Miami's Tastiest Street: Calle Ocho
Good magazine just came out with a list of "America's Tastiest Streets," and Miami's very own Calle Ocho made the cut. Here's what they had to say about it:
Little Havana’s main drag, Southwest 8th Street—Calle Ocho to locals—is renowned for its authentic Cuban cuisine and its robust hatred of Fidel Castro. The boulevard’s quaint and walkable blocks run from 14th Street to 18th Street. Disregard the “Viva Bush” stickers at Los Pinareños Frutería and focus on the guarapo (sugarcane juice), fresh-squeezed orange juice, and the recession-proof $3 lunch special. Also, if you time it right (the last Friday of every month), Calle Ocho between 14th and 17th becomes a street fair for Viernes Culturales. Go gallery hopping, catch a show and pause for tapas at Casa Panza, which also features Flamenco dancing three nights a week.So they re-drew the boundaries of Little Havana all the way to Krome. We'll ignore that part. The point is that Calle Ocho, SW 8th Street, Tamiami Trail, whatever you want to call it, has a number of tasty places where one can eat cheaply, and those five restaurants mentioned are good examples. We'd add Hy-Vong, Sarussi, Tinta y Cafe and La Carreta Restaurant. Oh! And El Rey de las Fritas.Immigration from Cuba and other Latin American countries has expanded Little Havana from downtown to the edge of the Everglades. As in most of Southern Florida, you’ll need a car to get around. Grab a pair of 75-cent Colombian empanadas at San Pocho Restaurant and continue a few blocks down to Taqueria El Mexicano for bistec a la Mexicana—beef chunks simmered with tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños. For the authentic Miami Cuban experience, dine with the common folk and power brokers at Versailles. Just don’t wear your Che shirt.
Where do you get your cheap eats on Calle Ocho?
America's Tastiest Streets [Good Magazine]
Photo, of the paella at Casa Panza: markaragnos [Flickr]
