Típica Tropical de Ramiro Aguirre, Luis Barbería (Habana Abierta), Robertico Carcassés, William Vivanco y Luis Bofill son algunos de los cantautores que se han presentado aquí. Para julio se anuncia a Vanito Brown y en agosto a José Luis Barba, David Torrens, y Janet Dacal.

El happy hour del Havana 1957 es más conocido por La casa por la ventana. Es el momento de la tarde en que se puede probar la variedad de whiskies, vinos y cervezas a mitad de precio, o si prefiere a dos por uno. Están los clásicos cocteles como el mojito, el Cuba Libre y cuatro variedades de martinis. O si quiere algo más directo, pude pedir cualquiera de las 70 marcas de rones que sirven en el bar.

La especialidad del menú no consiste en complicar la elaboración de los platos, sino en la variedad de estilos, opciones, y costumbres. Junto al menú regular, tienen El habanero delgado, una versión que han creado para los que prefieren comer pequeñas porciones, bajas en grasas, a la plancha, menos calorías, mucha fibra, integral… y sin remordimientos. En ambos menús las carnes, el pescado, las viandas y los mariscos aparecen en muchos de los platos, como la vaca frita, la palomilla o los tostones rellenos.

Para los que vienen por primera vez se les recomienda el Pollo Havana 1957, un medio pollo de los grandes que se ha marinado durante tres días y asado durante tres horas, que se sirve con arroz, frijoles negros, plátanos maduros fritos y ensalada. Antes puede pedir un Combo Cubano: croquetas de jamón, yuca frita, mariquitas, papas asadas, tamal y cerdo.

Todo lo que está en las paredes del restaurante es auténtico, original, de colección, como las camisetas de los equipos de La Habana y el Almendares. En algunas partes hay firmas, frases y nombres que recuerdan a La Bodeguita del Medio de La Habana, que hacen juego con el decorado del lugar. Sobre el bar hay un gran cartel de la Coca-Cola, de aquellos que se veían en muchas partes de La Habana en la década del 1950, y al lado una gran foto publicitaria de jóvenes que se divierten, recreando el ambiente nocturno y glamoroso de la capital cubana. También hay fotos de Beny Moré, María Félix, Los Matamoros, Errol Flynn y Celia Cruz.

Juan Reina, un septuagenario, natural del barrio Los Sitios, con una memoria musical increíble, que frecuenta el lugar, recuerda a La Habana por las canciones de moda que se escuchaban en la radio o en las vitrolas de los bares. “Muchos estaban abiertos”, dice, “sin aire acondicionado, cuando ponías una canción de Roberto Faz, Orlando Vallejo o Bola de Nieve, se escuchaba hasta en la esquina. Así sonaba mi Habana”.

De esa época, recuerda las reuniones en casa del compositor Candito Ruiz, en Concepción de la Valla, entre Manrique y Campanario. “Por las noches se reunían a descargar y a componer, César Portillo de la Luz, Frank Domínguez, Ernesto Duarte, Marcelino Guerra y Tania Castellanos, entre otros. Al menos dos veces estuvo por allí Ella Fitzgerald acompañada de Sarah Vaughan.

Música, decorado y menú se combinan para hacer de este lugar una noche de La Habana en aquellos años 1950, cuando en el show del cabaret Tropicana podía estar Nat King Cole cantando en español El bodeguero. En el club La Red La Lupe se desgarraba con Qué te pedí y en el Alí Bar, Beny Moré, que había llegado un tanto tarde, compensaba la paciencia del respetable con Hoy como ayer o Me voy pa’l pueblo. Se iba por la mañana, y regresaba en el último vuelo de Pan Am, o al día siguiente. Con cierta resaca, pero sin permisos de entradas ni de salidas, y sin muchas restricciones de aduanas, solo a divertirse. Tal como era antes. •

Havana 1957 en Brickell, 1451 South Miami Ave., (305) 381-6651. Horarios y eventos en www.havana1957.com

Source: http://www.elnuevoherald.com

As a native New Yorker, I hear the word “touristy” and cringe, so after checking out the mixed bag that is Yelp, I had my reservations (see what I did there?) about dining at Oh! Mexico. Here’s why I gave it a chance. In Miami, I am kind of a tourist, even though I’ve circled Lincoln Road several times in my short life. I’ve also had my fair share of unimpressive Mexican in my native New York City, and honestly, nothing could have been worse than the “nachos” we had the day before at our hotel pool, served with a side of bitter store-bought salsa in a plastic cup.

The eatery on the corner of Española Way is incredibly charming both inside and out. The outdoor seating is the obvious choice, though, peppered with art-deco buildings in pastel hues. The interior dining room is also pleasant, and features giant portraits of famed Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo along with blown glass trinkets and other knick-knacks.

We ordered the Molcajete, a lava rock bowl filled with Mexican guajillo sauce (or green tomatillo sauce,) nopal (cactus), onion, bell pepper, Mexican cheese, and chorizo, with chicken, steak, and shrimp. It was garlicky and delicious – I even had leftovers to take to the beach the next day. At $36, it’s a bit pricey, but those are the brakes when you’re on vacation, especially in South Beach. We also had the pork chop lunch special, chuletas de puerco en salsa chipotle, which were smoked chops smothered in mild and chipotle sauce.

We went for lunch, which I would recommend over dinner—then again, we didn’t try their margaritas, so the choice is yours.
Were there lame people in stupid visors and puka shell necklaces sitting at tables across the way? Yeah. Did they scream “Oh my gawwwdd!” when a guy rode by on a bike with a monkey perched on the handlebars? Yes. Who cares? It’s a charming experience, and you’re on vacation, so have a nice lunch, walk down Collins Avenue, and enjoy your trip, lucky tourist!

Source: http://www.thedailymeal.com/