Miami eats Latin first. Cuban is the bedrock, with Colombian, Venezuelan, Haitian, and Argentine cooking close behind, and the whole city runs on tiny shots of sweet, strong coffee. The Cuban sandwich, ham and roast pork and Swiss pressed flat, is the everyday order, with croquetas and a colada to round it out.
The coffee comes from a window. The ventanita, a walk-up counter on the sidewalk, pours cafecito all day, a small sweet jolt meant to be shared standing in the heat. Pastelitos and a cortadito make a perfect mid-morning pause.
Dinner runs late and loud, with tables filling after nine, especially on weekends. Stone crab has a season, roughly October to May, so time your splurge. Between the beaches and Little Havana, Miami serves its food with volume and warmth.
