Villa Habana
3398 SW 22nd Street
Miami, FL 33145
305-446-7427
WOW oh WOW....come here if you are strapped for cash and want a fabulous Cuban meal with great attentive service. They have these "lunch" specials that run until 10pm at night...now that's a lunch for you. I had the Cuban fried chicken, moros rice and plaintains here. The fried chicken was hot and juicy..full of flavor. The moros rice is a combination of white rice and black beans. This mixture was so delicious that I was literally almost ready to lick the plate! I finished off the meal with a dessert called natill. On the menu it's listed as "wheat"...now, wheat does not sound like a dessert I am interested in eating but honey, let me tell you how delicious this creamy concoction was...the waiter said I MUST sprinkle cinnamon on it...AMAZING!!!!!!!
Wet Willie's at Hard Rock Casino and Hotel
http://www.wetwillies.com/
Hollywood, FL
Umm...not too sure what to say. Wet Willie's is a bar that serves only frozen drinks that look like margaritas and daiquiris. I ordered what I saw the locals order which was Call a Cab and Shock Treatment. Let's just say that the drink was stronger than those guys on the wrestling show. Ending up throwing that $8 drink in the trash! I am sure the other flavors are better. Stick to the basics like Weak Willie (non alcoholic) or a Strawberry one.
Jerry's Famous Deli
http://www.jerrysfamousdeli.com/
1450 Collins Avenue
Miami, FL 33139
305-532-8030
We went here for breakfast the second day of the trip. Breakfast was rather blah....nothing special about a $10 breakfast...I received 2 pancakes, a sausage link, 3 strips of bacon and since I don't like eggs, I asked for toast instead. The meal was so so, I've had better breakfast from Denny's and have paid way less. I did frequent this restaurant again a couple of days later for a slice of strawberry shortcake which was heavenly!!!! Fresh strawberries and plenty of moist cake layers with preserves and whipped cream. Desserts are definitely a plus here.
Manolo's
http://www.churrosmanolo.com/
7300 Collins Avenue
Miami, FL 33141
305-868-4381
When you hear Manolo....I know you think of shoes but not in this case! Manolo's is an Argentianian restaurant that serves up tasty empanadas and other favorites such as spinach pie, milanese and yes...CHURROS!!! I had the pleasure of having some of the best empanadas ever. The empanadas here are baked not fried like you find in other restaurants. They are quite filling and as usual, I over did it by ordering three...two would have been enough! They also have traditional desserts which was berry delicious like their sugary peach cake which I am sure was heaven sent!!! Prices are very reasonable. My only regret is I didn't get to try the milanesa considering I did eat here twice. They do serve pizza but on pancetta bread which looks quite delicious for a couple to share. Order the cream churros and the caramel ones...you can thank me later!!
Le Boudoir
http://www.leboudoirmiami.com/
186 SE 12th Terrace
Miami, FL 33131
305-372-2333
This little gem set in a condo building was quite a delight. I was trying to be "healthier" and thought that a salad would be in order. I went here and ordered their B-Cobb salad. Although this is a cobb salad, there are no eggs which is great since I don't like them. The salad was about $15 but it was worth it. It was filled with luscious blue crab and shrimp along with spring greens, fresh tomatoes and diced sweet mango in a balsamic vinegarette. I thoroughly enjoyed this salad and would definitely eat here again. I also had a raspberry torte here that was delicious and not too sweet.
Tapas and Tintos
http://www.tapasandtintos.com/
448 Espanola Way
Miami, FL 33139
305-538-8272
We were looking for a place to eat paella and found a place that was way across town...ended up just asking the local bartender in the hotel where to go and she recommended this place. The place is packed and we end up at an outdoor table which is a pretty good thing until it starts RAINING...fortunately we were under an umbrella and the rain hardly phased us! We ordered the seafood paella here that was full of shrimp, fish, calamari, whole lobster and some other seafood I am forgetting. The paella had a great flavor but my friend felt we needed some more rice. I was fine with it and will order it again. I am interested in going back and trying the tapas like the croquettes and other items like the squid ink rice. I had a mango daiquiri here...umm, too strong..Miami loves to get you with the heavy handed drinks!!
Clevelander
http://www.clevelander/
1020 Ocean Drive
Miami, FL 33139
877-532-4006
We ate here on the last night of our vacation. We were looking for a "reasonable" place to eat and we stopped by several places before deciding to eat here. All I really wanted was a snack and this place hit the spot! I order three shrimp tacos for $9 and an order of sweet potato fries with chili salt. The tacos were great and it was an ample serving considering South Beach prices. The sweet potato fries.....I probably should have kissed the cook because these were faboulous...lightly fried and golden orange in color. They were thin unlike most sweet potato fries I have had previously. The chili salt on there is definitely a plus!! This was probably my cheapest meal in South Beach! Will go back again and will try the other items. Had a rum runner here and it was very good. Rum on top so I could mix it in myself. (my request)
